ITV2 has had a somewhat erratic record when it comes to scheduling its American shows, pulling series off air mid-run and taking an eternity to get round to showing others (we’re now by our reckoning, two series of The Office behind America, for example).
But credit where it’s due, the powers that be at the channel have really pulled their fingers out where the latest series of Entourage is concerned. The sixth series premieres on HBO in the States on Sunday 12 July and will then air here just four days later at 10pm on Thursday 16 July. Good work, guys!
Here’s a trailer from the States to get you in the mood…
There were celebrations all round for US comedy 30 Rock and historical drama John Adams, who had bagged 20 awards between them by the culmination of the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles last night.
30 Rock’s Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin scooped gongs for best Actress and Actor, Comedy Series, while their hit show was voted best Comedy for the second year running.
John Adams - which premieres on More4 next week - took home a total of 13 (yes 13!) trophies including best Miniseries and Miniseries Actor and Actress for Paul Giamatti and co-star Laura Linney.
Other big winners included Damages, which won Glenn Close the Actress, Drama Series award. “It really has been the ride of my career,” she revealed at the ceremony. “This was as good as any part you would find in a feature film.”
Meanwhile, Bryan Cranston won Actor, Drama Series for his role as Walter H. White in Breaking Bad, which debuts on FX on Sunday.
Other major winners included Mad Men which scooped best Drama Series and Jeremy Piven who took home Supporting Actor, Comedy Series for his genius portrayal of slimy agent Ari Gold in Entourage.
Here’s a clip of Tina Fey and actress Amy Poehler presenting the first award of the evening to Piven…
And here are the main winners..
• Drama Series: ‘Mad Men’
• Comedy Series: ‘30 Rock’
• Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, ‘Breaking Bad’
There are more scandalicious shenanigans than ever in the fifth season of Entourage, which hits the UK just four days after it airs in the US.
Season 4 left off with the boys larging it at the Cannes Film Festival, where Vince’s movie Medellin had totally bombed, and the film’s backer pulled out of the deal, leaving the boys pretty much high and dry.
Now back in LA and facing up to the fact his name is box-office mud, Vince (Adrian Grenier) is desperately trying to find ways of rejuvenating his career. But if he thinks he can rely on his ever-shifty agent Ari (the brilliant Jeremy Piven) to sort things out, he can think again…
Meanwhile, the hilarious Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon) becomes a TV triumph (unlike his relationship with Jacqueline, the girl he pulled in Cannes), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) begins to question his role in the gang, and Eric (Kevin Connolly) fights to turn his indie film script into reality.
As ever, expect stacks of brilliant big name cameos. US Olympic champ Michael Phelps filmed a scene last week, while Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester is back as Vince’s old flame Justine. Lukas Haas and Giovanni Ribisi play two screenwriters managed by E, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Whoopi Goldberg, Bow Wow, Tony Bennett and Mark Wahlberg (the show’s exec producer) all pop in throughout this superb series.
Here’s a little preview featurette from US TV Guide to get you in the mood…
The final list of nominations for this year’s Emmys won’t be announced until 17 July, but, for the first time ever, the awards’ organisers, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, has revealed the top 10 finalists for this year’s drama and comedy series awards. Five from each category will make the final voting list.
Notable absentees are Battlestar Galactica in the drama category and My Name is Earl in comedy, but we’d love to hear what you think. The programmes marked in red are the ones we reckon should make the final list…
Drama
• Boston Legal
• Damages
• Dexter
• Friday Night Lights
• Grey’s Anatomy
• House
• Lost
• Mad Men
• The Tudors
• The Wire
Comedy
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Entourage
• Family Guy
• Flight of the Conchords
• The Office
• Pushing Daisies
• 30 Rock
• Two and a Half Men
• Ugly Betty
• Weeds
