HBO has found success with a number of its period dramas, ranging from Rome to Boardwalk Empire. Sure, there are occasional failures like Vinyl, but HBO can usually be counted upon for some quality period entertainment. Now, a first trailer for the upcoming series The Deuce from The Wire creator David Simon has hit the web, and it points to a series filled with all the 1970s porn industry action that we never knew we needed. Check it out!
The Deuce will follow the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in and around New York's Times Square. Episodes will explore the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic, and the real estate market changes that heralded the end of porn's heydey in the area. The story will pick up in the 1970s, and it's safe to say that the show will fully embrace the era. I can't speak for anybody else, but I think I'm going to have Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
The trailer gives us our first good look at some of they key characters of the series. Similarly to Ewan McGregor on Fargo, James Franco is on board to play a set of twin brothers by the names of Vincent Martino and Frankie Martino. It's impossible to say which of the Martino brothers Franco is playing in the trailer scenes, but he definitely has the right look to fit into the 1970s period.
We also get a pretty good look at Maggie Gyllenhaal, who will play a veteran Times Square hooker by the name of Eileen Merrell, who is professionally known as Candy. She'll be drawn away from her work as a prostitute when her entrepreneurial streak pulls her to give the porn industry a try. The legalization of porn in the 1970s meant that there was a lot of money to go around, and Candy wants in on the action.
The Deuce will also star Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Garry Car, Margarita Levieva, Dominique Fishback, and Emily Meade. The show comes from the mind of The Wire creator David Simon, so it's no surprise that HBO has shown so much faith in the project from the beginning. The Wire was and remains one of HBO's most critically-acclaimed series to date; if Simon can recreate the magic for The Deuce, HBO could have its next big hit.
Unfortunately, we still have a while to wait before we see James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal in action in the 1970s porn business. The Deuce will premiere on Sunday, September 10 on HBO. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. If streaming is more your style, our Netflix premiere schedule will help you out.
