HBO gets raw -- or is it raunchy? (HBO gets into the hardcore porn business)

The Chicago Tribune ^ | July 14, 2007 | Scott Collins

[DesScorp]

Bosoms and things: That's not exactly a plot summary of "Tell Me," but it's not a bad place to start. Because that's where many viewers will start. Whatever else it may or may not be, "Tell Me," at least in its current form, will set a new precedent for prime-time TV when it has its premiere Sept. 9: No previous series, on pay cable or anywhere else, has dared show anything even close to this much skin; the climax, if you will, of the first episode finds a woman (Sonya Walger) in her 30s masturbating her husband (Adam Scott) to orgasm, with the entire act and all relevant body parts plainly visible. Even Jane Alexander — yes, that Jane Alexander, the snow-domed, regally poised 67-year-old former chief of the National Endowment for the Arts — drops trousers for some frisky senior sex

[DesScorp]

I think HBO is jumping the shark here. They're doing hard core porn, and yet the actors are protesting that they're not porn stars, they're serious actors. Well, not anymore. See that "adult DVD" section in the back of your big city video store, mam? That's you now. You're a porn star.

[AU72]

Jane Alexander doing hard core porn on HBO?!

I'll pass.

[mewzilla]

HBO’s owned by Time Warner, ain’t it? If so, nuff said.

[traditional1]

There’s no outcry from the FCC; they’re too busy building the “Fairness Doctrine” to muzzle talk radio......

[BurbankKarl]

Californification on Showtime is equally disturbing.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Ratings equal money. There is no where U.S. mass media, if unrestrained, won’t go in search of a dollar. Jerry Springer proved that.

[Secret Agent Man]

The FCC doesn’t regulate cable TV or pay-per-view tv, just over-the-air TV.

[gondramB]

This is series with plot plus explicit content rather explicit content wrapped in fake plot. As an HBO subscirber I'm happy to them put on shows that would be censored on network TV. They also release censored versions for people who want less.

Here is a promo

Tell Me You Love Me aka SexLife ~ New HBO Series Sept 2007

[capt. norm]

They have been trending in this direction for years.

After learning the hard way, I block them on our cable whenever my 91-year old mother visits. A few visits back, she was clicking the remote thru the channels and I still don't know what she saw as I wasn't there at the time but it did shock her.

* She doesn't shock easily...when she was 88 she took her "410" shotgun and killed what turned out to be a rabid skunk coming up the back yard.

[freekitty]

Me too... Didn’t even know she was still around. What a debut. Think I will skip.

[andy58-in-nh]

...the first episode finds a woman (Sonya Walger) in her 30s masturbating her husband (Adam Scott) to orgasm...

She's only doing to him what HBO did to their entire audience for the last Sopranos episode.

[Pistolshot]

Even Jane Alexander — yes, that Jane Alexander, the snow-domed, regally poised 67-year-old former chief of the National Endowment for the Arts — drops trousers for some frisky senior sex

Only one word for this.

Ew.

[Borges]

HBO’s owned by Time Warner, ain’t it? If so, nuff said.

What does it say? Time Warner does great things with the DVD issues of their library classics. They're very culturally aware. More then the other big media giants anyway.

[gondramB]

>>They have been trending in this direction for years.

After learning the hard way, I block them on our cable whenever my 91-year old mother visits. A few visits back, she was clicking the remote thru the channels and I still don’t know what she saw as I wasn’t there at the time but it did shock her. <<

There are all kinds of stories about mothers parking their kids in front of HBO and finding out the Oz was not about the Wizard of Oz.

Damn good show but too many naked men doing things with or to each other. Line most commonly heard during Oz in my house...

My Wife: Its ok, honey, you can look now.

[Yossarian]

Ah, Sonya Walger. She was previously on NBC's "Coupling", which got this write-up from USA Today:

•Coupling (NBC). This comedy (a copy of the BBC hit) about the dating adventures of six thirtysomethings is viewed as a potential breakout hit. But its pilot is raising eyebrows with steamy references to oral sex, "porn buddies" who hide each other's porn stashes and sexual dalliances in public restrooms. NBC says Coupling is already paying off with advertisers: 90% of the commercial time for the show's first season is sold, an NBC spokeswoman says.

So it looks like she's been working up to this porn gig.... Regarding "relevant parts", well, she's got them, but along with a butterface:

[gondramB]

>>There’s no outcry from the FCC; they’re too busy building the “Fairness Doctrine” to muzzle talk radio......<<M

Thank the Lord, the Government does not yet control cable TV.

[SengirV]

I don’t think the author knows the definition of masturbation.

[traditional1]

"The FCC doesn’t regulate cable TV or pay-per-view tv"

Uh-oh. My bad.

I'll plan on listening to talk radio on cable in the future, I guess....

I guess if Americans want to regulate their viewing of porno on cable TV, they can vote with their remote. Hopefully, their kids will, too.

[Corin Stormhands]

There are all kinds of stories about mothers parking their kids in front of HBO and finding out the Oz was not about the Wizard of Oz.

Oz was fascinating. But after the first season I just had to tell myself that there was absolutely no reason I should be watching that show.

[Pistolshot]

Only one word for this.

Ew.