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Had Some “True Blood” Fun Last Week

On October 7, HBO invited me to their store on 6th Avenue in NYC to see some of the costumes from the set of “True Blood” and to interview the co-writers of the “True Blood” comic series. Someone from MTV was interviewing the writers, David Tischman and Mariah Huehner, so while I waited I checked out the nifty schwag no the shelves. I had already ordered a bunch of the “True Blood” themed pint glasses but it was neat to see an entire fridge filled with bottles of True Blood. They had a bartender handing out Fangbanger cocktails (2 oz vodka + 8 oz True Blood) which were very tasty and went well with the tasty Cajun-inspired fingerfood (deep fried shrimp, etc.). There were only a couple of the costumes inside the store as the rest were in the streetside display windows but it was very cool to see them in person and close up. The costumes will be given away to the lucky winners of HBO’s www.TrueBloodSweeps.com contest,

The store is pretty tiny actually so milling around was a bit difficult but there were some friendly people there (other press + HBO’s PR people). Once MTV was done I stepped up and did the above interview before heading out to run an errand on 7th Ave. On my way out HBO gave me a bag of goodies that included an issue of the comic plus a bottle of True Blood with cocktail instructions, a “Bored To Death” t-shirt, and a “Boardwalk Empire” t-shirt among other items – SCORE! My piece on the event went live at LAist yesterday.

Onward to Normalcy – Wrapping Up Summer

I’ve had an incredibly busy last 4 weeks and I’m looking forward to some downtime. The biggest project was coverage of the Emmy Awards (photo gallery, red carpet interviews). During that LA visit I also interviewed Jonathan Ames (“Bored To Death”) in Venice, Thesy Surface (“It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”) in Hollywood, Tom Green (“The Tom Green Show”) at his home in the Hollywood Hills, a visit to the “Rules of Engagement” (CBS) set, and FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” premiere at the ArcLight (photo gallery, red carpet interviews).

Upon returning to the East Coast, I covered the premiere of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” (photo gallery, red carpet interviews) and “Bored To Death” (photo gallery, red carpet interviews).

Interestingly, the most popular of that content was the “Sons of Anarchy” (videos) and Primetime Emmys (photos). I have an interview with Adrian Grenier about his documentary, “Teenage Paparazo”, to write up and post tomorrow and then about 4 videos that I have backlogged from both the Emmys and the Television Critics Association events I went to this summer. Then I’ll finally be caught up and can do something other than editing and uploading video endlessly. Many thanks for reading The TV Junkie and for following along on my adventures.

“Bored To Death” season 2 premiere red carpet interviews:

Interview with Jonathan Ames in Venice:

“Sons of Anarchy” season 3 premiere red carpet interviews:

Thesy Surface interview in Hollywood:

“Breaking Bad” crew at the 62nd Primetime Emmys:

“Rules of Engagement” set visit:

Tom Green is going to Boston!

Adrian Grenier at the “Boardwalk Empire” premiere:

HBO PR: ‘Bored to Death’ & ‘Eastbound & Down’ Return on September 26

Two great series return to TV, can’t wait, especially for “Bored to Death” (be sure to check out the interviews I did last Fall with series creator Jonathan Ames, and series stars Ted Danson and Jason Schwartzman)!

VIA PUBLICIST:

HBO COMEDY SERIES BORED TO DEATH, STARRING JASON SCHWARTZMAN, TED DANSON AND ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, KICKS OFF ITS EIGHT-EPISODE SECOND SEASON SEPT. 26

Jonathan Ames has a “day job” as a writer – but there’s plenty to keep him busy on other fronts. His work as an unlicensed private detective is flourishing, he’s moonlighting as a teacher of fiction writing, and he’s getting in and out of trouble with his best friends George and Ray.

Created by the real-life Jonathan Ames (“The Extra Man,” “The Alcoholic”), BORED TO DEATH kicks off its eight-episode second season with the episode entitled “Escape from the Dungeon!” on SUNDAY, SEPT. 26 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), followed by other half-hour episodes debuting on subsequent Sundays at the same time, exclusively on HBO.

Starring Jason Schwartzman (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Funny People”) as the fictional Jonathan Ames, BORED TO DEATH follows the misadventures of this noir-fiction-obsessed writer, who moonlights as an unlicensed private detective listing his services on Craigslist. Having recently finished his second novel (which remains unpublished) and started up a new romance, Jonathan continues to put his sleuthing skills to the test while teaching a night class on fiction writing.

Meanwhile, Jonathan’s needy mentor George Christopher, played by Ted Danson (HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), struggles with his magazine’s new cost-cutting publisher and some sobering medical news. And Jonathan’s confidant, cartoonist Ray Hueston, played by Zach Galifianakis (“Dinner for Schmucks,” “The Hangover”), deals with his own personal crisis by creating a new self-modeled comic-book character named Super Ray, resulting in a measure of success.

Also returning as a cast regular this season on BORED TO DEATH is Heather Burns as Ray’s girlfriend Leah. Guest stars this season include series veterans John Hodgman, Patton Oswalt, Oliver Platt, Laila Robins, Jenny Slate and Kirsten Wiig, as well as F. Murray Abraham, Kevin Bacon, Allyce Beasley, Olympia Dukakis, Jim Gaffigan, Joel Marsh Garland, Jessica Hecht, Kristen Johnson, Zoe Kazan, Domenick Lombardozzi, Richard Masur, Jim Norton, Mary Kay Place, John Rothman, Finnerty Steeves and Jonathan Ames himself.

September’s episode:

Episode #9: “Escape from the Dungeon!”

Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 26 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 26 (midnight), 27 (2:30 a.m.), 28 (11:00 p.m.) and 30 (10:30 p.m.), and Oct. 14 (9:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 27 (9:00 p.m.) and 29 (11:00 p.m.), and Oct. 1 (9:30 p.m.), 2 (2:00 p.m.) and 3 (8:00 p.m.)

Taking time out from his new gig as a night-school fiction-writing teacher, Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) is hired by a mounted policeman (Lenny Venito) whose name is on the client list of an S&M dungeon that’s about to be busted. Meanwhile, George (Ted Danson) is flummoxed to learn that his new publisher plans to cut costs on every front, and Ray (Zach Galifianakis) fails a yoga test with Leah (Heather Burns), putting their relationship in final jeopardy.

Written by Jonathan Ames; directed by Alan Taylor.

The eight-episode first season of BORED TO DEATH, which concluded in Nov. 2009, was hailed as “the best new comedy of the season” by the New York Times, while the Wall Street Journal praised the show for “flat-out inspired comedy” and the San Francisco Chronicle described it as “charming as well as quirky and funny,” calling the series “another gem unearthed by HBO.”

In addition to widespread critical praise, BORED TO DEATH recently received an Emmy® in the category of Outstanding Main Title Design (Tom Barham, Marci Ichimura, Dean Haspiel, Anthony Santoro).

Winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Jonathan Ames (creator and executive producer) is the author of eight books, including the graphic novel “The Alcoholic” (illustrated by Dean Haspiel), “I Pass Like Night,” “The Extra Man,” “What’s Not to Love?,” “Wake Up, Sir!” and “I Love You More Than You Know.” His latest book, “The Double Life Is Twice as Good,” was published in 2009. “The Extra Man” was recently adapted for a feature film of the same name by directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, with Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, John C. Reilly and Katie Holmes starring.

BORED TO DEATH was created by Jonathan Ames; executive producers, Jonathan Ames, Sarah Condon, Troy Miller, Stephanie Davis and Dave Becky; co-executive producers, Tracey Baird and Donick Cary; supervising producer, Martin Gero; producers, Anna Dokoza and Michael Stricks.

HBO COMEDY SERIES EASTBOUND & DOWN, STARRING DANNY MCBRIDE, KICKS OFF SEVEN-EPISODE SECOND SEASON SEPT. 26

Arrogant, washed-up big league pitcher Kenny Powers thought he’d scored a shot at a comeback in the majors, but the offer turned out to be bogus. Now, having left his North Carolina life behind, he’s making a fresh start in a small Mexican town, where he can both nurse his wounds and bless the locals with his awesomeness. EASTBOUND & DOWN kicks off its seven-episode second season SUNDAY, SEPT. 26 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), with other new episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time.

Starring Danny McBride (“Up in the Air,” “Tropic Thunder”), EASTBOUND & DOWN tells the story of Kenny Powers, who used to be a star pitcher until his self-destructive behavior knocked him out of Major League Baseball. In the first season of the series, he returned home to North Carolina to teach Phys. Ed. at the middle school he once attended, and eventually scored another big-league job offer – or so he imagined.

EASTBOUND & DOWN also stars Steve Little as Stevie Janowski, the high-school band teacher who idolizes Kenny; Michael Pena as Sebastian Cisneros, owner of the local Mexican baseball team; Ana de la Reguera as sultry lounge singer Vida; Marco Rodriguez as Roger Hernandez, manager of the baseball team; Efren Ramirez as his new neighbor Catuey; Elizabeth De Razzo as Maria, another new neighbor; Deep Roy as Aaron, one of Kenny’s new sidekicks; and Joaquin Cosio as Hector, Kenny’s other new sidekick.

September’s episode:

Episode #7: “Chapter 7”

Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 26 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Sept. 26 (12:30 a.m.), 28 (10:30 p.m.) and 29 (2:30 a.m.), and Oct. 1 (12:05 a.m.) and 5 (10:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 27 (1:20 a.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m.)

Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) heads to Mexico to lick his wounds and start a new, more anonymous life. Befriended by a neighboring Mexican family and a sultry bar singer named Vida (Ana de la Reguera), Kenny emerges from “the darkest hole I’ve ever been in” by planning his comeback.

Written by Shawn Harwell, Jody Hill & Danny McBride; directed by Jody Hill.

This season’s episodes were directed by David Gordon Green and Jody Hill, both of whom directed episodes of the first season of EASTBOUND & DOWN. Series star Danny McBride met Green and Hill at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and later starred in Green’s “All the Real Girls,” winner of the 2003 Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance hit “The Foot Fist Way,” which was released theatrically in May 2008. Green also directed McBride in 2008’s “Pineapple Express,” opposite Seth Rogen and James Franco, and in the upcoming “Your Highness,” along with James Franco, Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel, scheduled for release in April 2011. Hill co-wrote “The Foot Fist Way,” and wrote and directed the 2009 feature film “Observe and Report,” starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and Ray Liotta.

The six-episode first season of EASTBOUND & DOWN, which concluded in March 2009, inspired critical praise, with Entertainment Weekly describing the show as “a winner about a real loser,” while the New Yorker observed, “Kenny Powers will live on in our minds after he’s left the screen.” The Hollywood Reporter hailed EASTBOUND & DOWN as “sublimely hilarious,” and the Washington Post called it “the most recklessly funny comedy of the year.”

The executive producers of EASTBOUND & DOWN are Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jody Hill and Danny McBride; consulting producer, David Gordon Green; producer, Stephanie Laing; writers, Shawn Harwell, Jody Hill & Danny McBride; directors, David Gordon Green and Jody Hill.

Katy Mixon Discusses ‘Eastbound & Down’ and ‘Mike and Molly’ at the TCAs

Full of Southern charm, Katy Mixon discusses her work on HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” and CBS’ “Mike and Molly” as well as the experience of working with producer Chuck Lorre. This was shot at the 2010 Television Critics Association summer sessions at the Beverly Hilton on July 28, 2010.

Peter Krause aka Adam Braverman from ‘Parenthood’ gives us some insight on the show

Peter Krause aka Adam Braverman from NBC’s “Parenthood” tells us about jobs he held while pursuing his career, as well as how the pace of “Parenthood” is different than that of “Sports Night” and “Dirty Sexy Money”. It was a pleasure to talk to Krause – he’s been involved in groundbreaking television, particularly over the past 15 years. We shot this at the “Parenthood” set visit at Universal Studios during the 2010 summers sessions of the Television Critics Association.

Scott Caan Tells US About His Comedic Chops in CBS’ ‘Hawaii Five-O’

We asked Scott Caan about how his comedy chops will be utilized in his role as Det. Danny ‘Danno’ Williams in CBS’ ”Hawaii Five-O” which will go live this Fall. We know that Caan has great energy and comedic timing as evidenced by his turn on HBO’s “Entourage” and were glad to hear that he will be keep that element in his performance as Danno in “Hawaii Five-O”. This was shot at the 2010 Television Critics Association summer sessions on July 28, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton.

Zeljko Ivanek his role as the Magister in HBO’s ‘True Blood’

We talked to Zeljko Ivanek who will be playing Blake Sterling in NBC’s “The Event” this fall but we wanted to ask him about what will happen to the Magister in HBO’s “True Blood”. This was shot at the 2010 Television Critics Association summer sessions on July 30, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton