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[Fjordson]

Really excited to watch this tonight. Seems like more David Simon goodness with period piece style. I'm all for it.

Hopefully it's way, way better than Vinyl (sounds like it is). Totally different shows and creators, but the 70's vibe is reminding me of how disappointing Vinyl was.

 

[blackw0lf]

how many 1970s new york period pieces come and gone in the last year?

Got a feeling this will stick around. It grabs you pretty fast. More than The Wire did I think.

 

[Robot Pants]

Love everything David Simon.
But — and this isn't only because I think James Franco sucks at everything — this looks super boring to me for some reason.

 

[HotHamBoy]

Love everything David Simon.
But — and this isn't only because I think James Franco sucks at everything — this looks super boring to me for some reason.

It's not, it's good. It's about sex workers in gross-ass 70s NY.

I really want more and it sucks I have to wait almost a month for Episode 2.

 

[big ander]

Watch Honourable Woman, it's remarkable. The best drama I've seen about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Maggie win a Golden Globe for it.

Was gonna rec this too, fantastic series and she kills it.

how many 1970s new york period pieces come and gone in the last year?

Hm not many really. Vinyl was early 2016 (and sucked). I'm Dying Up Here hasn't been renewed or canceled yet, what I've seen of that has been bad. That show Quarry I think? So 3, and the pilot for this was shot in late 2015 and was in the works for long before that, and it's made by Pelecanos and Simon. Can't tell whether you're saying this is following a trend or that it's doomed to fail but either way I gotta say you're off base

 

[HotHamBoy]

People comparing it to Vinyl and the other period piece shows need to remember this is David Simon and the writing shows it.

 

[Cornballer]

- Washington Post interview with George Pelecanos

Q:How did your collaboration with David Simon on “The Deuce” come about?

A: Years ago, David and I met with a guy who had a mobbed-up bar in Times Square at the dawn of the modern pornography industry. After just a couple of hours with him, we decided to develop the story into a series. The characters were too rich to ignore. We brought in novelist Richard Price because no one writes about New York with his depth and humor. We also have Megan Abbott and Lisa Lutz, two very good novelists, on our writing staff.

Q: Did you all develop the plot, about prostitution in Times Square, together?

A: Prostitution is just a small element of the story. We have characters from all walks of life. It’s a panoramic look at a city in a moment when the selling of sex became legal. It’s also a story about labor, and how people in the trenches profit the least. This time, the laborers weren’t in manufacturing. They were selling their own flesh.

Q: Is the story open-ended?

A: It will eventually encompass three different eras in Times Square history. So we hope to get three seasons out of it. Check that, because I’m an optimist: We will get three seasons. We already have it mapped out in our heads.

More via the link.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I don't think this is going to be enough for the mass exodus of HBO subscriptions come Monday lol.

 

[Fjordson]

Ralph Macchio is playing a jaded vice cop. Didn't know he was in this, but I like that casting.

 

[dead souls]

I hope this has better Luck than Vinyl.

A+ comment.

 

[Strike]

Almost forgot about this. Looking forward to it.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I'm very much looking forward to this - if I had to take a guess as to which new drama will be the best this fall, it'd be The Deuce.

how many 1970s new york period pieces come and gone in the last year?

Not many that are set in New York specifically, but in terms of high profile shows set in the 70s:

Vinyl (New York)
The Get Down (New York)
I'm Dying Up Here (Los Angeles)
Quarry (Memphis)
Guerrilla (London)

All gritty/grimy takes on the 70s, all bombs.

I don't doubt that HBO will give Simon and Co. two more seasons regardless of viewership, but it'll be interesting to see if The Deuce manages to buck the trend.

 

[HStallion]

I don't doubt that HBO will give Simon and Co. two more seasons regardless of viewership, but it'll be interesting to see if The Deuce manages to buck the trend.

They have to at least work the rest of The Wire cast into the show.

 

[theignoramus]

This thread is really lowballing how much George Pelecanos adds to whatever he's involved in. If his name was attached to this series by itself, it would be more than worth the watch.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Ayyyyy Mef

Very excited for a new David Simon joint. Don't know if I should watch now or just wait for the season to start.

 

[Rootbeer]

Watching the first episode now. I think I'm gonna dig this show.

Good because I'm really going to need some new stuff to fill the void once Game of Thrones and Twin Peaks are over with.

 

[CreepingFear]

I have fifteen minutes left of the pilot. For those worried it's another Vinyl, this has something Vinyl didn't have, like able characters. Scratch that, a show doesn't have to have like able characters, but interesting characters,not the creator's self important idea of what interesting is.
Edit: P.S. James Franco is good. Don't let some of the screw ball comedies or his real life goofiness confuse you.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I have fifteen minutes left of the pilot. For those worried it's another Vinyl, this has something Vinyl didn't have, like able characters. Scratch that, a show doesn't have to have like able characters, but interesting characters,not the creator's self important idea of what interesting is.
Edit: P.S. James Franco is good. Don't let some of the screw ball comedies or his real life goofiness confuse you.

As someone who is actually much less of a fan of Drama Franco I found him quite enjoyable in this.

 

[metalslimer]

This show is classic Simon in a good way. I love his look into characters.

 

[darkwing-buck]

I feel like Idris Elba should be in this.

 

[Cornballer]

Very good pilot. It feels like David Simon, which is what I was hoping for. Franco works well for his role(s) and the rest of the cast is great. Just a bummer that there are only eight episodes this season. There are lots of characters and plot lines that I'm interested in, and they're not going to have a ton of time to explore all of it. Anyway, highly recommended - check it out if you have a chance.

 

[Tugatrix]

David Simon is back, and the details are awesome, is like being there at that time, they even got the garbage all over the street like we seen in movies and videos of that time

 

[Scrotum Phillips]

Only thing I'm bummed about after watching the pilot is how long I gotta wait for episode 2. That was great! Really excited to see where this show goes.

 

[superfly]

Enjoyed this pilot. It's funny I'm watching Twin Peaks at the moment which is totally its own thing and runs at its own pace. The Deuce reminded me that David Simon shows also run at their own pace but in a totally different way.

I think as a pilot it established things pretty well. The period details were great and some of the casting on point.

Count me in.

 

[Hyun Sai]

Wow, Margarita Levieva, at age 37, is playing a 20 years old student ? I really didnt think it would be that role when I saw her in the casting LOL

 

[Pyroclastic]

Wow, Margarita Levieva, at age 37, is playing a 20 years old student ? I really didnt think it would be that role when I saw here in the casting LOL

I knew she was older than the character she was playing but I didn't know she was that old, in fairness. I kind of wish I didn't know this now though lol, I didn't know how old j.d. williams (slightly less extreme example) was during the wire, for example.

 

[Roboculus]

Shame it's only 8 episodes but i'm definitely interested in this.

 

[Hyun Sai]

I knew she was older than the character she was playing but I didn't know she was that old, in fairness. I kind of wish I didn't know this now though lol, I didn't know how old j.d. williams (slightly less extreme example) was during the wire, for example.

Yeah, Williams had like 24 when the show started, similar to Michael J Fox case in Back to the future.

If anything it's a testament of how well Levieva has aged. God damn.

Shame it's only 8 episodes but i'm definitely interested in this.

Well, I don't know the lenght of the episodes, but the pilot was 80mn.

 

[wenis]

I liked it so far. Only half-way through the episode, but I'll pick up the rest in a bit.

 

[Kor of Memory]

Watched it yesterday and it seems to have an issue of focus. Way too many characters introduced to fast.

I thought it was okay, but because of the constant jumping from character to character I'm not even sure I could tell you what the plot/theme of the show is.

 

[Cornballer]

Well, I don't know the lenght of the episodes, but the pilot was 80mn.

I'd be surprised if they were much longer than an hour. HBO has done huge budget, cinematic pilots for a while now, but they tend to go back to a more normal length for the rest of the series.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Watched it yesterday and it seems to have an issue of focus. Way too many characters introduced to fast.

I thought it was okay, but because of the constant jumping from character to character I'm not even sure I could tell you what the plot/theme of the show is.

Sounds like a David Simon show. Things will come together eventually. He's all about vignette storytelling with characters strewn everywhere that cross paths down the line.

 

[kirblar]

Watched it yesterday and it seems to have an issue of focus. Way too many characters introduced to fast.

I thought it was okay, but because of the constant jumping from character to character I'm not even sure I could tell you what the plot/theme of the show is.

The Wire was the same way. (Haven't watched this yet due to wanting to avoid that 3-week gap.)

 

[Neece]

The Wire was the same way. (Haven't watched this yet due to wanting to avoid that 3-week gap.)

Show Me a Hero was like this as well. Ended up being one of my favorite mini series of all time.

I think I'm going to wait for episode 2 to air before I jump in with this series.

 

[HotHamBoy]

Watched it yesterday and it seems to have an issue of focus. Way too many characters introduced to fast.

I thought it was okay, but because of the constant jumping from character to character I'm not even sure I could tell you what the plot/theme of the show is.

You need to be patient. Simon paints the picture by giving you these little details that suggest a form that becomes more solid and takes a distinct shape as his shows go on.

Sounds like a David Simon show. Things will come together eventually. He's all about vignette storytelling with characters strewn everywhere that cross paths down the line.

Yes. I actually found this pilot more immediately engaging than The Wire's. There's enough of each character's story that you have a better sense of the direction.

 

[Zousi]

First episode didn't really manage to impress me that much outright, but i guess it served it's purpose well enough at setting the table. Critics who have seen all the episodes seem to really like it, so we'll see. Still, nothing too surprising about that opening play.

 

[Cornballer]

- The Guardian review

One of the key factors that hobbled The Wire’s popularity during its early seasons was the difficulty of keeping its massive cast straight; The Deuce has the benefit of boasting a few name-brand actors impossible to forget, but even so, it does not demand such a high price of admission to its absorptive world. Writing unencumbered by the jargon of police work or Show Me A Hero’s bureaucratic government lingo, Simon has created his most accessible work of humanism to date, and he’s done so without sacrificing his loftier ambitions of societal critique. “All the pieces matter” is another one of Simon’s classic axioms, and even before his new creations have fully come into focus, he’s re-convinced us of the statement’s truth.

 

[kingocfs]

Loved it. Nobody writes characters that feel more real than Simon.

 

[ahoyhoy]

You need to be patient. Simon paints the picture by giving you these little details that suggest a form that becomes more solid and takes a distinct shape as his shows go on.

Yep. The Wire is immediately intimidating for this reason. Dozens of characters from all walks of life are introduced and you're not sure why you should care about any of them. So many people give up before they get to know the characters or the dialects or the city.

The Deuce seems a little shallower than The Wire, probably because it won't get the chance to offer the same social commentary I'm used to from Simon, but the dialog is as interesting and natural as I've come to expect from him. I'll be back for episode two.

 

[Fjordson]

Just finished the pilot, that was pretty great. The atmosphere was beautifully heavy and I liked seeing some Wire alums in there.

Also, James Franco seems perfect in his role(s). Really magnetic and likeable as Vincent and the way he shifted his performance for Frankie worked well. The scene with both of the twins in the bar was one of my favorites.

 

[HotHamBoy]

Yep. The Wire is immediately intimidating for this reason. Dozens of characters from all walks of life are introduced and you're not sure why you should care about any of them. So many people give up before they get to know the characters or the dialects or the city.

The Deuce seems a little shallower than The Wire, probably because it won't get the chance to offer the same social commentary I'm used to from Simon, but the dialog is as interesting and natural as I've come to expect from him. I'll be back for episode two.

I have a feeling The Deuce is going to be about 70s NY in the way The Wire was about modern Baltimore. It's going to be about how the city eats you up and rings you out.

 

[ZOONAMI]

What I don't understand is why would they cancel vinyl and then make this? They're like the same exact kind of show.

 

[HotHamBoy]

What I don't understand is why would they cancel vinyl and then make this? They're like the same exact kind of show.

Is that satire?

 

[Fjordson]

What I don't understand is why would they cancel vinyl and then make this? They're like the same exact kind of show.

Not really. The darker side of 70's New York is obviously there in both shows, but they go about showing it in different ways.

The Deuce feels a lot more grounded and natural. Vinyl was too over the top. It had that Scorcese flair, but way too much of it. Just couldn't pull it off.

And The Deuce isn't about one character like Vinyl. James Franco's role could be considered the main character based on the pilot, but it showed various groups within NYC. Law enforcement, prostitutes, college students, the mob, etc. Kinda like The Wire in that regard (though it seems not quite as large in scope).

 

[Cornballer]

Brief snippet from Variety in their Fall TV preview:

The Deuce
HBO

David Simon teams up with HBO again for this period drama about the burgeoning pornography industry, starting with the lives of the sex workers in Times Square in the ’70s. Like so many of Simon’s shows, “The Deuce” has such captivating characters — including fantastic turns by Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco — that you’re sucked into the story without really understanding what’s happening. With an atmosphere like this, who cares?

 

[Ampersands]

Watched the pilot and was really impressed. I've never seen a David Simon show before but it was just immediately engaging. The sets are nice but the characters really make me buy into the era. It's always refreshing to see characters in a TV show that talk and act like real people. I always thought of James Franco as a good actor who takes on too many roles but he definitely put work in this one. The delivery of some of his lines were very satisfying.

I also recently watched Boogie Nights in preparation/anticipation so I'll have that in mind when they get to the pornography. The tone between the two is night and day so far but I'm sure some similarities will pop up.

 

[Cornballer]

- James Franco Talks Recreating New York in the '70s |The Deuce (HBO vid on youtube)

 

[Cornballer]

- George Pelecanos on this week's The Watch podcast from The Ringer

The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald are joined by one of their favorite writers, George Pelecanos ('The Wire,' 'Treme'), to discuss his latest project, HBO’s 'The Deuce,’ which he cocreated with David Simon.

 

[Ricky_R]

Watched the pilot and was really impressed. I've never seen a David Simon show before but it was just immediately engaging. The sets are nice but the characters really make me buy into the era. It's always refreshing to see characters in a TV show that talk and act like real people. I always thought of James Franco as a good actor who takes on too many roles but he definitely put work in this one. The delivery of some of his lines were very satisfying.

I also recently watched Boogie Nights in preparation/anticipation so I'll have that in mind when they get to the pornography. The tone between the two is night and day so far but I'm sure some similarities will pop up.

You need to watch The Wire. Characters are the strongest aspect of the show to me, and there are so many, and all so memorable.

 

[Cornballer]

- Vanity Fair review

The Deuce has a low-key rhythm to it, long patters of clever dialogue (the characters all speak so well) giving way to a moment of reflection or a burst of activity—a fight, a gunshot, an orgasm. It’s the ramble of everyday life, experienced by people not often associated with the everyday. In that way, The Deuce’s laid-back energy belies a kind of noble mission. The show offers a graceful portrait of lives not credited with much grace in their own time. Troubled and fraught as those lives may have been, they were nonetheless whole and worthy of understanding.

The Deuce may not plumb the deepest depths, not yet, anyway. But it does, at least, do the fine and winning work of giving these strutters and their well-worn stage some very good lighting—blue and red and irresistibly bright.