HBO
The Television Critics Association press tour wrapped up over the weekend, with a blast of announcements from various cable channels. Whether it was the swords of Spartacus and Game of Thrones, the gangland pistols of Boardwalk Empire, or the ripped-bicep gun show that is Jersey Shore, they came heavily armed. (And look! Someone’s shooting a wolf from a helicopter!)
Without further ado, then, one last hail of bullets:
* HBO had a pile of announcements to make: fantasy saga Game of Thrones will debut in the spring; Entourage will end next summer, with a movie possibly to follow; and Martin Scorsese appeared by satellite to plug Boardwalk Empire, which was clearly gathering a lot of “Next Sopranos” chatter. (I’ve seen four episodes so far. It’s very, very good, and the Sopranos comparisons are not inappropriate, but there’s also a bit of Deadwood in its dark view of history.)
* Meanwhile, pay-cabler Starz continues to try to make a name for itself, rolling out a Camelot series, a Torchwood series (Torchwood: The New World) and a prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. (Rejected title: Spartacus: Bloodier and More Naked-y.)
* There’s a premiere date for Sarah Palin’s Alaska on TLC, Nov. 14, and a special guest star: Kate Gosselin! Which raises the question: Who is demeaning whose reputation here?
* MTV, meanwhile, discussed their remakes of ’80s movie classic Teen Wolf and British teen sex-dramedy Skins. But in the encounter I most wished I had been at TCA to see, it also brought the cast of Jersey Shore to greet the nation’s TV critics. Among the edifying moments was a discussion in which Snooki attempted to define her use of “to snook” as a verb: “Snookin’ is when you’re lookin’, so if I say I’m snookin’ for love, I’m snookin’ for a guy. If I snooked the night, then I took the night. Get it?” Apparently, Snooki is going to be releasing a book—a “Snooktionary”—to clarify this further.
You’ll have to excuse me. I think I’m going to be snook.