HBO has given the green light to Winning Time Season 2, while HBO Max has given us first looks at season five of The Great Pottery Throw Down and Not So Pretty.
Based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of the sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.
The ten-episode first season of the drama series will conclude on Sunday, May 8, on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
This past Sunday’s fifth episode delivered a series viewership high of 1.2 million viewers across platforms on premiere night, a 37% increase from the first episode.
“It’s been a thrill to bring Winning Time to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, our phenomenal producing team, and this incredible cast,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming.
“This series not only tells the riveting story of the Lakers’ rise but is also a look back at a transformative era in basketball, celebrity, and the city of Los Angeles. We can’t wait to see how this team will tell the next chapter of this dynasty.”
Winning Time Season 2 stars John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffmann, Tracy Letts, Jason Segel, Julianne Nicholson, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, and Solomon Hughes.
The cast also includes Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Sarah Ramos, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, Jon Young with Rob Morgan, and Sally Field.
Adam McKay serves as executive producer and also directed the pilot, and joining him from Hyperobject Industries is executive producer Kevin Messick. Max Borenstein serves as showrunner, executive producer, writer, and co-creator.
Jim Hecht is an executive producer, writer, and co-creator. Rodney Barnes serves as executive producer and writer. Jason Shuman and Scott Stephens also serve as executive producers.
All ten episodes of season five of the fan-favorite unscripted Max Original series The Great Pottery Thrown Down will be available to stream on HBO Max on Thursday, April 14. Twelve of Britain’s best home potters compete to become champion ‘of the pottery’ as Ellie Taylor hosts a brand new season.
Once again, Judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller will put the potters through their paces. The series is produced by Love Productions (The Great British Bake Off), with Seasons 1-2 originally airing on BBC Two, season 3 on More4 and season 4 on Channel 4. Richard McKerrow and Luke Byrne serve as executive producers.
The four-part Max Original documentary Not So Pretty, from Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering, also debuts Thursday, April 14. Narrated by Keke Palmer, Not So Pretty is the first-ever comprehensive large-scale investigative expose of the trillion-dollar cosmetics, beauty, and personal care industry.
Celebrated and groundbreaking filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (Allen v. Farrow, On The Record, The Hunting Ground) take this unregulated industry to task via rigorous investigations, incisive wit, and emotional storytelling to inform audiences of the hidden hazards of cosmetics and safe, budget-friendly alternatives for their daily products.
Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with innovative and bold HBO Max and the brilliantly talented Keke Palmer to bring viewers this riveting four-part series exposing the hidden secrets and ugly truths behind the trillion-dollar beauty and personal care industry that will literally have viewers running to take a second look at all the personal care products lining their bathroom shelves!
“Working on this project has certainly changed our own purchasing habits and perspectives, and we are excited to empower viewers similarly by providing them with the essential information they need to know and simply cannot get anywhere else.”
They added: “With Keke’s wit and curiosity serving as our engaging guide, our series provides viewers with shocking insights, startling revelations, and important knowledge that will help them not just look their best on the outside but also feel their best on the inside — a win-win for not only our personal health but the health of the planet as well.”
Keke Palmer said: “I’m big on self-help, and in order to best help yourself, you need information. I can’t tell you how much I learned from working on Not So Pretty. Each session inspired an OMG, I HAD NO IDEA moment, and then I became relieved to be a part of something that can help break these myths and encourage personal autonomy within the beauty industry, which can only come with knowledge. You can’t choose wisely when you don’t know what to look for! This show will illuminate that, and it’s really empowering.”
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.