HBO at TCA: A Stunning New Movie, Several Strong New Series and a "Girls" Controversy

Pasadena, CA -- HBO always puts on a terrific three-hour block at Television Critics Association tours, usually with a mix of panels promoting big-name specials and movies, plus a series or two. But during its afternoon last week HBO filled its time almost entirely with sessions for series. The big takeaway was that after a sleepy year or three HBO may once again have one of the most extraordinary lineups of ongoing series on any television network or streaming service. And the afternoon didn't even include "Game of Thrones," "The Newsroom" or "Veep."

The only exception in HBO's almost-all-series presentation was an all-star panel for the upcoming movie adaptation of activist and playwright Larry Kramer's modern classic about the early years of the AIDS plague, "The Normal Heart."

The "Heart" session, which featured executive producer and director Ryan Murphy and cast members Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons and Taylor Kitsch, was unarguably the highlight of HBO's afternoon, if not the entire tour to date. Even though the film has not yet been made available to critics, the sizzle reel was truly powerful, and sitting in that session I couldn't help but think that I was watching several of next year's Emmy winners talk about the project that earned them their awards. I won't be surprised if everyone on the panel is nominated for an Emmy later this year and if most of them win.

While "The Normal Heart" looks to be HBO's prestige movie of the year, it has an extraordinary new series that should receive similar acclaim in "True Detective," a deeply psychological drama about detectives involved in particularly disturbing cases that will feature a new cast each season. Season one stars Matthew McConaughey (making his television series debut) and Woody Harrelson (in his drama series debut), both of whom were at TCA to talk about the show. Even at this early time it is safe to say that they give two of the finest performances of the year, and I imagine both of them will give the estimable Bryan Cranston a run for his money at the Emmys in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category. In fact, I predict that McConaughey will take home that award, unless the show is placed in the movie and miniseries arena, in which case he'll be up against Mark Ruffalo and all bets will be off.

The other series HBO showcased were "Silicon Valley," a new live-action comedy from "Office Space" and "Beavis & Butt-head" creator Mike Judge about cocky and nerdy young people trying to strike it rich in the technology business that looks to be the riotous comedy Amazon Studios must have hoped the similarly themed "Betas" would be; "Looking," a comedy about gay men navigating life in San Francisco starring Jonathan Groff; a thriller titled "The Leftovers," about the awful aftermath of a global supernatural event during which two percent of the world's population (including unborn babies) suddenly disappeared, which features an extraordinary cast including Justin Theroux and Amy Brenneman and counts Damon Lindelof of "Lost" among its executive producers, and the sometimes controversial comedy "Girls," which just began its third season.

As if the HBO session weren't already hot enough, a reporter at the "Girls" panel inadvertently fomented the first heated conflict of the tour. Actually it was more a series of WTF moments than a testy exchange.

When a male reporter told "Girls" star Lena Dunham that he didn't "get the purpose of all the nudity on the show," noting that nudity on other shows such as "Game of Thrones" is done simply to be salacious and titillate people but that her character "is often naked at random times for no reason," Dunham, who remained impressively cool and calm, and her fellow executive producers Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner, who did not, were plainly offended. (For what it's worth, I don't think the reporter meant to offend, but perhaps he could have been more careful in his wording of his question.)

"It's a realistic expression of what it's like to be alive, I think, and I totally get it," Dunham replied. "If you are not into me, that's your problem, and you are going to have to kind of work that out with whatever professionals you've hired."

Dunham seemed confident and satisfied with her response, but Apatow and Konner wouldn't let the matter go. Apatow began grilling the reporter, wanting to know if he has a girlfriend (he does) and whether or not she likes him (she does). Konner suggested that the reporter's girlfriend may be "a misogynist."

It seemed the dust-up had settled, but a few minutes later, in responding to a question about whether or not people are more accepting of "bad" behavior from male characters then female characters, Apatow turned his gun back in the reporter's direction.

"Sometimes it's hard to watch [bad behavior] because I think everybody relates to it in some way," he said. "Like, when that guy goes [to] the mirror and he looks at himself naked, he feels bad, and so he relates. He's, like, 'Why is anyone naked?'"

Again, it seemed that the session had moved on. But minutes later Konner was caught off guard by a question to which she had not been paying attention. "I literally was spacing out because I'm in such a rage spiral about that guy that I literally could not hear," she said, gesturing toward the reporter who asked the nudity question. "I'm so sorry. I really don't mean to disrespect you." Glaring at the reporter she snarled, "I just was looking at him and going into this rage, this idea that you would talk to a woman like that and accuse a woman of showing her body too much. The idea, it just makes me sort of sick, and so I apologize to everyone. I'm going to try to focus now, but if I space out, it will be because of that guy."

"That has nothing to do with what I said," the reporter asserted.

"We heard the question," Konner sniffed.

"We don't expect that from the New York Times," Apatow remarked. "That's all I'm saying." (The reporter was not from The New York Times. In fact, I don't believe the New York Times was represented in the room.)

"I don't expect that from Us Weekly," Konner dismissed. (I do believe she offended the Us reporter in the room.)

"I don't understand it from any standpoint is what I'm asking," the reporter soldiered on. "I'm asking for you to help me understand the show and what the purpose of [the nudity] is."

"It's whatever," Dunham replied. That seemed to end the dispute.

HBO's afternoon concluded with a brief Q&A with John Oliver, the actor and comedian who last summer winningly served as guest host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." HBO was so impressed it offered Oliver a topical talk series. The critics were so impressed with Oliver that they can't wait to see it.

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