Watching Showtime

Hoping to be able to stream all your Netflix movies instead of having to wait for your next DVD to show up in the mail? Netflix execs are saying this could be happening within the next year! And if that were all, I wouldn’t be posting this, now would I?

Netflix execs are also hoping to be able to start working with networks like our beloved Showtime, streaming series episodes such as The Tudors and Weeds - how exciting would that be! I’m wondering if you’ll need to have a separate subsription to be able to stream the shows, as Showtime is a premium cable channel.

Execs are hinting that a streaming-only option for your Netflix subscriptions could soon be available and will be availabe (currently, you have to be a mail customer to get the online streaming), while also hinting that it could be a cheaper subscription - would you be willing to sign up for an online-only Netflix subscription? What about signing up if it means streaming Showtime series’?

Check out the latest happenings at Seattle Grace (another show you can stream via Netflix)!

After Ellen staff writer Trish Bendix sat down with L Word stylist Cynthia Summers to chat about our favorite lesbians on television, how the fashion in the show as evolved over time, who she loved dressing the most, and so much more. source

At the Winter TCAs, Showtime’s President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt talked with IGN.com about the future for both Weeds and Dexter. Both shows have been renewed through their 6th and 5th seasons respectively, which is good news for fans. Greenblatt wouldn’t give away any plot points, though, instead joking of the next season of Dexter, “Someone’s going to die!” source

Just when we all thought casting Leisha Hailey as the star of the L Word spin-off was a dead giveaway as to her guilt in the murder of Jenny Scheckter, think again. Both Hailey and Ilene Chakin, creator of the spin-off, have hinted at Alice’s possible innocence! source

Jonathan Rhys Meyers has a new modeling gig – this time for Energie Jeans. He will be their face for the brand for the next two seasons, so expect to see him strutting around in them often, as well as many gorgeous print ads showing up in magazines and billboards across the planet! source

Hey there. I’m still trying to get caught up on life after a busy weekend, but I wanted to let you all know I guest-posted over at the Rose Rollins Fan Blog! Head on over and check out my thoughts on the end of the L Word and where we can get our girlie fix once it’s done.

I’ll be back soon with two Tudors recaps (I never did get around to last week’s episode) and tons of gossip!

With all that’s been popping up surrounding Showtime in the past few days, here’s a run-down of all the events you’ll want to know about.

• Mary Louise Parker gave an interview, albeit begrudgingly, to the New York Times on March 3, in which she talks everything from her love life to directing to the media and paparazzi role in Hollywood. Definite must-read for Weeds fans.
• Speaking of Weeds, they’ll officially start shooting the fourth season in April, which is good news for fans of the show. It looks like they’re on schedule for it’s fall release to the network, just as it was last year. Those in the New York area can see MLP for the next few weeks on the stage in “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”.
• Ebony profiled Rose Rollins on their website last month, which somehow slipped past my radar. In it she talks on-screen hookups as well as off, her eight years as a struggling actor before hitting it big with The L Word, and much more. Did you know she was in Mission Impossible 3, which ties her to Showtime actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers? I’m going to have to watch that movie again, now!
• For those who love Dexter, it sounds like we’ll have more than three seasons of the show after all. Based on a trilogy of books, author Jeff Lindsay has revealed he’s working on a fourth novel to add to the collection!
• Californication fans can now rejoice … the first season is being released on DVD on June 17. While that’s still a few months away, with the release I’m sure we’ll be treated to some great extras. Jill over at Showtime Fan has listed out her picks for extras, so check them out.
• DVD releases seem to be big for June and Showtime. The third season of Weeds releases on June 3! Extras will include commentary tracks and featurettes including all the Good Morning Agrestic talk show episodes.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better for Showtime, they sign on Diablo Cody to write their newest amazing show. The show in question? The United States of Tara, a comedy staring Toni Collete as a suburban mother who’s got some unwanted guests - the variety of personalities that reside in her head! Cody was brought on to help write the show long before Juno ever hit theaters (back in December of 2006), so they can say they had her on their payroll long before the rest of the world took notice.

Unless of course you’re one of the thousands of feminists who have known of Diablo Cody for years. She wrote a blog and then published a book, Candy Girl: A Year In The Life Of An Unlikely Stripper. With that book came notoriety and deals for days, some of which were the Showtime gig and Juno.

Tara’s pilot will begin shooting next month, now that the writer’s strike is over, and Cody is busy penning more episodes so that if Showtime picks the show up permanently they’ll have episodes ready to shoot. All this means we won’t get to see Cody’s work for Showtime for some time still, but when Tara airs, it’s bound to be brilliant!

So, I’ve been taking a few days to regroup and such, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a ton of news floating around about Showtime. So here’s a few of those notes.

• Showtime has inked a deal to create Dexter action figures!
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers is set to star in a brand new movie called Shelter.
• Edie Falco is joining the Showtime family!

Every year at Emmy time, the voters are bombarded with DVDs galore from studios trying to make sure they see every single episode of every single season in time to make the “right” choice. This year, Showtime is doing it a little different.

Instead of sending out the usual 20 disks, they’re paring it down to just three, full of select episodes. In the packet that will come with these three disks, there will be a password that the Emmy voters can use to view every episode of every show. Online.

The site will give them access to Dexter, The L Word, and new seasons of The Tudors and This American Life, along with Weeds and Californication (did I miss anything?) for three months.

This isn’t just going to help cut down on clutter, though. It’s helping the environment, AND it’s saving Showtime thousands of dollars. Possibly more. It’s also a way to test out this HD-quality streaming, something Showtime is interested in making wider use of in the future?

What this means for us? If all goes well, we could be able to stream Showtime shows in HD quality right to our tvs (much like using ITunes now, but better quality pictures), instead of having to buy the DVDs. It’s about time!

By the way, did you know Britney’s been committed? Follow all the latest over at Britney Spears Watch.

From time to time, a post comes across the greater 451Press network that’s worth sharing. And today is one of those days. Adrien over at Darkside Rainbow wrote a compelling response to an article from the Christian Newswire he was alerted to by another one of the writers in our network. He copied the entire article onto the page and then responded.

His post, “I Will Stand“, hits incredibly close to home for me. The ignorant beliefs from the article are ones I encounter every day, living somewhere in middle America as I do. People in my city carry their biggotry and hatred on their sleeves, and I have learned to pick and choose my friends wisely. I forget what it was like when I lived in Chicago, and even the most conservative of thinkers would never have been as extreme as the writer of the referenced article.

If you’ve got a minute or two, head on over to Darkside Rainbow and read what Adrien has to say.

Not that we all here at Watching Showtime aren’t already believers in the power of a good Showtime television show. But … if we needed any further proof that the rest of the world is starting to sit up and take notice of what’s happening here on our little channel, the annual “Top Ten” List from The Underrated should give you some indication. Of his top ten television shows of the year, three were from Showtime. Three.

Here’s the full list for those of you who are interested, along with what was said about the three Showtime shows listed.

(more…)

Could this be true? With the writer’s strike dragging on and on, it looks like non-cable channels are looking to their paid-programming counterparts for help with filling all the empty spaces. And in the case of CBS, that would mean Showtime.

“Dexter is probably the first one to go on — with some edits,” CEO Leslie Moonves told reporters on Tuesday, with both The Tudors and Weeds to follow, but that “both will need heavy editing to make it to broadcast primetime.”

It didn’t take long for “family oriented groups” to freak out, however, calling the shows words like vulgar, obscene and graphic. These groups say the shows should stay on paid programming where they belong.

I’m betting they’ll change their tunes when there’s no new shows on tv for another six months. Besides, who ever heard of parenting your children, making sure they knew that what was on tv wasn’t real? Or, and I know this is totally unheard of, why not just NOT LET THEM WATCH THE SHOWS?

But that’s just silly old me talking here.

The newest addition to the web-based tv show industry, SyncTV is slated to offer television shows in DVD quality, and with surround sound! They’ll be offering subscriptions (instead of paying the almost $2 per episode like Itunes), and will offer a back-catalog so you can watch every episode of every season of your favorite shows.

Why do I sound like an advertizement for the company? Because they’ll be offering a full range of Showtime shows on their site (unlike other download sites)! You’ll be able to see Dexter, Brotherhood, The L Word and more! And they’re currently looking for Beta testers to give it a go. It sounds like it will eventually work like Itunes, letting you download the episode and then giving you the option to watch it on your pc, your cell phone, etc. Right now you can just watch it on your computer, but it’s already compatible with pc’s, macs, and Linux PCs!

Might be worth checking out if you’re like me and watch TOO MANY television shows! I’m just wondering how fast after the show airs you’ll be able to get it on your computer?

Showtime, Dexter, Brotherhood, The L Word, SyncTV

Sorry for the crappy “what’s new at showtime and with this blog” post, but it’s got to be done. So much is happening so fast, it’s easier to bullet-point it all out for you all.

• This weekend will be a FREE SHOWTIME WEEKEND! This means tell everyone to watch the new seasons of both Dexter and Brotherhood, and get them hooked! There’s going to be tons of great movies on as well, so you’ll want to set your Tivo’s.
• Ah yes, that’s right. Dexter and Brotherhood start Sunday night! Look for all the show recaps your little hearts can handle, play by play style even, starting Monday morning!
• With so many good shows on right now, the site will probably get pretty “recap-heavy” for awhile. But stick with me, because there’ll be some great fun items popping up.
• Don’t forget Weeds and Californication are still going strong, so keep watching for show notes and pics from those as well!
• Finally, is there anyone out there that’s a Brotherhood fanatic? I didn’t watch the first season, so I’d love to have some guest posting done from someone who knows more about the show than my complete lack of knowledge.

Showtime, Dexter, Brotherhood, Weeds, Californication

George Clooney is rumored to be working on a pilot for Showtime. And when I say rumored I mean he’s done interviews about it!! The show will be called “Doubting Thomas”, and follows the story of a family of televangilists after a scandal forces the elder brother out of the limelight and the younger, prodigal son in. While Showtime hasn’t officially picked up the project, if they do they could start shooting as soon as January! So look for this to show up in you TV Guide soon enough!

George Clooney, Doubting Thomas, Showtime