The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Sexuality under the microscope in Showtime’s ‘Masters of Sex’ series Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:50 PM PDT The sexual revolution has been well-documented on TV shows like HBO's "Sex and the City," but a new Showtime drama "Masters of Sex" turns the lens on the pioneering couple who started the public conversation about sexuality. The show, which premieres on Sept 29, explores the early relationship of groundbreaking sex researchers Virginia Johnson and William Masters. It documents their discoveries based on Thomas Maier's 2009 biography "Masters of Sex." Johnson, who died last week at age 88, met Masters when she was a researcher for him at Washington University in St. Louis in the 1950s. Masters, who died in 2001, was a physician at the university and had begun researching sex in 1954. British actor Michael Sheen, who plays Masters, said he was drawn to both the complexity of his character and the subject matter of researching sexual behaviour at a time when talk of sex publicly was considered taboo. "(Masters) is sort of a mystery to himself. He has so many locked rooms inside himself and he has to tread very carefully to make sure he controls his environment," Sheen said at a Television Critics Association meeting in Beverly Hills yesterday. The show features many explicit scenes of sex, both in and out of medical settings, but Sheen said it explores topics far beyond just sexual gratification, and also resonates with the issues around the subject today. "It doesn't matter if we know a lot more about sex or have more access to it now. It's the same problems with intimacy and dealing with people, of connecting and being vulnerable with other people, which is ultimately what the show is all about," the actor said. Masters and Johnson, who married in 1971 and divorced after 20 years, were best known for their 1966 book "Human Sexual Response," written after years of testing of sexual arousal in couples. They published a second study, "Human Sexual Inadequacy," in 1970 and often appeared on talk shows and other programmes to discuss their research even after their divorce. "Masters of Sex" creator Michelle Ashford said she was eager to explore the couple's own relationship. "Their story just needed to be told. No one really knew what they did, but they were instrumental in the historical movement of not only how we viewed sex but how we viewed men, women and society," Ashford said. Sheen added that having the show on cable network Showtime allowed them to explore the topic of sex with more freedom than on conventional broadcast television channels, which are regulated by federal rules restricting nudity and graphic content. On cable, "any subject matter is open to you, you can take risks and you've got 12 hours roughly per season to go into it ... you can start to treat characters with the complexity that they deserve," he said. – Reuters, July 31, 2013. |
| Robin Williams brings crazy moments to new CBS show Posted: 30 Jul 2013 05:45 PM PDT The freewheeling improvised comedy that made Robin Williams a star on 1970s sitcom "Mork & Mindy" will be on display in his new CBS comedy "The Crazy Ones," though the actor says the series will deliver a character that audiences relate to. Returning to TV for the first time since "Mork" went off the air in 1982, Williams will play an eccentric advertising executive who employs unorthodox methods to win and keep clients. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the straight-laced daughter who battles to keep him from going too far. Williams said his character takes chances, and he hopes audiences will be drawn to his successes and failures as well as the relationship with his daughter. "You have to establish a character that people buy into," Williams told reporters at a Television Critics Association meeting in Beverly Hills. "I think people will buy into not just my character but the relationship with everybody else. He has good ideas and bad ones." Producer David E. Kelley, known for television hits like "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal," said Williams sticks to the script but also is given the freedom to add his own take. "He says my words perfectly," Kelley said. "Then he uses his. He manages inside the box, then we give him a few takes where he gets to take out of it." After playing the wildly comic space alien Mork, Williams built a successful career in movies, performing in comedies, dramas, big Hollywood flicks and low-budget art house films. He won an Oscar in 1998 for his role in "Good Will Hunting" and has been nominated three other times. "The Crazy Ones," which premieres Sept 26, is one of a handful of new shows CBS will air to plug the holes in its top-rated primetime lineup. The network is riding a stable of megahits, including crime drama "NCIS" and comedies "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men." It is bringing back 20 shows, more than any of its competitors. "Crazy Ones" will include real-life companies as clients, such as McDonald's, which is featured in the first episode. The hamburger chain did not pay for the appearance and did not give approval to the script, executive producer Jason Winer said. Geller said acting alongside Williams offered her a new challenge. "It's like when my three-year-old says something really inappropriate, and it's really funny but I can't laugh," she said. "That's kind of like working with Robin." – Reuters, July 31, 2013. |
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