THEGAYUK

Tag: HBO

All the latest breaking news on HBO. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on HBO.

  • DVD Review: Silicon Valley

    Where would we be without HBO? They keep churning out good programmes – and this Silicon Valley is no exception. Think Sex and the City with geeks, and penises, and the main characters are all men, and mostly virgins, and did I mention they were geeks? But I think you get my drift.

    ★★★★

    The premise is simple. In Silicon Valley, California, everyone wants to be that tech start-up that gets bought by the big boys for the big bucks – but in order to do that, you need the idea, the app, the techie bit that doesn’t actually matter in this review, but these 5 guys have it. They have come together as part of a hot house, somewhere to work on ideas, in exchange for a percentage of their product – it’s a roof over their heads and someone to bounce ideas off and get help if and when they need it.

    Over the course of the 8 episodes in series 1, we meet all 5, flesh them out as characters and watch as they face the ups and downs of bordering on a genius and totally inept at everyday life – and a potential billionaire. Richard is the idea man, a stereotypical geek, shy, nervous, awkward around people and in crowds, but full of ideas and potential.

    When his product is put before several possible buyers or backers, he’s given a choice – take the money and run but sign away the rights or take some startup funds and sell a small share of his company and also get the business knowledge and guidance needed to succeed in this cut-throat world.

    The rest of the series follows his adventures or mis-adventures with his 4 buddies and their possible backers. It pokes fun at the whole tech world, highlights some of the anomalies, the sheer wealth available, and is host to a lot of in-jokes!

    The cast is made up of pretty much complete unknowns, and the series is the better for that – I liked that I got to binge watch as these boys grew and matured, learning from mistakes as they go along their journey. The writer, Mike Judge, drew on his own Valley experience back in the 1980s and this shows – it needed a gentle hand to make the jokes and still produce something where you care about the characters.

    This is the real deal and cannot wait till Season 2 – yes, I’ve checked IMDb, there is a season 2!

    4 stars – minus one as some of it goes way over my head at times

     

  • Nearly 70,000 Sign Petition To Bring Back Looking

    When HBO announced that they were cancelling Looking, many fans were dismayed that the first mainstream gay male programming since Queer As Folk was coming to an end.

    A petition was quickly created and nearly 70,000 fans have already put their names to the request to HBO to “Honour our stories and renew Looking for 3rd season!”

    Before the petition was created, speaking about the demise of Looking, a spokesman for HBO said, “after two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of live and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a ‘special’’’.

    The show is being cancelled despite rave reviews from critics both in the US and here in the UK.

    The creators of the petition said, “Looking is a breakthrough show that provided one of the most honest and refreshing portrayals of modern gay culture. Looking features story-lines and characters that depict the real emotional complexity of people living with HIV, and tackles tough issues like transgender homelessness. It truly is like nothing else on TV.

    “To some fans of the show, it is the truest representation of themselves on TV; for others, it is a rare opportunity to see characters that remind them of their friends, loved ones and fellow community-members.

    “HBO has a history of taking risks for the sake of artistic expression and producers around the world look to HBO as a trendsetter.”