Showtime has announced the premiere dates for Ray Donavan (June 30th) and Masters of Sex (September 29th); the returns of Dexter (June 30th), Web Therapy (July 22nd), and Homeland (September 29th); and numerous specials.
Here are the details:
2013 SUMMER/FALL PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW
ORIGINAL SERIES
Ray Donovan (Season 1 – NEW SERIES)
1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, June 30th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/ray-donovan/home
Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, RAY DONOVAN stars Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) Award nominee Liev Schreiber in his first lead television role as LA’s best professional fixer. Ray is the man called in to make the city’s celebrities,’ superstar athletes,’ and business moguls’ most complicated and combustible situations go away. This powerful drama unfolds when his father, Mickey Donovan, played by Oscar(R) winner Jon Voight, is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core. RAY DONOVAN is created and executive-produced by Ann Biderman (Southland), who also wrote the pilot episode. The series is also executive produced by Mark Gordon and Bryan Zuriff. RAY DONOVAN is a SHOWTIME(R) production and the pilot was directed by Allen Coulter (The Sopranos, Sons Of Anarchy), who also serves as producer on both the pilot and the second episode of the series.
Dexter (Season 8 – FINAL SEASON)
1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, June 30th at 9pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/dexter/home
DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall in his Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning role as Dexter Morgan, a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department. Season eight begins six months after LaGuerta’s murder – and Dexter is still managing life as a dad, brother, and serial killer. As Deb (series star Jennifer Carpenter) struggles to deal with the consequences of her actions, a mysterious woman comes to work with Miami Metro, offering first-hand information on Dexter’s past. The series also stars Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, Aimee Garcia, David Zayas, Geoff Pierson and James Remar. DEXTER is tied as the No. 1 rated series on SHOWTIME along with HOMELAND, watched by 6.2 million weekly viewers across platforms in its seventh season, its highest-rated yet. The season seven finale attracted 7.24 million viewers in the finale week, the series highest total week ever. Produced by SHOWTIME, DEXTER is executive produced by John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck, Manny Coto, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West, Jace Richdale and Michael C. Hall. With over 13 million fans on Facebook and 440,000 followers on Twitter, DEXTER has one of the largest and most engaged fan communities among any television series. The series consistently ranks at the top of the iTunes charts, and is a leader in the “Social TV” space.
Web Therapy (Season 3)
1/2 hour, 10 Episodes
Premieres: Monday, July 22nd at 11pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/web-therapy/home
Season three finds Fiona (Lisa Kudrow) coming to terms with the new landscape of her life – her politically disgraced husband, Kip (Victor Garber), has run off with his male campaign manager; Fiona’s mother (Lily Tomlin) has started up a rival business called “Net Therapy” and has poached Fiona’s assistant Jerome (Dan Bucatinsky) to run it; her romantic friendship with media-mogul Austen (Alan Cumming) is on the rocks, now that he has fathered a child with hyper-sexualized Gina (Jennifer Elise Cox); she’s being investigated for campaign finance improprieties; and her unpublished manuscript is being adapted into a Broadway musical without her consent! All this, while she continues to offer “therapy” to the hapless clients who have wandered into her web…
Masters of Sex (Season 1 – NEW SERIES)
1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, September 29th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/masters-of-sex/home
MASTERS OF SEX stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, who will portray the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a mid-western teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine. The series is an adaptation of Thomas Maier’s book Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, The Couple Who Taught America How To Love. The pilot episode was directed and executive produced by Academy Award(R) nominee John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), and also stars Caitlin Fitzgerald (It’s Complicated), in the role of Masters’ wife, Nicholas D’Agosto (Heroes) and Teddy Sears (American Horror Story). Emmy and Golden Globe(R) award-winning actor Beau Bridges and Margo Martindale also appear. MASTERS OF SEX was created and executive produced by Michelle Ashford (The Pacific). The series will also be executive produced by Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Judith Verno. Michael Sheen, Tammy Rosen and Thomas Maier will serve as producers. MASTERS OF SEX is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
Homeland (Season 3)
1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, September 29th at 9pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/homeland/home
HOMELAND Season 3 opens during the aftermath of the horrific terror attack that decimated the U.S. intelligence apparatus, and prompted a global manhunt for the world’s most wanted terrorist – Nick Brody (Damian Lewis). As Carrie (Claire Danes) and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) begin to pick up the pieces of their shattered professional and personal lives, they are swept up in the political and media firestorm surrounding the terror attack and the subsequent search for Brody’s whereabouts. The series also stars Morena Baccarin, Rupert Friend, Jackson Pace and Morgan Saylor. One of Showtime’s top-two rated series (along with DEXTER), HOMELAND tied for the most wins of any program this year at the Emmy Awards, honored with six wins including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor in a Drama Series. Additionally, HOMELAND has been awarded Golden Globe Awards, SAG, Peabody, Television Critics Association, AFI and Critics’ Choice Awards.
LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY SPECIALS
Sommore: Chandelier Status
Premieres: Friday, May 31st at 10:30pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/comedy/titles/3379646/sommore-chandelier-status#/index
You don’t have to call Sommore a “star.” She’d rather be known as a “chandelier” – a constant fixture that keeps on shining. In her new stand-up special, the undisputed “Queen of Comedy” brings her sexy brand of humor to Miami. No topic is off limits, and Sommore cuts no corners in her hilarious descriptions of the fast-moving world of celebrity life, body alterations and gift giving. It’s a show that definitely will leave you wanting “SOMMORE.”
Dave Foley: Relatively Well
Premieres: Friday, June 21st at 11pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/comedy/specials#/index
“Relatively Well” follows Dave Foley’s (Kids in the Hall, Newsradio) struggle to survive a world that seems intent on crushing common sense. Everything from people who don’t believe in science to his ex-wife are featured in this biting special.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam – Live from Atlanta
Premieres: Friday, June 28th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/comedy/specials#/index
Actor and funnyman Faizon Love (Couples Retreat, Elf, Real Husbands of Hollywood) takes on hosting duties for the latest installment of Shaquille O’Neal’s hilarious “All Star Comedy Jam” franchise. This time around, NBA All Star and celebrity personality, Shaquille O’Neal has handpicked some of stand-up comedy’s funniest up-and-coming talent and paired them with veterans of the comedy stage to bring you an explosive night of comedy. The line-up includes Red Grant, Finesse Mitchell, Gina Yashere, Robert Powell and 2012 Miller Lite stand-up champion Lavar Walker. This fresh new line-up is sure to deliver non-stop laughs in this energetic and memorable night of comedy. It was filmed at the Atlanta Symphony Hall in front of a live audience during the 2013 NCAA Final Four weekend in Atlanta, GA.
Trevor Noah: African American
Planned Airdate: July 2013
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/comedy/specials#/index
Born a mixed-race child under Apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah: African American is Noah’s search for identity in a world obsessed with labels. An internationally acclaimed comedian, Noah challenges the status quo through his unique perspective, breaking down cultural flaws on all sides and finding our mutual connections with laughter. Noah made his U.S. television debut in January 2012 performing on The Tonight Show. Later in 2012, he performed his one-man show at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe (presented by Eddie Izzard) in a month-long, sold-out run that became the buzz of audiences and journalists and prompted a Malcolm Hardee Award for the “Act Most Likely To Make A Million Quid.” In April 2013, he opened a month-long, 22-performance theater run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival which will be followed by a five city tour across Australia and New Zealand. In May, Noah will debut Born A Crime, opening off-Broadway for a four-week run at 45 Bleecker in New York City. In July, he will run his show at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival in July.
DOCUMENTARY SPECIALS
Kingdom Come
Premieres: Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/titles/3379666/kingdom-come#/index
Actor Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries) makes a vow to not act again until he directs his first feature film. KINGDOM COME chronicles the incredible battles Gillies faces in creating and (more importantly) financing his independent film. Punctuated with interviews with some of the industry’s most popular names – Morgan Spurlock, Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, and Don Cheadle to name a few – KINGDOM COME gives an insider’s view into the struggles independent filmmakers confront every day. The world television premiere of KINGDOM COME will lead into the fruit of Gillies’s labors: the award-winning film Broken Kingdom.
Last Days Here
Premieres: Thursday, May 23rd at 9:30pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/titles/142198/last-days-here#/index
Cult rock legend Bobby Liebling has been churning out genre-defining hard rock for more than 36 years as the lead singer of the band Pentagram. Various acts of self-destruction, multiple band break-ups, and botched record deals have condemned his music to obscurity. Frozen for decades in his parents basement, Liebling is finally discovered by the heavy metal underground. With the help of Sean ‘Pellet’ Pelletier, his friend and manager, Liebling struggles to overcome his demons. Directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Rock School, The Art of the Steal), LAST DAYS HERE chronicles the triumphs and downfalls of this underground icon who finds himself at the crossroads of life and death.
Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic
Premieres: Friday, May 31st at 9pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/titles/3361052/richard-pryor-omit-the-logic#/index
Comedians past and present recount the culture-defining influence of one of America’s most brilliant, iconic minds in RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC. Directed by Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the film looks at the legend whose voice was a blend of brutal honesty and uncanny observation and whose humor changed America. Premiering, Friday, May 31st, the documentary is executive produced by Roy Ackerman (Food Revolution) and Pryor’s widow Jennifer Pryor.
Knuckleball!
Premieres: Wednesday, June 12th at 7:25pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/documentaries#/index
Knuckleball! follows Tim Wakefield and Mets pitcher RA Dickey through the 2011 Major League baseball season as they face struggles unique to the knuckleballer alone. Dickey is coming off his first successful season at the Major League level, at the hardly-tender age of 34. Armed with his first guaranteed contract of his career ($8 million over 2 years), he has to prove he has a place in the big leagues on a starting rotation. On the other hand, Wake – as his teammates and loyal legions of Red Sox fans call him – is weeks away from turning 45 (and the oldest player in the game) and he is seven games away from the remarkable milestone of 200 career wins. Interviewees include 75-year-old Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti, Wilbur Wood, Ben McGrath, Roger Angell, David Waldstein, Dave Lennon, Tony Masserotti, Jason Varitek, Doug Mirabelli, Josh Thole, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Bill “The Spaceman” Lee and Ron Darling. Rich with footage from deep within the Major League Baseball archive, along with never-before-seen photos home video from the players themselves, we get a glimpse of the resonance of baseball through a single pitch.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
Premieres: Thursday, June 13th at 7pm (ET/PT)
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/documentaries#/index
From Led Zeppelin to The Rolling Stones, Elvis to Madonna, Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, John Lennon to Johnny Rotten, the world’s foremost rock ‘n’ roll photographer Bob Gruen has captured half a century of music through the eye of a lens. Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Don Letts explores Gruen’s life and work as he opens up his amazing archive on television for the very first time. Revealing the remarkable stories behind some of the most iconic photographs ever taken, Gruen gives an insight into the personalities behind the images and shares his memories of wild times spent with rock ‘n’ roll stars, as well as intimate and tragic recollections of his close friendship with John Lennon. The film features interviews with Gruen’s friends: Yoko Ono, Iggy Pop, members of Green Day, Alice Cooper, Tommy Ramone, Sean Lennon, Debbie Harry and many more.
Virgin Tales
Planned Airdate: July 2013
Visit: http://www.sho.com/sho/reality-docs/documentaries#/index
Evangelical Christians are calling out for a second sexual revolution: chastity! As a counter-movement to the attitudes and practices of today’s liberal culture, today one in eight girls in the U.S. has vowed to remain “unsoiled” until marriage. But the seven children of the Wilson family, founders of the Purity Ball, take this concept of purity of body and mind one step further: even their first kiss will be at the altar. For two years, the filmmakers follow the Wilson’s as some of their children prepare for their fairytale vision of romance and marriage and seek out their own prince and princess spouses. In the process, a broader theme emerges: how the Religious Right is grooming a young generation of virgins to embody an Evangelically-grounded Utopia in America.
What do you think? Do you plan on watching the final season of Dexter or these other shows?
No one cares about the hopper… Your service is inferior to DIRECTV… Thank you!
I’m so excited for Dexter and Homeland. Both series are wonderful in their own ways, and I work at DISH with friends who love to talk about the two shows at lunch breaks. With Dexter’s upcoming season being the last, I’ll probably save all of it to my DISH Hopper, so I can keep the memories alive. I might save all of Homeland’s third season, too; I don’t have to be picky with my lineup, since my Hopper can record up to 2,000 hours of entertainment.