The upcoming season of “Homeland,” its eighth, will be its last, Showtime entertainment chief David Nevins said in his session at the TCA summer press tour.
Creator Alex Gansa Alex Gansa will be bringing the show “to its proper conclusion,” Nevins said.
But it wasn’t a cancellation, he emphasized.
“When you tweet this out, I do not want to read the word ‘cancellation.’ Anybody who writes ‘cancellation’ has to pay for their own drinks at our cocktail party tonight.”
The decision was made jointly by Gansa and start Claire Danes toward the end of last season, he said. He praised the show for having “reinvented every year and find so many unbelievable ways to anticipate world events that it’s almost eerie.”
The final season begins in June 2019.
Of future prospects on the network, Showtime has ordered a pilot for an American remake of the British “The Wrong Mans” with Ben Schwartz alongside Jillian Bell of “22 Jump Street” who is taking the James Corden role.
Kevin Bacon seems to muster a passable Boston accent in trailer for Showtime’s “City on a Hill” about early 90s police activity in the city, coming next year from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
“Escape at Dannemora” about the 2015 jailbreak in extreme upstate New York, looks strong. It stars Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Arquette and Paul Dano. What may be surprising about the eight-hour limited season that premieres Nov. 18 is that Ben Stiller directed it.
In other news, Nevins said Showtime has OK’d a series based on the popular video game “Halo.”
Russell Crowe plays Roger Ailes in Showtime adaptation of Gabriel Sherman’s book “The Loudest Voice in the Room” next year.
Jim Carrey was on hand for his upcoming half-hour series “Kidding,” about a children’s performer who is having problems. It has a terrific cast, with Catherine Keener, Judy Greer, Frank Langella and Justin Kirk and has the stamp of eccentric director Michael Gondry, who directed Carrey in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
It premieres Sept. 9 alongside the new season of “Shameless,” the network’s most popular show, which will be marking its 100th episode this fall.
A pair of Showtime documentaries announced for the fall would be timely immediately: LeBron James’ survey of African-Americans and basketball, “Shut Up & Dribble” in October, and Alex Gibney’s four-part “Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI” Nov. 18.
“Ray Donovan” is back Oct. 28.
In January, a new series, “Black Monday,” a freewheeling look at the 1987 stock crash with Don Cheadle and Andrew Rannells, will accompany the second season “SMILF.”
Showtime delves into late night talk and comedy by bringing the “Desus + Mero” show from Viceland.
‘With a little more money, and a little more production values “ Nevins says, “they’re going to do amazing things.”