HBO and HBO Max have announced their Fall programming and the network just keeps getting more valuable. Since its launch in May 2020, it has arguably become the best streaming service out there. With plans that start at $9.99 per month, they not only offer their original and previously aired TV shows, but they also premier Warner Bros movies the same day they are released in the theaters. There is so much “bang for your buck” with Max! Oh, and season 3 of “Doom Patrol” returns September 23rd. Of course, “Sex and the City” fans are anxious for “And Just Like That…”
Just launched this week was Hugh Jackman’s thriller “Reminiscence” and coming in October is the highly anticipated release of “Dune” starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and a swarm of other big stars. Then there is “The Matrix 4” coming out in December with biggies like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Christina Ricci, and Jessica Henwick. With just a click, HBO Max always has something interesting on. Check out the full guide to their Fall 2021 programming.
SEPTEMBER
AHIR SHAH: DOTS (Max Original Comedy Special). September 23.
Synopsis: In his first-ever stand-up comedy special, double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Ahir Shah discusses culture, politics, cigarettes, depression, adulthood, funerals, religion, children, love, and dead German sociologists. It is considerably funnier than it sounds. Featuring Shah’s signature blend of philosophical inquiry, personal examination, and sweet gags, Dots is his critically acclaimed stand-up show about the necessity, utility, and absence of certainty.
Credits: Produced by Avalon Television and executive produced by Ahir Shah, Rob Aslett, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner.
DOOM PATROL S3 (Max Original Drama Series). September 23.
Synopsis: “Doom Patrol” reimagines one of DC’s most beloved groups of superheroes: Robotman aka Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man aka Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), Elasti-Woman aka Rita Farr (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), all led by modern-day mad scientist Niles Caulder aka The Chief (Timothy Dalton). Each member of the Doom Patrol suffered a horrible accident that gave them superhuman abilities, but also left them scarred and disfigured. Part support group, part Super Hero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of superpowered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them. Season three opens on the culmination of Dorothy’s (Abi Monterey) confrontation with the Candlemaker that leads to a devastating loss. The Doom Patrol is at a difficult crossroads and each member struggles to face who they are and who they want to be. And things get a whole lot more complicated when Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez) arrives in a time machine with a very specific mission, if only she could remember it.
S3 Cast: Matt Bomer, Brendan Fraser, Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, Michelle Gomez, Skye Roberts and Timothy Dalton
NUCLEAR FAMILY (HBO Original Documentary Series). September 26.
Synopsis: NUCLEAR FAMILY, a three-part documentary series debuting Sunday, September 26 and airing subsequent Sundays at the same time, follows filmmaker Ry Russo-Young as she turns the camera on her own past to explore the meaning of family. In the late 70s/early 80s, when the concept of a gay family was inconceivable to most, Ry and her sister Cade were born to two lesbian mothers through sperm donors. Ry’s idyllic childhood was threatened by an unexpected lawsuit which sent shockwaves through her family’s lives and continues to reverberate today. An exploration of love, loyalty, loss and the immutable power of family in all its configurations, NUCLEAR FAMILY eloquently examines the dynamics that enrich and complicate the bonds of love. The series is directed by Ry (“Before I Fall”), an award-winning filmmaker, and produced by Academy Award and Emmy® winner Dan Cogan of Story Syndicate and Warren Fischer.
SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (HBO Original Limited Series). September 12.
Synopsis: An adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s classic series of the same name, this five-part limited series re-examines the show’s iconic depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce through the lens of a contemporary American couple.
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Corey Stoll, Tovah Feldshuh, Nicole Beharie
THE WAY DOWN (Max Original Documentary Series) September 30.
Synopsis: This five-part documentary series explores the Tennessee-based Remnant Fellowship Church and its charismatic leader Gwen Shamblin Lara, author and founder of the Christian weight loss program “The Weigh Down Workshop.” The series explores Lara’s rise to fame and power as a diet guru and church leader, revealing the surprising truth behind her carefully curated image and detailing the controversial practices of the church, including stories of abuse and exploitation as told by former members and others who were personally impacted. Gwen Shamblin Lara recently died in a plane crash along with six other church leaders, including her husband, Joe Lara.
OCTOBER
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM S11 (HBO Original Comedy Series) October.
Synopsis: Originally debuting on HBO in 2001 and presenting 100 episodes to date, the series stars “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his fictionalized life. The comedy series continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life – a cold cup of coffee, a stained shirt, a missing toothbrush – can precipitate a chain of misfortune to hilarious effect.
Cast: Larry David, Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, and J.B. Smoove.
INSECURE Season 5 (HBO Original Comedy Series) October.
Synopsis: INSECURE follows our favorite characters as they evaluate their relationships, both new and old, in an effort to figure out who and what comes with them in this next phase of their lives.
S5 Cast: Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell, Amanda Seales, Courtney Taylor and Leonard Robinson
LOVE LIFE S2 (Max Original Comedy Series). October.
Synopsis: Season two of the romantic comedy anthology series focuses on “Marcus Watkins” (Emmy® nominee and executive producer William Jackson Harper) as he comes out of a years-long relationship with the woman he thought was going to be his person. The rug pulled out from under him, he is plunged back into the search for the romantic fulfillment that he thought he had already found.
Cast: William Jackson Harper, Jessica Williams, Chris “Comedian CP” Powell, Punkie Johnson, Janet Hubert, Jordan Rock, Maya Kazan, Leslie Bibb, John Earl Jelks, Arian Moayed, Kimberly Elise, Ego Nwodim and Blair Underwood. Keith David narrates. Season one’s Anna Kendrick, who also executive produces, Zoë Chao, Peter Vack, Sasha Compére and Nick Thune will appear in season two.
SELENA + CHEF S3 (Max Original Unscripted Series) October.
Synopsis: In season three, Selena will continue her cooking adventures at home with a new roster of all-star chefs that will help her whip up delicious dishes for special gatherings and celebrations. Like in its first two seasons, each chef will highlight a different charity each episode. To date, the series has raised $360,000 for 23 nonprofit organizations.
SUCCESSION S3 (HBO Original Drama Series) October.
Synopsis: Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall at the end of Season 2, Logan Roy begins Season 3 in a perilous position. Scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances, tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.
S3 Cast: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Nicholas Braun, Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Friedman, J. Smith Cameron, Dagmara Dominczyk, Justine Lupe, David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, Hiam Abbass, Arian Moayed, Harriet Walter and James Cromwell return. Additional cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Sanaa Lathan, Linda Emond, Jihae, Adrien Brody and Hope Davis.
WE’RE HERE S2 (HBO Original Unscripted Series). October.
Synopsis: This Emmy-nominated unscripted series recruits local residents across small-town America to participate in a one-night-only drag show. In each episode, renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley visit a different small town to inspire and teach their own “drag daughters” to step outside their comfort zone for a night of no-holds-barred, full-on drag.
S1 Cast: Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela
NOVEMBER
A CHOICE OF WEAPONS: THE LEGACY OF GORDON PARKS (HBO Original Documentary) November.
Synopsis: Inspired by Gordon Parks, this documentary explores the power of images in advancing racial, economic, and social equality as seen through the work of Gordon Parks, one of America’s most trailblazing photographers, and a new generation of artists he inspired.
GOSSIP GIRL Season 1, Part 2 (Max Original Series) November.
Synopsis: Developed by showrunner Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer on the original series, this extension of the pop culture classic takes us back to the Upper East Side to find a new generation of New York private school teens being introduced to social surveillance, nine years after the original blogger’s website went dark. The series is based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar and the original show, developed by Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage, which ran from 2007-2012 on The CW.
HEAD OF THE CLASS (Max Original Family Comedy Series) November.
Synopsis: This series revolves around a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher, Alicia Adams (Isabella Gomez ), who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.
S1 Cast: Isabella Gomez, Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall. Christa Miller guest stars.
HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON S2 (HBO Original Series) November.
Synopsis: John Wilson, documentary filmmaker and self-described “anxious New Yorker,” made his HBO debut as writer, director, cameraman, executive producer and narrator of the critically acclaimed, six-episode docu-comedy series. In a uniquely hilarious odyssey of self-discovery and cultural observation, Wilson covertly and obsessively films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on relatable topics. The awkward contradictions of modern life are eased by Wilson’s candid, unpolished commentary, with season one’s episodes offering up his distinct take on a range of deceivingly simple topics. Building upon Wilson’s previously released “how to” short films, the episodes take wildly unexpected turns, but are grounded in John’s refreshing honesty.
SOUTH SIDE S2 (Max Original Comedy Series) November.
Synopsis: This series follows two friends who just graduated from community college and are ready to take over the world. But until they do, they’re stuck working at Rent-T-Own. Shot on location in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, the show offers an authentic look into what life on the South Side is all about.
S2 Cast: Sultan Salahuddin, Kareme Young, Chandra Russell and Lil Rel Howery.
Additional titles with debut dates are still to be announced.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT (Max Original Series, fka Tattletales)
Synopsis: This series invites three celebrity couples to join Ayesha and Stephen on an exclusive date night to go head-to-head on uncensored relationship trivia and games, competing to see who knows their partner best. All’s fair in love and war as personality quirks and hilarious insights are revealed. A bonus round sees the couples take on the Curry’s as they compete for an additional donation to a charity of their choice.
Cast: Ayesha and Stephen Curry
AND JUST LIKE THAT… (Max Original Series)
Synopsis: The new chapter of the groundbreaking HBO series “Sex and the City” follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson, Evan Handler, Cathy Ang, Cree Cicchino, Niall Cunningham, and Alexa Swinton. Additional cast to be announced.
gen:LOCK (Max Original Animated Series)
Synopsis: This animated series focuses on a near-future dystopia undergoing a new, technologically driven world war. Fifty years in the future, an oppressive authoritarian force threatens to conquer the world. A daring team is recruited to pilot a new form of devastating mecha, but they must be willing to sacrifice everything to save the world.
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Dakota Fanning
LANDSCAPERS (HBO Original Limited Series)
Synopsis: Susan and Christopher Edwards, a pair of misfits on the run from reality, cast themselves as Hollywood heroes in their own love story tainted by a terrible secret buried in the garden.
Cast: Olivia Colman, David Thewlis, Kate O’ Flynn, Dipo Ola, Samuel Anderson, Karl Johnson, Felicity Montagu and Daniel Rigby.
MUSIC BOX SERIES (HBO Original Documentary Series)
Synopsis: MUSIC BOX is a collection of documentary films created by Bill Simmons exploring pivotal moments in the music world. The films in the series, which kicked off in July with Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage, are each helmed by a different director and will continue airing in late fall 2021 to include:
“Jagged”: An intimate exploration of Alanis Morissette and her groundbreaking 1995 album Jagged Little Pill; directed by Alison Klayman
“Untitled DMX”: A film with rare access to the late rapper after his release from prison – a portrait of a man struggling with addiction, fame, and his inner demons in the final years of his life; directed by Christopher Frierson
“Listening to Kenny G”: An examination of the most popular instrumentalist of all time and why he is polarizing to so many; directed by Penny Lane
“Mr. Saturday Night”: The untold story of Robert Stigwood and how he amped the disco era; directed by John Maggio
“Untitled Juice WRLD”: A film exploring how the late hip-hop star impacted a genre during his short life; directed by Tommy Oliver
ONE PERFECT SHOT (Max Original Series)
Synopsis: Each episode of this series arms one acclaimed director with an arsenal of visual tools to pull back the curtain on their most iconic shots. Using state of the art technology, the directors will literally enter each shot, walking through the scene in 360 moments that allow viewers to join an immersive exploration of moviemaking. Filmmakers will share their obstacles, challenges, lessons and triumphs as they detail how they created their crowning cinematic achievements. Each helmer will also present one shot from an auteur who deeply influenced them, outlining the inspiration that catalyzed their own imagination.
Cast: Ava DuVernay, Jon Chu, Patty Jenkins, additional directors to be announced.
PERFECT LIFE (VIDA PERFECTA) S2 (Max Original Series)
Synopsis: Maria (Leticia Dolera) finds it harder to connect with her baby than she ever would have imagined. Though Pablo (Font García) is back in love with Cris (Celia Freijeiro), Cris searches restlessly for the ultimate amorous adventure. Esther’s (Aixa Villagrán) wedding with her new partner Julia is coming up but she can never find the right moment to tell her that she’s not ready yet.
Cast: Leticia Dolera, Celia Freijeiro, Aixa Villagrán, Enric Auquer, Manuel Burque, Font García, Míriam Iscla, Carmen Machi and Fernando Colomo
PHOEBE ROBINSON COMEDY SPECIAL (Max Original Comedy Special)
Synopsis: Phoebe Robinson’s first-ever standup comedy special features Robinson embarking on an hour of ignorant but necessary comedy after a fully trash year. Robinson is a stand-up comedian, writer, producer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the hit podcast and series of TV specials, “2 Dope Queens.” She’s also the New York Times bestselling author of “You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain” and “Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay,” which is being adapted into a half-hour pilot for Freeform. Additionally, Phoebe has starred in the movies “Ibiza” and “What Men Want,” and was moderator on Michelle Obama’s international “Becoming” book tour.
FINDING MAGIC MIKE (Max Original Unscripted Series)
Synopsis: From the producers behind the Magic Mike franchise and live shows comes an exhilarating and sexy series that will transform a group of men and help them find their magic. 10 men who have ‘lost their magic’ will come together in a competition series like no other. As they strip off their clothes, they will rid themselves of emotional baggage and regain their mojo. Two men will be given the opportunity to perform on the blockbuster Magic Mike Live stage in Las Vegas, but only one will win and take home a cash prize of $100,000. Adam Rodriguez, from the Magic Mike films, is one of the main mentors on the series.
RICKY VELEZ COMEDY SPECIAL (HBO Original Comedy Special)
Synopsis: Ricky Velez (The King of Staten Island) will headline his first HBO comedy special and will tape at Brooklyn Steel in August.
SANTA INC. (Max Original Adult Animated Series)
Synopsis: This eight-episode, half-hour adult animated series tells the story of Candy Smalls (Sarah Silverman), the highest-ranking elf in the North Pole. When the successor to Santa Claus (Seth Rogen) is poached by Amazon on Christmas Eve, Candy goes for her ultimate dream – to become the first woman Santa Claus in the history of Christmas.
Cast: Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman
THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS (Max Original Comedy Series)
Synopsis: This upcoming Max Original comedy series is from Emmy®-nominated writer/producer Mindy Kaling. The series follows four roommates at the prestigious Essex College in Vermont.
Cast: Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Renee Rapp, Alyah Chanelle Scott
THE SLOW HUSTLE (HBO Original Documentary)
Synopsis: After Baltimore Police Detective Sean Suiter is shot and found dead while on duty, the circumstances surrounding his death become enmeshed in a widening corruption scandal that threatens to unravel the public’s already strained relationship with law enforcement.
SORT OF (Max Original Comedy Series)
Synopsis: This coming-of-age story, created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, follows the journey of Sabi Mehboob (Baig), a gender fluid millennial who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore/bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family.
Cast: Bilal Baig, Gray Powell, Amanda Cordner, Ellora Patnaik, Grace Lynn Kung, Supinder Wraich, Kaya Kanashiro, Aden Bedard, Gregory Ambrose Calderone and Alanna Bale.
STATION ELEVEN (Max Original Limited Drama Series)
Synopsis: A post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, this limited drama series tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost. “Station Eleven” is based on the international bestseller of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel.
Cast: Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Danielle Deadwyler, Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot, Gael Garcia Bernal, Matilda Lawler, Philippine Velge, Nabhaan Rizwan, Lori Petty, Andy McQueen, David Cross, Enrico Colantoni, Julian Obradors, and more.
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET (HBO Original Documentary)
Synopsis: This documentary takes audiences inside the minds and hearts of the “Sesame Street” creators, artists, writers and educators who together established one of the most influential and enduring children’s programs in television history.
TEN YEAR OLD TOM (Max Original Adult Animated Series)
Synopsis: Tom grapples with being corrupted by the grownups around him each day just by leaving his house. Bad influences seem to lurk around every corner… litigious parents, drug dealing bus drivers and band teachers who want to sleep with his mom. If he sets up a lemonade stand, he gets sued for gross negligence. If he plays baseball, he is encouraged to “dabble with roids.” And if he visits the school nurse, he is introduced to the world of insurance fraud. The grown ups in Tom’s life all mean well, but somehow just can’t manage to lead by example.
Cast: Steve Dildarian, Byron Bowers, Gillian Jacobs, Edi Patterson, Ben Rodgers, Todd Glass, John Malkovich
WHAT HAPPENED, BRITTANY MURPHY? (Max Original Documentary Series)
Synopsis: This two-part documentary series presents an in-depth, intimate character portrait exploring the life and career and mysterious circumstances surrounding the tragic death of 90’s actress and rising star, Brittany Murphy. The series goes beyond the conspiracy theories and headlines, featuring new interviews by those closest to Brittany and new archival footage.
12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS S2 (Max Original Unscripted Series)
Synopsis: 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS is a holiday dating series set in a stunning winter wonderland. The series follows three hopelessly romantic singles on their journey to meet that special someone to bring home for the holidays.
15 MINUTES OF SHAME (Max Original Documentary)
Synopsis: This documentary is a timely, eye-opening roller-coaster ride through the world of public shaming. Using follow-doc storytelling and the examination of social behavior, this documentary film features individuals from across the U.S. who have been publicly shamed – while exploring the bullies, the bystanders, the media, psychologists, politicians and experts in between. “15 Minutes of Shame” is about one of the most pressing and unaddressed issues of modern life, brought to you by the people who know it best.
Stay tuned for more coverage on these shows by Nerd Alert News.
Written by Colleen Bement
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
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