LOS ANGELES: At Showtime’s multiple Television Critics Association press tour panels on Tuesday, critics were treated to sneak peeks of and details about upcoming series, as well as news on existing shows. Pickups, renewals, and, yes, the Twin Peaks series were all discussed.
Predictably, Twin Peaks was a hot topic during the executive session, but Showtime President David Nevins was tight-lipped about the series. He did reveal that the show starts shooting in September, and that David Lynch will be directing every episode and is approaching the project “as one long movie.” While Nevins couldn’t give details about the cast, he did hint that we’ll see many “familiar faces.” There is still no set premiere date for Twin Peaks, but it will likely debut in 2016 or 2017 — and hopefully sooner rather than later: “I want it as badly and as soon as the biggest fans in the world want it,” said Nevins.
During the session, Showtime announced multiple upcoming projects. The most exciting is a limited-series adaptation of Patti Smith’s Just Kids from Penny Dreadful‘s John Logan.
Another incredibly exciting pilot order is an hourlong coming-of-age drama created by Lena Waithe (Dear White People) and executive produced by Common (Selma). The show is described as “a relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story of a young African American male in which just growing up can be a matter of life and death.” The pilot will begin shooting later this year in Chicago.
As for documentaries, Showtime announced The Spymasters, narrated by Homeland‘s Mandy Patinkin. Featuring interviews with the 12 living directors of the CIA, The Spymasters “focuses on the organization during one of the most controversial periods in its history – marked by the use of torture, secret prisons, undeclared war, lethal drone warfare and even an alleged assassination.” The documentary will premiere November 28. Other documentaries include Listen To Me Marlon , the “definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary”; Prophet’s Prey , an inside look at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; and Dreamcatcher, about Brenda Myers-Powell and the fight to end human trafficking — all three of which will or have debuted in theaters. Nevins also revealed that the Suge Knight documentary is “ready to come out.” American Dream/American Knightmare tells Knight’s story through a series of interviews and will premiere September 26.
Showtime also announced I’m Dying Up Here, a one-hour pilot from Jim Carrey (who serves as executive producer) that is set in the Los Angeles comedy scene during the 1970s. Described as a dark comedy, I’m Dying Up Here “will delve into the inspired and damaged psyches that inhabit the hilarious, but complex business of making an audience laugh.”
A Season With Notre Dame is an upcoming docuseries that chronicles “the University of Notre Dame’s quest for a college football national championship.” Weekly episodes will be half-hour long.
Other news to come out of Showtime’s session was the announcement of renewals for Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex, the reveal that the next season of Homeland will deal with Russia and ISIS, and that The Affair‘s second season opens up the story’s viewpoints to include the spouses as well. During the Billions panel, Showtime also premiered the new trailer for the Paul Giamatti series. Watch it below: