Categories Homeland Poll Print Media

The Greatest TV Episodes of All Time

Homeland: ‘The Weekend’

by Staff | The Independent | April 8, 2023

Television shows are, inevitably, made up of parts. On the surface, there’s the great, overarching story that begins with the first shot and ends with the last. But, within that narrative, there are small parts: the series, and the episode. It is the smallest of these sub-divisions, the episode, that is most intriguing. A truly brilliant episode can bridge the gap between cinema and TV. It can refine the essence of the best shows into a single, self-contained moment. At its most potent, a perfect episode is like mainlining all the myriad ingredients of prestige television in a single sitting.

But great TV shows do not necessarily beget great episodes and, conversely, great episodes are not always the sign of a great show. The start of 2023 has been dominated by discussions about The Last of Us, a perfectly good series including one stunning episode. In it, two supporting characters tell us the story of humanity’s endurance at the end of the world. It is an episode that any show would be proud of. This list contains lots of excellent shows and a few mediocre ones, but what matters here is how they tell a story over one single broadcast. Whether that’s an hour of prestige drama or a 20-minute sitcom, these are the moments when television transcends its format and becomes an art form.

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Categories Billions Homeland Poll

The 25 Best Shows On Paramount+ & Showtime Right Now

Billions and Homeland

by Scott Beggs| UPROXX | April 7. 2023

Streaming is a hopscotch game of services where the show you love will probably jump off the platform you pay for before you get a chance to finish it. Such is the horror of modernity. On the bright side, it also means that combining the right streaming services can act like a cheat code for gaining access to a bunch of cool, diverse series.

One of those cheat codes is getting Paramount+ with the Showtime add-on, ensuring you get prestige programming alongside network TV faves. Here are the 25 best shows you can watch when you combine Paramount+ with Showtime, and Damian Lewis stars in two of them:

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Categories A Spy Among Friends Gallery Premiere Screenings

New York Premiere of A Spy Among Friends

A Spy Among Friends x Billions Mini Reunion x A Dash of Homeland

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | February 27, 2023

Damian attended MGM+’s A Spy Among Friends New York Premiere at Crosby Street Hotel on Monday, February 27, 2023 in New York City. Damian is pictured here with co-star Stephen Kunken (Billions) who played James Jesus Angleton in the spy series. Other attendees at the premiere included Neil Burger, Claire Danes (Homeland), Alexander Cary, Nick Murphy, Michael Wright, Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television, Andrew Ross Sorkin (Billions co-creator), Alessandro Nivola, Sienna Miller and Jill Hennessy, as well as Billions castmates Danny Strong, Jack Gilpin, Asia Kate Dillon, Daniel K. Isaac, Dhruv Maheshwari, Kelly AuCoin and David Costabile.

There was also a Q&A panel discussion at the screening. A Spy Among Friends is available for streaming in the US on MGM+ starting March 12. View all the photos of the event in our Gallery here.

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Categories Homeland Poll Print Media

All The TV Deaths That Shook Us To Our Core

Nicholas Brody

by Daniel Trainor | E! Online | May 18, 2022

Misery loves company—even when it comes to our favorite TV shows. For the most shocking deaths in recent TV history that we didn’t see coming, keep reading:

Brody, Homeland

OK, so we knew this day would eventually have to come, as the executive producers always said their original plan was to off the conflicted war vet-turned prisoner of war-turned terrorist-turned-maybe a good guy. But then you take into account that Damian Lewis is Damian Lewis. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance and he’s the male freakin’ lead, so yes, we were completely thrown off-guard when Brody was hanged in public in the season three finale as as devastated (and pregnant!) Carrie (Claire Danes) watched.

Read the rest of the original article at E! Online

Categories Poll Print Media

10 Best Spy/Espionage TV Shows Ranked

Best of the Best: Intriguing Stories With Complicated Characters

by Tom Steel | CBR | April 3, 2022

Genres within television and film have evolved over the years, with several being combined to form new genres and sub-genres. One such instance has seen spy and espionage television and films – which incorporate elements of thrillers, dramas, and more action-oriented fare. Spy and espionage shows are a great way to become engrossed in intriguing stories full of complicated characters. More often than not, spy shows on TV emphasize the action element – comparable to the likes of James Bond. More rarely, however, shows will lean more towards the espionage side of things, in which spies and agents are sent deep into the heart of an intriguing plot.

1 Out of 10
Homeland Is The Best Espionage Thriller Series With Consistently Thrilling Seasons

While there are spy shows that opt to integrate comedy to help complement the espionage and action, Homeland thrives on its thriller tropes and psychological warfare, making it one of the most intense and engrossing spy/espionage shows out there. Spanning eight seasons from 2011 to 2020, Homeland focuses on Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes, and her work with the CIA.

Her investigations into Damian Lewis’s Nicholas Brody and the pair’s interactions, help to make the first few seasons particularly captivating. The later seasons even manage to move past the dynamic that drove the early episodes of the series and arguably get even better – as opposed to getting diminishing returns like with many long-running shows.

Read the rest of the original article at CBR here

Categories Billions Poll Print Media

31 Best Showtime Series Of All Time

Billions and Homeland

by Brian Boone | February 16, 2022 | Looper

First hitting the airwaves back in the late 1970s, Showtime is one of the longest-lasting cable channels still kicking. In its many years of existence, the network has helped create the modern idea of prestige television by airing well-made dramas, edgy and sophisticated comedies, and talk shows that upend the form. Unbound by the restrictions of broadcast networks, Showtime is free to elevate television and bring new perspectives and stories to millions of appreciative viewers.

Forever in competition with fellow pay cable outlets like HBO and Starz, as well as streaming upstarts such as Netflix and Hulu, Showtime has held its ground in the still-ongoing “Peak TV” era. Every year, it adds more and more high-quality productions to the TV landscape, from audacious, quirky horror stories to blockbuster crime sagas. Which shows reign supreme? These are the 31 best Showtime series of all time.

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Categories Billions Homeland Poll Print Media

The 10 Best Showtime Dramas According To IMDb

Homeland and Billions

by Nathan Sharp | ScreenRant | January 11, 2022

Showtime has produced some excellent dramas throughout its history, many of which have won awards and become important products of pop culture.

Showtime is a major player in cable television. While it doesn’t quite have the prestige of an HBO or the popularity of an AMC, it has nevertheless become a household mainstay thanks to its strong lineup of television shows. Many shows that have aired on Showtime have gone on to enjoy incredible success, both in terms of popularity and critical evaluation. Some have even become iconic mainstays of popular culture.

They can’t all be winners of course, but Showtime’s greatest dramas are well-renowned within critical television circles, as is evident by their strong ratings on IMDb. These are the best of them all.

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Categories Billions Interviews Magazine Print Media

Industry Mag Staten Island Cover Story – July 19, 2020

Accents and How He Handled Overnight Fame

by Joel Keller | Industry Mag Staten Island | July 19, 2020

He may be an officer of the British Empire, but the London native is best known for playing Americans, including Bobby Axelrod in Billions.

Damian Lewis has been playing American characters on and off (mostly on) for 20 years, since he was cast as Maj. Dick Winters in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He’s played so many American characters that people are genuinely shocked to hear his natural west London-accented voice. He’s so used to it that sometimes he forgets to go back to his natural voice.

“I go get my groceries in an American accent,” he told ABC News in 2016. “And I get halfway through paying and I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m British, and I have no idea why I’m talking in an American accent to you, but I’ve been doing it all week.”

His American roles have been so prominent in his career that BBC America’s website actually has a listicle with the title “7 Roles Featuring Damian Lewis’ Real Accent.”

Suffice to say, playing American characters has been very good to Lewis. He won an Emmy in 2012 for his powerful turn playing war hero-turned-terrorist Nicholas Brody in the first season of Homeland, and since 2016, he’s played scheming billionaire Bobby Axelrod in another Showtime series, Billions. “Hello, I’m Damian Lewis, one of those pesky Brits,” he said somewhat apologetically when he went up to accept his Emmy.

Continue reading Industry Mag Staten Island Cover Story – July 19, 2020

Categories Billions Broadcast Media Homeland Video

‘Variety: Actors on Actors’ with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis – July 2, 2020

Zooming with Carrie and Brody

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | July 2, 2020

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis reminisce about their Homeland collaboration for ‘Variety: Actors on Actors.’ Among a host of topics, the two discuss the final season of Homeland, Billions, and what it’s like to be a child actor. Damian did this interview in his car because he had to drive away for better Internet in the English countryside!

Continue reading ‘Variety: Actors on Actors’ with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis – July 2, 2020

Categories Billions Broadcast Media Homeland Video

Variety, PBS SoCal Takes ‘Actors on Actors’ Virtual – June 21, 2020

The One Where Carrie and Brody Reunite

by Variety Staff | Variety | June 21, 2020

Variety and PBS SoCal have announced the actor lineup and schedule for Season 12 of “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors.”

The new season of the Emmy-winning series was filmed entirely from actors’ homes and includes one-on-one conversations between stars from potential contending shows in this year’s Emmy race. The first two episodes will premiere on PBS SoCal on Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with episodes three and four premiering on Friday, July 24, at 8 p.m. and 8:30 pm. All episodes will stream on pbssocal.org and on the free PBS Video app following their premieres. Continue reading Variety, PBS SoCal Takes ‘Actors on Actors’ Virtual – June 21, 2020

Categories Billions Homeland

Our 20 Most Eagerly Awaited TV Shows of 2020 – Jan 1, 2020

Both Billions and Homeland Make the List

by Staff | Los Angeles Times | January 1, 2020

Television … now more than ever: To paraphrase the satirical film studio slogan of Robert Altman’s “The Player,” TV’s dominant mode these days is the avalanche, the deluge, the endless binge. But even amid the clutter of 500-some scripted and countless unscripted series, there’s plenty to be excited about, including originals from nascent (or still-to-be-launched) platforms like Apple TV+, HBO Max and Quibi. Let the Times TV team help you plan your viewing schedule with this list of our 20 most anticipated new and returning shows of 2020.

Billions

The searing drama about the high-stakes battle between federal government watchdog Charles Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and cocky billionaire Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) incorporated a clever twist in its fourth season when Axe became consumed with destroying his former protégé, Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillion), who left him to form their own hedge fund firm. In a complicated scheme, Axe blackmailed Taylor and wiped them out, forcing them to return to Axe’s firm. Though Taylor is chastened, they vow to work from within to take down Axe and Rhoades, setting up another lethal war. Upping the ante are Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”) and Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”), who join the cast. (Showtime, TBA) —Greg Braxton

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Categories Homeland

Homeland Over the Decade – Dec 31, 2019

Homeland Makes All the Decade Lists

Political Comedy, Drama Defined the Decade
by Hal Boedeker | Boston Herald | December 31, 2019

It was the decade of Game of Thrones, peak drama, political comedy and superhero films. Here are a few works that defined 2010-19. Showtime’s Homeland started explosively with a twisty story of treason that still resonates in the culture. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis were exceptional. The final season begins February 9, 2020. The way that films and TV series are shown may change, but first-rate storytelling cannot be replaced. On that score, the decade offered reasons to hope.

Decade Disruptors: The 10 Most Influential International TV Shows Of The 2010s, From Hyper-Local Thrillers To Euro Entertainment
by Peter White | Deadline | December 31, 2019

The 2010s was the decade that foreign-language television broke through the global ceiling and got Hollywood to notice the quality of content coming from all corners of the world. While Danish drama The Killing (Forbrydelsen) and French thrillers Braquo and Spiral began inching the door open in the “aughties,” hyper local titles and the booming streaming market means that Netflix subscribers are just as likely to binge Spanish drama La Casa De Papel (Money Heist) or German supernatural thriller Dark as they are the new season of The Crown.

Netflix’s VP International Originals Kelly Luegenbiehl recently told a London conference that “Hollywood is not the be-all and end-all of storytelling,” and “this is really just the beginning.” Georgia Brown, European content chief at Amazon, agreed that “language is kind of irrelevant now.” It’s not just the SVODs that are helping this boom; linear broadcasters around the world have realized that specifically local titles stand more chance of becoming hits than global puddings. Many broadcasters, such as European public stations France Televisions, Italy’s Rai and Germany’s ZDF, are also teaming up to match the budgets of the streamers.

Continue reading Homeland Over the Decade – Dec 31, 2019