It's not HBO— It's Showtime

(NEWSER) - Some things are certain: death, taxes, and Cinemax showing women with their shoes on having sex late at night. Soft-core porn is "in our DNA," an exec with the parent company of "Skinemax" tells the LA Times . "We're not running away from it." Neither are its premium-cable competitors, which are hardly relegating racier content to late night. Consider HBO's True Blood and Showtime's explicit Californication. More»

Once out-and-proud network is now just an HBO wannabe

(NEWSER) - Showtime, which has an openly gay president and used to be the home of “the two most sexually explicit gay dramas ever,” has failed its queer audience completely, Aymar Jean Christian writes. Sure, networks in general have backed off gay-centric programming after realizing “they could get a gay audience by writing just one or two marginal characters,” but Showtime, which had huge hits in Queer as Folk and The L Word, “deserves to be chastised for its blatant de-gaying.” More»

Producer insists it showed 'vulnerability'

(NEWSER) - Annoyed Weeds star Mary Louise Parker was "goaded" into a nude bathtub scene in the Showtime series about a pot-selling mom, she tells More. "I don't think I needed to be naked," she said. "I fought with the director about it, and now I am bitter. I wish I hadn't done that." A producer for Weeds, which begins its fifth season next month, insisted the scene was important to show the character's "vulnerability." More»

The golden age of TV may have died this year

(NEWSER) - Today's golden age of TV lost a little shine this year, Heather Havrilesky writes on Salon. Twelve quick months gobbled up all of the momentum and promise from years past, leaving “a haze of crappy, unoriginal new programming, lackluster sophomore shows, flaccid sitcoms and pointless cable comedies.” Old standbys like Heroes and Weeds wilted, while rookies like My Own Worst Enemy and Easy Money collapsed. More»

MGM, Paramount, Lionsgate joint venture would target HBO

(NEWSER) - Paramount Pictures, MGM Studios, and Lionsgate are creating a premium TV channel to compete with HBO and Showtime, reports the Los Angeles Times, which currently showcase their programming. The joint venture comes as those same channels look to pay studios less for movies and pursue production of their own content. More»