TV Bits: New HBO Pilots From Alan Ball And Judd Apatow, Michael Gambon Joins ‘Luck’
Alan Ballgoes to the well once again,Judd Apatowmakes a return to TV and Professor Dumbledore bets the ponies. Just another day on the cable powerhouse that is HBO.
Ball, the Oscar-winning show runner ofSix Feet UnderandTrue Bloodjust shot a pilot calledAll Signs of Death, based onCharlie Huston’s bookThe Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death,which follows a trauma cleaning unit, much likeSunshine Cleaning, but less cute. Apatow, who made his name with TV showsFreaks and GeeksandUndeclared, is executive producing a pilot calledGirls, which was created byLena Dunham, currently riding the wave off her indie filmTiny Furniture. It’s a more realistic take on theSex and the Cityformula. Both shows are only in the pilot stage and neither has been picked up for series yet. It they do, Ball and Apatow will executive produce. (UPDATE:HBO passed onAll Signs of Death.)
Finally,Michael Gambonhas been cast as a recurring regular on theMichael Mann-produced seriesLuck, starring Dustin Hoffman, which is about the seedy underworld of horse racing. Read more about all three HBO nuggets of news after the jump.
ComingSoonreported on the two HBO pilots from the high profile men.All Signs of DeathstarsBen Whishaw(Bright Star, Perfume) as Web, a guy who works for the Clean Team in Los Angeles, which cleans up death scenes. His mother will be played byDale Dickey, who can currently be seen inWinter’s Bone. Much like the other Ball shows, the show blends dark themes with humor. (UPDATE:HBO passed onAll Signs of Death.)Girlsis described as “a younger, more real-life version ofSex and the City,” which “follows three girlfriends in their early ’20s – Hannah, Marnie, and Jessa.” Dunham is the grounded one, Hannah,NBC Nightly Newsanchor Brian Williams' daughterAllison Williamsplays Marnie, a sassy PR assistant, andJemima Kirke, who was inTiny Furniture, is the hippie chick, Jessa. Here’s what Dunham had to say about the pilot:
Finally,Deadlinereported on Gambon joiningLuck, which isn’t scheduled to hit the air until late 2011 or early 2012. On the show, which is set in the world of Los Angeles horse racing, Gambon will play “a yet-to-be-named character described as a nemesis or worthy adversary for Hoffman’s Ace Bernstein.” Also recently cast on the show are Oscar nomineeJoan AllenandPatrick J. Adams.
Luckis definitely going to play on HBO at some point but unless the pilots forAll Signs of DeathandGirlsare picked up, we might never get to see them. Do any of the projects stand out for you? And can HBO original programming really do anything wrong?
