The New Season: HBO's new regime faces the media

The HBO three-hour panel session started off with a literal bang, a sound from the fictional “Medellin,” starring Vincent Chase, the lead character of “Entourage.”  “Medellin” is about a cocaine kingpin and even though it will never really hit the theaters, you can watch the trailer after Sunday’s episode and it will soon be available at www.medellinthefilm.com.

From there, newly installed Co-President Richard Plepler took the stage with newly installed Michael Lombardo, president of the programming group and HBO's West Coast operations, for their first Q&A with the television media.
       
Among the revelations:

-- No one at HBO has ever spoken to David Chase about a “Sopranos” movie, though the man who created the series is always welcome at the network.

--  It is not clear if the two two-hour movies that will function as the “Deadwood” finale will ever be produced because creator David Milch has been busy toiling on his new series, “John From Cincinnati,” and executives said they have not been able to talk to him about it. The reporters and critics kept pressing the "Deadwood" questions; one explained to Plepler and Lombardo that he keeps hearing from readers about it.

-- Lombardo has read the “Sex and the City” movie script and he says he can’t wait to buy a ticket to see it. He said it shows the women in their 40s, pushing 50, and he’s all for it. HBO is a producing partner with New Line Cinema on the project.

-- "The Wire" will return for 10 episodes in early 2008.

-- Asked to offer their interpretation of the ambiguous “The Sopranos” finale, Plepler said that it demonstrated that Tony Soprano will reap what he has sewn and will have to live his life always looking over his shoulder. Lombardo said, “I don’t know because my TV went out.”

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

(Photo courtesy HBO)

Comments

[TJ Tjernlund]

I for one am not surprised at the blatant disregard of the fans of DEADWOOD by David Milch at all. He's like the hyperactive child who can't concentrate on any one activity for more than a few minutes at a time and in this case, he's WASTING all his time on this incredibly lame show about SURFERS????? I mean just try to explain the basis of DEADWOOD to an unknowning viewer and then even TRY to explain JOHN FROM CINCINNATI. Case closed. What a waste of HBO's money and time when they had the best acting and writing that modern television has ever experienced right on their program list. David Milch will never have my respect again for this slap in the face to all the people who for at least a short three years, believed in his dream.

[Felipe Gallego]

I sure hope Medellin is not a real full feature length, it does not represent medellin or Pablo Escobar correctly in any way, he doesnt even sound colombian, his spanish is awful. Make sure it stays a trailer and not a movie. Love Entourage, well played !

[Jonathan Reed]

Cannot WAIT for the final season of the best TV drama in the history of television - The Wire!!

[Big Gus]

SOWN not sewn