10C • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
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HBO pulls laughs from global doom in ‘The Brink’ By George Dickie
not seeing a lot of, and this is a real opportunity. So we started to think what would The thought of mining a film in this genre be, a TV World War III and the threat show, and we just started to Tim Robbins of global annihilation for come up with it.” stars in “The And Black says it was that laughs might seem strange Brink,” which premiered uniqueness that drew him to some, but that’s just what Sunday, June in, as well as “the fact that it “The Brink,” HBO’s dark 21, on HBO. dealt with, you know, Middle new political satire, aims to Eastern politics and was a do. The 10-episode series, comedy, was just very fresh which premiered Sunday, and exciting, and I wanted to Jack Black stars in “The Brink,” which premiered Sunday, June 21, from executive party with these guys. June 21, on HBO. (Special Photos: Your TV Link) producer Jerry Weintraub “And yet we had a lot (“Ocean’s Eleven,” “The Ka- cans: besotted, womanizing Stewart”), Maribeth Monroe litical satire in creating “The were dealing with what was of different directors,” he rate Kid,” “Oh, God!”) and Secretary of State Walter continues. “When you say, (“Workaholics”), Esai MoBrink.” going on in the world, but co-creators Roberto and Kim Larson (Tim Robbins, “The rales (“NYPD Blue”), Eric “We went to go see the comedies were more intimate ‘Does the director let me do Benabib looks at a world that Shawshank Redemption”), Ladin (“The Killing”) and Kubrick exhibit that was and smaller and more about whatever I want?’ You know, the first director … Jay goes into crisis mode when a lowly foreign service officer Geoff Pierson (“Dexter”). in town,” he says, “and we the lives we lead during our Roach, I’ve always wanted rogue general seizes control Alex Talbot (Jack Black, At a recent gathering of found ourselves in the ‘Dr. daily existence. to work with him. And he of Pakistan and its nuclear “The School of Rock”) and TV critics in Pasadena, CaStrangelove’ part of the “And when I was growhad very clear, cool ideas of arsenal. ace Navy fighter pilot Zeke lif., comparisons were made exhibit. And it was interesting up, it was in the ’70s, As tensions rise and prowhat he was expecting from Tilson (Pablo Schreiber, to “Dr. Strangelove,” and ing because, as much as we and comedies were ‘Catch tests rage across the Middle me. And Tim Robbins … “Orange Is the New Black”). Roberto Benabib explains loved that film, we realized 22’ and ‘M*A*S*H’ and East, the fate of the world directed the second episode. Also in the large and talented that he and brother Kim took there wasn’t a lot like it at the ‘Getting Straight’ and ‘Dr. rests with three disparate … And we’ve got a great cast are Aasif Mandvi (“The inspiration from Stanley present moment in the world Strangelove,’ and we just — and desperate — Ameri- Daily Show With Jon Kubrick’s classic 1964 poof comedy. Clearly, dramas felt here’s something you’re history.” Your TV Link
‘Dome’ season premier looks to answer bigger questions By George Dickie
cover on it. And I wish we were talking after the premiere because there’s so much more I could say.” CBS promises that much will be What is known is that much of the resolved in Season 3 of the sci-fi main cast is back, including Vogel, drama “Under the Dome,” including Cahill, Rachelle Lefevre as investiwhat the dome is, what its purpose gative reporter Julia Shumway, Dean is, and what it wants. Norris as Big Jim Rennie and Colin But ask cast members of the series Ford as Joe McAlister, a teenager that returned Thursday, June 25, separated from his parents by the with a two-hour season premiere, dome. what any of that might mean and New to the cast is Marg Helgenthey struggle in formulating their berger (“CSI: Crime Scene Invesreplies. tigation”) as Christine Price, an “Sorry, I’m still adjusting to beanthropologist studying the dome; ing on a show that has spoilers,” Eriq La Salle (“ER”) as Hektor says Eddie Cahill, who begins his Martin, a ruthless CEO of an energy second season as troubled EMT Sam company run by Barbie’s father; Verdreaux, “so every time I want to and Kylie Bunbury as Eva, a woman say something I feel like I come up who comes to Chester’s Mill lookagainst a roadblock.” ing for the all-powerful egg. “So much is revealed in the two“Barbie and Julia’s relationship hour premiere,” adds Mike Vogel, gets tested big time by the addition who plays Dale “Barbie” Barbara, of Kylie Bunbury to the cast,” Vogel the visitor-turned-prisoner of the offers, “and the way that we get into dome and Chester’s Mill, Maine, it is very organic. It’s not a forced “but it’s so different from anything love triangle. It’s really, really interwe’ve done that if I were to talk esting.” about it, it completely blows the “Everything that’s happening this Your TV Link
year, it sort of splits up and pits two forces against one another. And the force, which Marg Helgenberger’s character is bringing … we find out she may or may not be who she says and that all of us are here for a reason and that this ordeal we go through is bringing out the worst things in people …. And some people are affected by that and some are resistant to that, and it sets up these two interesting, opposing forces.” Some people are still living outside the dome as the season opens — or so they think — and both men say the storylines will be more character-driven and that the overarching theme will be the enemy within. “I guess the essential drama is it’s the difference between the good of the individual versus the good of the group, and just people’s take on that,” Cahill says. “What if the worst thing that could happen is stuck inside this dome with you that you can’t get out of, and we spend so Mike Vogel stars in “Under the Dome,” which returned much time trying to get out of it?” Vogel says. “So yeah, there’s a lot of for its third season Thursday, June 25, on CBS. (Special Photo: Your TV Link) fun stuff to play with.”