HBO Gives 'The Deuce' Another Season
by EG
HBO looked a lot like Netflix this week when it pulled the trigger very quickly on a renewal of its new series The Deuce. It's perhaps not too surprising that HBO would want to nail down new episodes of the critically acclaimed series, given that its schedule of high-rated programming is suddenly very light. Big hits Game of Thrones and Westworld are in hibernation for at least a year, the award-winning comedy Veep just announced that it's heading into its final season, and recent hit Big Little Lies isn't even confirmed for a second season yet. Under the circumstances, HBO can use all the new programming it can get.
HBO is doubling down on The Deuce.
On the heels of its Sept. 10 debut, the premium cable network has renewed the '70's-set drama from The Wire and Treme collaborators George Pelacanos and David Simon for a second season. The series, which stars James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, explores the rise of the porn industry in New York.
The Deuce debuted to early critical raves, with The Hollywood Reporter calling the first season "substantive, provocative and entertaining." The show also fared well in the ratings, drawing 2.2 million viewers across all HBO platforms. That number put The Deuce on par with last year's launch of The Night Of, whose lead actor, Riz Ahmed, won an Emmy on Sunday night for his performance. HBO, for its part, took home the most wins of any network at the awards show with 29 trophies.
“We are thrilled to continue our creative collaboration with master storytellers David Simon and George Pelecanos,” said HBO programming president Casey Bloys. “Their unique gift for immersing the audience in their dark and edgy worlds brings a brilliant verisimilitude unlike any other. With the remarkably talented Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco leading an exceptional cast, we look forward to delving deeper as this captivating story evolves.”
“Everyone involved with this project is genuinely grateful to HBO for the chance to take the narrative where it needs to go," said Simon.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Have you seen The Deuce yet? Do you think it's worthy of such early renewal? Let us know in the comment section below.