Showtime presents first look at 'Ray Donovan' & 'Masters of Sex'
Liev Schreiber, Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan coming to the pay cable channel with new 2013 dramas
Liev Schreiber is "Ray Donovan."
With "Boardwalk Empire," "Tremé" and "The Walking Dead" all done for 2012, the Sunday night cable drama field is all Showtime's for the next few weeks. The pay cable channel will try to take advantage of that by using Sunday's episodes of "Dexter" and "Homeland" to run a first-look trailer (which is already available online; see below) for its two new 2013 drama offerings: "Masters of Sex" and "Ray Donovan."
"Masters of Sex," with a pilot directed by John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love"), is a period piece starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as legendary sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. "Ray Donovan," meanwhile, stars Liev Schreiber as an L.A. fixer of problems for the rich and famous, but (because it's what Fienberg likes to call a Vocational Irony Narrative) not for his own family, which includes Jon Voight as his ex-con father.
Neither show has an official premiere date yet, but "Ray Donovan" will be coming first ("Masters of Sex" doesn't even start production until January), which no doubt means why it takes up 2/3 of the trailer. Showtime gave critics a more extended look at "Masters of Sex" at the summer press tour, and this version doesn't really capture how funny it seemed.
Lots of interesting actors, at a minimum. Looking forward to seeing full pilots.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupPaul F
December 7, 2012 at 6:51PM EST Reply to CommentPaula Malcomson has done much less grating American accents in the past. Odd choice to go with that voice. Looks interesting though.
eoindaly2k11
December 7, 2012 at 7:53PM EST Reply to CommentI wish they showed some Margo Martindale.
mridge1
December 7, 2012 at 9:03PM EST Reply to Comment'Ray Donavan' looks simple but the actors make it seem far more compelling than it should. I'll give 'Masters of Sex' a shot as well and again, mostly due to the actors involved.
kro_lin
December 8, 2012 at 1:50AM EST Reply to CommentIn the trailer for "Masters..."I was turned off (no pun intended!) by the woman stating that women only get guys to orgasm quickly so that they can get back to whatever it was they were doing.
That kind of sexist narrative turns me off (again, no pun intended!). I like to see women shown more realistically, i.e. they can enjoy sex for the same reasons a man can.
But I really liked the Ray Donavan trailer...although a little concerned that Angelina Jolie's father is going to be "the ultimate evil guy that can never be killed!". We'll see!!
mrbilliam She wasn't saying that's what every time is like for a woman, she was just explaining why a woman would fake an orgasm. What would your explanation be for that?
December 9, 2012 at 12:11PM ESTOaktown Girl @Kro Lin: I know what you mean, but here's my positive spin on that scene and I hope I'm right: given the time period of the material (I'm assumming late 1950's) I think the point was that because men were so clueless about pleasing women in bed, and because it wasn't socially acceptable for women to tell men what they wanted (because that would make them a "whore"*), many women just found the act tedious, and for good reason. I would like to think that is the sort of thing this show will be exploring.
December 13, 2012 at 6:58PM ESTSome Guy
December 8, 2012 at 2:14AM EST Reply to CommentMasters of Sex looks like it could be fun and it's good to see Lizzy Caplan as a lead again after Party Down.
Ray Donovan could go either way. It looks kind of generic, but I'm a fan of Liev Schreiber when he's given good material to work with so hopefully this provides.
Greg
December 8, 2012 at 7:09AM EST Reply to CommentI thought Ray Donovan was going to be a new dramedy (since The Big C is ending, that would leave an empty slot next to Nurse Jackie), but this trailer makes it seem like an actual drama.
Both sound interesting.
Jessie
December 8, 2012 at 11:16PM EST Reply to CommentRay Donovan does not start filming until January either. So, both my premiere around the same time. I am guessing Summer or Fall 2013?
dan Jesse - I believe Showtime is paneling "Ray Donovan" at the January TCAs because it's going to be premiering before the next TCAs in July. "Masters of Sex" isn't paneling. I know nothing specific beyond that...
December 8, 2012 at 11:48PM EST-Daniel
Darren
December 9, 2012 at 6:39AM EST Reply to CommentWhy does Showtime waste their premium-ness on stuff like Ray Donovan? Couldn't they be making Preacher or Chew or an original idea that couldn't be made anywhere else?
jptaylorsg
December 9, 2012 at 10:16PM EST Reply to CommentRay Donovan looks pretty "Justified" to me. Unless they do it as well or better, I hope I'm just reading it wrong. Good cast - as long as it's a good Voight and not Paycheck Voight.
Brandon
December 9, 2012 at 11:32PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan. Speaking of Showtime, now that Boardwalk Empire is done, why not re-visit Dexter? I, for one, would be interested in your take on this season. You got a week before the finale. Go for it!