Showtime revealed its schedule for its upcoming summer and fall seasons today. In addition to the previously announced summer premiere dates for new Liev Schreiber drama “Ray Donovan,” the final season of “Dexter” and the returning “Web Therapy” and the fall debuts set for period piece “Masters of Sex” and “Homeland,” the premium network offered up a look at its next few months of doc programming, including Marina Zenovich’s “Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic,” “Knuckleball!” and Mirjam von Arx’s “Virgin Tales,” and stand-up specials from Sommore, Dave Foley and others.
ORIGINAL SERIES
Ray Donovan
Season 1 – NEW SERIES, 1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, June 30th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Dexter
Season 8 – FINAL SEASON, 1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, June 30th at 9pm (ET/PT)
Web Therapy
Season 3, 1/2 hour, 10 episodes
Premieres: Monday, July 22nd at 11pm (ET/PT)
Masters of Sex
Season 1 – NEW SERIES, 1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, September 29th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Homeland
Season 3, 1 hour, 12 episodes
Premieres: Sunday, September 29th at 9pm (ET/PT)
DOCUMENTARIES
Kingdom Come
Premieres: Wednesday, May 15th at 7pm (ET/PT)
Actor Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries) makes a vow to not act again until he directs his first feature film. KINGDOM COME chronicles the incredible battles Gillies faces in creating and (more importantly) financing his independent film. Punctuated with interviews with some of the industry’s most popular names – Morgan Spurlock, Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, and Don Cheadle to name a few – KINGDOM COME gives an insider’s view into the struggles independent filmmakers confront every day. The world television premiere of KINGDOM COME will lead into the fruit of Gillies’s labors: the award-winning film Broken Kingdom.
Last Days Here
Premieres: Thursday, May 23rd at 9:30pm (ET/PT)
Cult rock legend Bobby Liebling has been churning out genre-defining hard rock for more than 36 years as the lead singer of the band Pentagram. Various acts of self-destruction, multiple band break-ups, and botched record deals have condemned his music to obscurity. Frozen for decades in his parents basement, Liebling is finally discovered by the heavy metal underground. With the help of Sean ‘Pellet’ Pelletier, his friend and manager, Liebling struggles to overcome his demons. Directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Rock School, The Art of the Steal), LAST DAYS HERE chronicles the triumphs and downfalls of this underground icon who finds himself at the crossroads of life and death.
Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic
Premieres: Friday, May 31st at 9pm (ET/PT)
Comedians past and present recount the culture-defining influence of one of America’s most brilliant, iconic minds in RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC. Directed by Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the film looks at the legend whose voice was a blend of brutal honesty and uncanny observation and whose humor changed America. Premiering, Friday, May 31st, the documentary is executive produced by Roy Ackerman (Food Revolution) and Pryor’s widow Jennifer Pryor.
Knuckleball!
Premieres: Wednesday, June 12th at 7:25pm (ET/PT)
Knuckleball! follows Tim Wakefield and Mets pitcher RA Dickey through the 2011 Major League baseball season as they face struggles unique to the knuckleballer alone. Dickey is coming off his first successful season at the Major League level, at the hardly-tender age of 34. Armed with his first guaranteed contract of his career ($8 million over 2 years), he has to prove he has a place in the big leagues on a starting rotation. On the other hand, Wake – as his teammates and loyal legions of Red Sox fans call him – is weeks away from turning 45 (and the oldest player in the game) and he is seven games away from the remarkable milestone of 200 career wins. Interviewees include 75-year-old Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Charlie Hough, Tom Candiotti, Wilbur Wood, Ben McGrath, Roger Angell, David Waldstein, Dave Lennon, Tony Masserotti, Jason Varitek, Doug Mirabelli, Josh Thole, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Bill “The Spaceman” Lee and Ron Darling. Rich with footage from deep within the Major League Baseball archive, along with never-before-seen photos home video from the players themselves, we get a glimpse of the resonance of baseball through a single pitch.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
Premieres: Thursday, June 13th at 7pm (ET/PT)
From Led Zeppelin to The Rolling Stones, Elvis to Madonna, Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, John Lennon to Johnny Rotten, the world’s foremost rock ‘n’ roll photographer Bob Gruen has captured half a century of music through the eye of a lens. Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Don Letts explores Gruen’s life and work as he opens up his amazing archive on television for the very first time. Revealing the remarkable stories behind some of the most iconic photographs ever taken, Gruen gives an insight into the personalities behind the images and shares his memories of wild times spent with rock ‘n’ roll stars, as well as intimate and tragic recollections of his close friendship with John Lennon. The film features interviews with Gruen’s friends: Yoko Ono, Iggy Pop, members of Green Day, Alice Cooper, Tommy Ramone, Sean Lennon, Debbie Harry and many more.
Virgin Tales
Planned Airdate: July 2013
Evangelical Christians are calling out for a second sexual revolution: chastity! As a counter-movement to the attitudes and practices of today’s liberal culture, today one in eight girls in the U.S. has vowed to remain “unsoiled” until marriage. But the seven children of the Wilson family, founders of the Purity Ball, take this concept of purity of body and mind one step further: even their first kiss will be at the altar. For two years, the filmmakers follow the Wilson’s as some of their children prepare for their fairytale vision of romance and marriage and seek out their own prince and princess spouses. In the process, a broader theme emerges: how the Religious Right is grooming a young generation of virgins to embody an Evangelically-grounded Utopia in America.
COMEDY SPECIALS
Sommore: Chandelier Status
Premieres: Friday, May 31st at 10:30pm (ET/PT)
You don’t have to call Sommore a “star.” She’d rather be known as a “chandelier” – a constant fixture that keeps on shining. In her new stand-up special, the undisputed “Queen of Comedy” brings her sexy brand of humor to Miami. No topic is off limits, and Sommore cuts no corners in her hilarious descriptions of the fast-moving world of celebrity life, body alterations and gift giving. It’s a show that definitely will leave you wanting “SOMMORE.”
Dave Foley: Relatively Well
Premieres: Friday, June 21st at 11pm (ET/PT)
“Relatively Well” follows Dave Foley’s (Kids in the Hall, Newsradio) struggle to survive a world that seems intent on crushing common sense. Everything from people who don’t believe in science to his ex-wife are featured in this biting special.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam – Live from Atlanta
Premieres: Friday, June 28th at 10pm (ET/PT)
Actor and funnyman Faizon Love (Couples Retreat, Elf, Real Husbands of Hollywood) takes on hosting duties for the latest installment of Shaquille O’Neal’s hilarious “All Star Comedy Jam” franchise. This time around, NBA All Star and celebrity personality, Shaquille O’Neal has handpicked some of stand-up comedy’s funniest up-and-coming talent and paired them with veterans of the comedy stage to bring you an explosive night of comedy. The line-up includes Red Grant, Finesse Mitchell, Gina Yashere, Robert Powell and 2012 Miller Lite stand-up champion Lavar Walker. This fresh new line-up is sure to deliver non-stop laughs in this energetic and memorable night of comedy. It was filmed at the Atlanta Symphony Hall in front of a live audience during the 2013 NCAA Final Four weekend in Atlanta, GA.
Trevor Noah: African American
Planned Airdate: July 2013
Born a mixed-race child under Apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah: African American is Noah’s search for identity in a world obsessed with labels. An internationally acclaimed comedian, Noah challenges the status quo through his unique perspective, breaking down cultural flaws on all sides and finding our mutual connections with laughter. Noah made his U.S. television debut in January 2012 performing on The Tonight Show. Later in 2012, he performed his one-man show at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe (presented by Eddie Izzard) in a month-long, sold-out run that became the buzz of audiences and journalists and prompted a Malcolm Hardee Award for the “Act Most Likely To Make A Million Quid.” In April 2013, he opened a month-long, 22-performance theater run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival which will be followed by a five city tour across Australia and New Zealand. In May, Noah will debut Born A Crime, opening off-Broadway for a four-week run at 45 Bleecker in New York City. In July, he will run his show at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival in July.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
