Fall Preview 2016: Will Sarah Jessica Parker’s ‘Divorce’ bring light to tough subject?
In the modern age of a billion shows (or “peak TV,” as John Landgraf of FX Networks has put it), you really have to do something that stands out — and ironically, on the surface “Divorce” on HBO feels like almost every other show that is out there. It is a take on a dysfunctional relationship; how many times have you seen that before?
Yet, there is something about this series in between the performances and the writing that feels so smart, so timely, and so interesting that we’re starting to think this could become appointment TV … and we say that in an era where the majority of the show’s viewers are probably not watching it live. Hey, they’ve got HBO; is there really much of a hurry?
If you look below at the latest entry in our Fall Preview series, you’ll get even more of a sense from us as to why everything is coming up roses so far.
Premiere Date and Timeslot Competition – Sunday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. The majority of the competition that is out there is more in the drama realm, whether it be “Elementary” on CBS or “Quantico” on ABC. We don’t see either appealing to the same demographic. Plus, as mentioned, this is HBO. People will watch when they want.
Logline – “Influenced by her two recently single friends, a middle-aged woman impulsively brings up the idea of divorce with her husband but then can’t decide whether to actually go through with it — until her husband discovers the affair she’s been having and calls the marriage off.”
Cast – Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Molly Shannon, Jemaine Clement, and Sterling Jerins.
Trailer – There isn’t a PG-rated once to show here on the site, but you can look some up on YouTube. Almost immediately, you’ll hopefully discover that they are biting, funny, and then also poignant in their subtlety. This is a show that, whether it be the snowy aesthetic or Thomas Haden Church’s mustache, feels refreshing. It’s also nice to see two actors over 50 lead a show in a youth-obsessed culture.
Overall Take – Our feeling watching the first clips brings us back to many other great HBO comedies, including our feeling of “Silicon Valley” or even “Sex and the City” the first time. We know that some will always perceive Parker as Carrie, but we hope you consider giving “Divorce” a shot since we don’t really see the shows altogether similar at all other than one actress involved with both of them. The fixations are different, and the same goes for the viewpoint on reality. We’re tremendously excited to see how this story unfolds.