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 Audio Band of Brothers Billions Homeland Music Podcast

Damian Lewis Guests on Bandwidth Conversations Podcast

Unmissable Episode

by Katie Brewer | Instagram: Bandwidth Conversations | January 9, 2023

Sit down and have a listen as Host Katie Brewer chats with Damian on her next Bandwidth Conversations podcast episode, where her “focus is to talk to musicians, actors and rock stars of life.” Among many things, Damian talks about how Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks chose him to play Major Dick Winters in Band of Brothers, how he was given the role of Nicholas Brody in Homeland, how he created his character of Bobby Axelrod in Billions and his latest role as an MI6 agent in a new miniseries A Spy Among Friends.

Hilarious, modest, honest – not only is Damian a star of the theatre and screen, he was an absolute star to talk to. We also talk about starting a music career, his upcoming album and his life from school through acting. An unmissable episode – out Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Listen here or anywhere you podcast (Spotify and Apple Podcasts), or click below.

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Categories A Spy Among Friends Billions Homeland Poll Print Media

10 Actors Who Always Star In Good TV Shows

According to Reddit

by Phillip Etemesi | Screenrant | December 2, 2022

Though landing good roles is hard, some TV actors managed to do so consistently over long periods of time. And Redditors have appreciated them for it. These talented actors have been fortunate enough to have amazing streaks of awesome TV shows and performances over the past few decades. And their impressive resumes haven’t gone unnoticed. On Reddit, fans have named the individuals who can always be expected to be part of a magnificent TV project. Besides Damian Lewis, others who made the list were Timothy Olyphant and David Costabile, who coincidentally have both worked with Damian on the projects Dreamcatcher and Billions, respectively.

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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 Homeland Poll Red Carpet

15 Wholesome Interactions Celebrities Had With Their Longtime Crushes

Jennifer Lawrence Meets Damian Lewis

by Simrin Singh | BuzzFeed | December 6, 2021

Believe it or not, celebs have celeb crushes too. Here’s the top 15:

4. When Jennifer Lawrence met Damian Lewis.

Jennifer was shy and excited to meet Damian, who starred in one of her favorite shows, Homeland. After hugging Damian, Jennifer commented that her “ears are so red right now.”

Read the rest of the original article at BuzzFeed

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 Gallery Interviews Personal and Family Life Photoshoots Print Media

The Double Life of Damian Lewis – April 29, 2020

Accidental TV Actor

by Chris Heath | GQ | May 2020 Issue

No actor has conjured the id of the modern American male quite like this highbrow brit who had expected to spend his life in the theater. Instead, Damian Lewis has become a stalwart of premium television, blurring the line between protagonist and antagonist – and emerging as one of the most thrilling actors of his generation.

Damian Lewis sits in the winter sun at a cafe near his North London home, trying to shut out the incessant blare of a nearby car alarm – “It’s annoying, isn’t it?” he exclaims, as though the pent-up politeness of denying this has finally become too much – while he considers how to answer questions about how he came to be the kind of person who has to answer questions like these.

By some combination of happenstance and aptitude, Damian Lewis has become best known for playing memorably imposing American characters on premium-cable TV shows. Most recently he has been the toxic financier Bobby Axelrod on the hedge-fund drama Billions (at press time, still lated to return in May despite the upheaval caused by the coronavirus); nearly a decade ago he was Nicholas Brody, the Marine returning from eight years as an al-Qaida prisoner, on Homeland; a decade before that he portrayed Major Richard Winters, the central character on Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s celebrated World War II drama Band of Brothers.

Continue reading The Double Life of Damian Lewis – April 29, 2020

Categories Homeland Print Media

Homeland Series Finale Acknowledges Brody – April 26, 2020

Arm in Arm in Espionage: Series Finale Recap

by Bill Keveney | USA Today | April 26, 2020

When “Homeland” grabbed the public’s attention and six Emmys, including best drama series, for its spellbinding first season in 2011, the relationship between CIA super spy Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and military hero and suspected terrorist  Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) took center stage.

Over eight seasons, many ups and some downs and the death of Brody in Season 3,  the central dynamic shifted to Carrie, a brilliant operative struggling with mental illness, and her savvy CIA mentor, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).

That bond frayed at times, as Carrie broke every rule in the book twice, but never has it been as endangered as it was going into the series’ final episode, which aired Sunday, after Russian agent Yevgeny Gromov (Costa Ronin) gave Carrie only one way to secure the black box flight recorder, evidence that can prevent a possible nuclear war: “Kill Saul.”

Here’s how the finale played out:

Continue reading Homeland Series Finale Acknowledges Brody – April 26, 2020