Following the exit of their long-standing head of programmer, assumedly brought upon by the tepid response toVinyland the almost unanimous dismissal ofTrue DetectiveSeason 2, HBO now seems to be raging to find a new hit. The timing for finding new programs also seems to parallel the fact that we can nearly see the end in sight forGame of Thrones, which has been their flagship program over the last few years above the likes of (arguably better) comediesSilicon ValleyandGirls. The fact that the company has put the kibosh on two, count’em, twoDavid Finchershows over budgetary concerns also does not shine a particularly great light on their programming practices.
Things are looking slightly up as of today, however, asVarietyhas confirmed that HBO has given pilot orders to two very promising projects fromAdam McKayandKathryn Bigelow, both of which have been rumored to be in the works for some time. McKay, who just got a major boost with his Oscar-nominated topical comedyThe Big Short, will be helmingSuccession, which follows the doings of a wealthy global-media company that is going through some shaky times. No cast has been announced for the series, but it has been confirmed thatWill Ferrellwill serve as a producer on the series alongside McKay.
Successiondoes seem to continue to extend McKay’s interest in the fiscal state of being of America’s money-making elite, andMogadishu, Minnesota, Bigelow’s project, similarly continues to expand her vision of America in the age of terrorism and the refugee crisis. Although the series was originally calledThe Recruiters, and was purported to follow the nuances of terrorist recruitment in America, the series now seems to be primarily focused on a Somali family living in Minnesota, which suggests that EP Bigelow and director-writer-producerK’naanwill be taking a deeper look at what it’s like to be a refugee in a world whereDonald Trumpcould possibly be president. There’s a lot to look forward to in both cases, but one has to be skeptical that either of these very political shows has the possibility to blow up the way that HBO’s staple programs have in the past. We shall see.
