HBO

CHICAGO – After only one episode, HBO has already decided to renew their highly-acclaimed “Game of Thrones” for a second season. We were just sent the press release from the network, touting the fantastic reviews, although the premiere’s numbers were a bit disappointing comparatively.

CHICAGO – HBO has had waves of creative success including the one started by “The Sopranos” & “Sex and the City,” a later one peaked by “Deadwood” & “The Wire,” and now, a current one that began with “Boardwalk Empire,” continued through the final season of “Big Love,” crested with the masterful “Mildred Pierce,” and appears to have no sign of ebbing with the brilliant, mesmerizing “Game of Thrones.”

CHICAGO – Is it unfair to say that “Treme” is to “The Wire” as “John From Cincinnati” was to “Deadwood”? After David Milch’s brilliant Western came to an end, fans eagerly anticipated his follow-up and, almost immediately, spat it out like an undercooked Chicken McNugget. It lasted only one season. Well, “JFC” wasn’t really that bad (and deserved more time to find its feet).

CHICAGO – Colin Quinn began one of the most interesting chapters of his career off-Broadway with a one-man show. The former star of “Saturday Night Live” and “Tough Crowd” has been a great stand-up comedian for years, but this was a more ambitious piece, an insightful examination of human nature from The Bible to “Ice Road Truckers.”

CHICAGO – When HBO announced that they were producing a six-hour mini-series version of the James M. Cain (“Double Indemnity”) novel “Mildred Pierce” to star Kate Winslet and be directed by Todd Haynes, cinephiles everywhere let out an audible gasp.

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico speaks with WGN Radio host Bill Moller on Feb. 12, 2011 about the ratings for “The Chicago Code” and the premieres of “The Sunset Limited” and “Mad Love.”

CHICAGO – Three amazing talents converge on HBO this weekend for a ride on “The Sunset Limited,” an adaptation of a play about belief, faith, religion, science, and all the other deep issues that come to the surface when one considers the end of their life.

CHICAGO – It may have been missed by some during yesterday’s Superbowl festivities, but Sunday would have been the 100th birthday of one of our country’s most beloved leaders, Ronald Reagan. To commemorate the occasion, HBO is premiering a documentary by the excellent filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (“Why We Fight,” “The Trials of Henry Kissinger”) titled simply “Reagan.”

CHICAGO – As the credits for the premiere of the fifth and final season of “Big Love” started, I wondered exactly what I wanted from this year. Like Chloe Sevigny and most fans of the show, I agreed that season four was a serious disappointment, especially after the spectacular third outing.

CHICAGO – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are two of the funniest men alive. Their work on “The Office” and “Extras” stills stands up as brilliant, clever, and consistently hysterical. Their quick wit made them a perfect fit for the world of the podcast and it’s simply spectacular that they hold the Guinness title for the most-downloaded audio recordings. The smash hit podcasts have been turned into an animated HBO series, returning to the network on Friday, January 14th, 2011, shortly after the DVD release of the first season.