Ballers Season 2
Ballers Season 2 is set to premiere on July 17th on HBO and HBO Canada. Directly continuing where we left off last season, we join the cast as they are set to grow their sports empire gunning for the number one spot!
After watching the first 5 episodes, I can safely say that its just as fun as the first season. This show is the perfect replacement to Entourage.
This season, Spencer Strasmore (Johnson) finds himself going head to head against his former financial advisor and business manager played by Andy Garcia, while at the same time trying to keep up with the growing needs of clientele. He has a constant pressure to grow business and as a continuation of last season we follow is journey into the depths of addiction to pain killers.
Unlike more of my other reviews and recommendations, this is one of those TV Series which is the equivalent of bubble gum. Its a fun half an hour. Sometimes you just needs some fun TV which may not be as epic as a Game of Thrones, or even The Night Of, but nevertheless still enjoyable.
Ballers Season 2 will premiere right after Episode 2 of The Night of at 10PM on HBO this Sunday.
The Night Manager
Every now and then a British mini-series breaks through the content barrier. Both AMC Networks and BBC have had a great track record with the Sundance TV/BBC co-production, The Honourable Woman (one of my favourite binge worthy shows of 2015) and now they have done it again with The Night Manager which will air on Tuesday April 19th on AMC in North America.
For some people this is old news since it aired in February on the BBC in the UK, but for us over the pond is brand new exciting content.
The show brings together Hugh Laurie (House) and Tom Hiddleston (better known as Loki in the Avengers and Thor movies). Both powerhouse actors who own their characters. Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, an ex-soldier who is known in the hotel business as "The Night Manager". Pine eventually gets recruited by British Intelligence to infiltrate an arms dealer named Richard Roper, played by Laurie.
With only 6 episodes, each running 1 hr, the series runs fast with little time to draw things out. Don't mistake this for the show not being deep in character or motivation. The storyline does provide enough backdrop, so that we as an audience believe each characters motivation.
Drawing over 10 Million viewers in the UK for the 1st episode it will be interesting to see how this translates on the zombie network (AMC). My fear is this series will get lost in the shuffle, but those in the know, will pick it up. With so much good content on TV and Online Networks this might be a tough one for North American audiences to commit to. But, if you do you will be rewarded with a tight story filled with spies, betrayal, corruption and revenge. Add in good storytelling and beautiful cinematography, The Night Manager delivers in 6 episodes what few series do in 22.
Reward yourself, watch the night manager, you deserve it!