What does Showtime Day at the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association press tour mean? It means finally getting some scoop on the Twin Peaks revival! And by some scoop, we mean a premiere date and some cagey, poetic musings from David Lynch, and not much else. But hey, we’ll take what we can get! The network also released some renewal news and trailers. Today’s TV-Cap highlights everything you need to know, so check it out below.
A damn fine cup of coffee. After teasing us for so long, we finally have a premiere date for Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival. Network president David Nevins announced that the new season will debut with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, May 21 at 9 p.m. The third and fourth episodes of the new season will be available on Showtime’s streaming and on demand platforms that same night. There will be 18 hours of new episodes in total, and “it’s designed to be a closed-ended, one-time event,†Nevins confirmed. Not much else was said, but Lynch did discuss why he wanted to return to the cult favorite series 25 years after it first ended. [Nerdist]
Show me the money. Showtime also released the trailer for Billions season two, returning February 19, and be warned: “change is coming” for the Paul Giamatti drama.
Beginning of the end? We always knew this day might come, but it sure doesn’t make it any easier. The trailer for what may be the final episode of Sherlock has just debuted, and it’s giving us some mixed feelings. We’re not ready to see this show go, but we don’t think we can stand another three-year hiatus between seasons. Could “The Final Problem” be the last episode ever? If not, how long will we have to wait for another season? [Nerdist]
Dying is easy, comedy is hard. Ever wish you could take a closer look at 1970 Los Angeles’ infamous stand-up comedy scene? Showtime and executive producer Jim Carrey seem to think you might, and so they’ve put together the new series I’m Dying Up Here. The show will delve into the inspired and damaged psyches of the comics who inhabit the hilarious but complex business of making an audience laugh. The series premieres Sunday, June 4 at 10 p.m. and here’s the first trailer:
The infidelity continues. Right before the season three finale airs, Showtime renewed The Affair for season four. Starring Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson, the finale airs Sunday, January 29 at 10 p.m.
F-bombs and eggos. Despite the young age of most of the cast members, Stranger Things was originally intended to be a lot more NSFW. Turns out the Netflix hit series was supposed to have a lot more F-bombs in it. Executive producer Ross Duffer said, “The Eleven character, the kind of powers she has and to have a young protagonist that’s violent — it’s not E.T. It’s not a happy situation. She’s killing people, and brutally murdering them.”
Executive producer Matt Duffer added, “The original pilot was much more violent. It was originally like an R-rated thing. Winona’s character was like, ‘Eff this, eff that!’ It felt a little bit unnecessary. I don’t feel like we sacrificed anything by toning it down a little bit.” [Vulture]
Love and war. Another new series coming to Showtime is the six-part limited event series Guerrilla from John Ridley. The drama is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history, telling the story of a couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London. Their ultimate target becomes the Black Power Desk, a true-life, secretive counterintelligence unit within the Special Branch dedicated to crushing all forms of black activism. Starring Idris Elba, Freida Pinto, Babou Ceesay, Guerrilla premieres Sunday, April 16 at 9 p.m. Check out the first trailer now:
What did you think of all of today’s TV news? Tweet me your thoughts at @SydneyBucksbaum!
Images: Showtime
