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[blainethemono]

The mastermind behind HBO's The Wire and Treme, along with his frequent collaborator George Pelecanos, is developing a potential series about the porn industry for the premium network. Assuming HBO opts to move forward with the entry, titled The Deuce, it will chronicle the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s. Also explored: the rough-and-tumble world that existed in midtown Manhattan until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and a rejuvenated real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Simon acknowledges that he and Pelecanos were hesitant to take on the project when they first heard from one of their Treme location managers, who'd been researching the life of a man who had been one of the mob fronts on 42nd Street during that era. "He said, 'You’ve got to hear the guy’s stories,’" Simon recalls. "George and I looked at each other and said, 'I don’t wanna make a porn show. … I’m married with kids and lawn furniture. I don’t want to go there, man. That’s dark.'”

Curiosity got the best of them, however, and Simon and Pelecanos agreed to meet with the subject. When he and his stories were indeed fascinating, the pair decided to continue exploring that world. As is always the case with Simon, a longtime journalist turned showrunner, that process entailed heavy research.

Still, there were a multitude of other challenges to consider. Simon felt strongly that he didn't want to be sneering at porn while using porn to sell the show, for instance. "You don't want to make porn to critique porn because that would be a venal journey — nor do you want to look down on people because that also is fairly dishonest," he explains, adding of the sweet spot: "You really have to land it in such a way where it’s a story about people and it’s a story about markets — about the moment where something became legal and profitable and what happens to people in that environment when markets prevail."

Though the project has been in the works for some time, executives at HBO had opted to make Show Me a Hero, a miniseries about a housing project in Yonkers, N.Y., Simon's next move. Now, with the latter set to bow in mid-August, network insiders suggest a pilot order for Deuce could be forthcoming. When it's suggested to Simon that the world of '70s-era porn has the potential to be noisier — and thus higher rated — than some of the premises he's tackled in the past, he laughs. "It does," he says, "but I'm sure I'd f— it up."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/david-simon-reveals-plans-1970s-803073

 

[robotrock]

YES

 

[Ultimadrago]

Wat.

David Simon makes gold with his hands, so I'll keep an eye out for sure.

 

[Barrage]

Have my hype, and do with it what you will

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Have they cast Ginger Lynn Allen yet?

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Or as HBO calls it...a "Drama".

amirite?

 

[a Master Ninja]

They should make this the one HBO drama that had no nudity, just for the lulz.

 

[Jigorath]

Okay, that sounds awesome.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

They should make this the one HBO drama that had no nudity, just for the lulz.

It definitely won't be as sexy or lurid as people are thinking it will be.

 

[TimeEffect]

This sounds so cool

 

[Nudull]

Omar's cumming!

 

[ed_fusion]

They better cast the guy who played Herc...

 

[afternoon delight]

These two helming a show in Boogie Nights territory? Oh my.

 

[FriedConsole]

No thanks. I have seen Boogie Nights.

 

[SocksAndShoes]

This could be pretty cool, I'm in.

Omar's cumming!

 

[SimleuqiR]

Or as HBO calls it...a "Drama".

amirite?

.

 

[The Horror the horror]

Wat.

David Simon makes gold with his hands, so I'll keep an eye out for sure.

Treme is an average show.

David Simon had one great series under his belt, that's all.

 

[Seesaw15]

 

[Cohsae]

You come at the king, you best not miss.

 

[johnnyfive]

BUNK: Ahoy, matey. The girls always tellin' me about the little man in the boat. Now, I know who they talkin' 'bout.

 

[Currygan]

sneak peek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FD8UM3AQ3Y

 

[doofy102]

This dude is my favourite. I love The Wire, Treme, Generation Kill.

And because it's porn, not Jazz, people will actually watch it.

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

Omar's cumming!

Holy shit, this made me burst out laughing.

Jizz/10

 

[mariachi507]

Omar's cumming!

Oh man, lol.

Back on the topic at hand, this just shot up to the top of my most anticipated television shows. Simon will take this to very dark places as well, just thinking about handling the HIV issue makes me shudder.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

There's an interesting story there for sure. I liked reading The Other Hollywood (an oral history of the porn industry) and hearing it straight from the actors. I guess they really tried making stories and legit movies with hardcore porn in them. A lot of them thought they were getting into a progressive acting gig of sorts, then quickly realized that wasn't the case. Then there's all the shady shit the producers did, the protests, obscenity cases, etc. Really a lot of material to work with.

 

[sgjackson]

hodor

 

[Tim the Wiz]

No thanks. I have seen Boogie Nights.

This is set in NYC. Completely different scene.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Also explored: the rough-and-tumble world that existed in midtown Manhattan until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and a rejuvenated real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence.

Oh, yeah, well they gotta have some side plots. *gigantic eyeroll*

 

[hateradio]

My interest is piqued.

Oh, yeah, well they gotta have some side plots. *gigantic eyeroll*

You don't have to watch it.

 

[firehawk12]

Wat.

David Simon makes gold with his hands, so I'll keep an eye out for sure.

Spoiler

Uguu.

I'm glad that Simon didn't quit TV at least, like he mused about when Treme ended (and basically bombed).

 

[Violet_0]

what, yet another porn drama show on HBO?

 

[duckroll]

But It's Not Porn, It's HBO.

 

[Malo]

Omar's cumming!

:lol :lol :lol

 

[True Savior]

Omar's cumming!

 

[fanboi]

Oooh hairy!

 

[Dabanton]

It would make a great drama, as apart from the sex, the surrounding elements, the mob, drugs, the clean up of new York could make for some real interesting stuff.

 

[Busty]

Assuming HBO opts to move forward with the entry, titled The Deuce, it will chronicle the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s.

 

[Funky Papa]

All over my face.

 

[Tugatrix]

I'll watch any thing he lay his hands on it

 

[SuperInuit]

Sounds great!

 

[TTG]

'I don’t wanna make a porn show. … I’m married with kids and lawn furniture. I don’t want to go there, man. That’s dark.'”

LAWN FURNITURE

How sad is it that it took me all of 7 seconds to make that connection? No wait, what I meant was, how awesome? Yea... I'll watch.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Wish they would have cut those "side plots" about drug dealers, education, politics, unions, and the press out of The Wire, too, in favor of sole focus on cops solving crimes.

Is there a huge problem that you see with exploring issues outside of the basic premise of the pornography industry?

It's just a weird way to write the article: "David Simon makes a show about porn!!! (oh and also some stuff about a nuanced analysis of socio-economic pheonomena defining life in a major metropolitan center)"

Simon even implied the show itself won't show (much?) sex but the disingenuous title and article lead people to believe otherwise, and even to compare it to Boogie Nights.

A better title might've been "David Simon's next show takes a look at life around 1970s' Times Square."

(By the way, I'm pretty amused about the whole thing, since there's it's hard to read tone on here.)

 

[dave is ok]

I'm pretty excited for Show Me a Hero. Has there been a trailer for that yet?