Vinyl

Few series exemplify HBO’s current struggle to launch major hits like Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl, to fall flat with such a wide range of top-tier talent, and have a Season 2 renewal rescinded by the network. Now, HBO boss Casey Bloys explains the difficult decision, noting “it would only move the needle a little bit.”

Even diehard fans of HBO’s Scorsese-Jagger driven Vinyl knew that Season 2 would bring about some significant changes, but it looks like the record skipped after all. Despite setting a new showrunner after a formal Season 2 renewal, HBO has officially abandoned plans for Vinyl, effectively cancelling the prestigious flop.

Even amid HBO’s current difficulty launching new hit dramas, The Sopranos remains sorely missed almost a decade past David Chase’s infamous ending. Chase hasn’t fully crossed out the idea of returning to the Soprano family in prequel, but a new chat sees the showrunner discussing a filmed alternate ending, as well as changes at the network that might have put buddy Terence Winter’s Vinyl into its current state.

Despite having already secured a second season, HBO’s ‘70s rock drama Vinyl suffered a blow last week when showrunner Terence Winter announced his exit; the series promising to revamp creatively in Season 2. Now, Winter has already gone on record wondering if the ‘70s setting might have been “too soon” for the series to generate much hype.

For all the time and effort HBO’s Vinyl took getting out of the studio, the Martin Scorsese-Mick Jagger joint certainly skipped a few beats in its February debut. That didn’t stop HBO from ordering a second season, but now showrunner Terence Winter will depart, as the ‘70s music drama retools creatively in Season 2.

Considering Netflix has pushed it to the point of debuting near of a new season or series every week, the premium providers of old seem almost deprived of new content. HBO won’t take that lying down, planning to up its original series haul by at least 50% of its current stable, but will it affect subscription fees?

Let’s face it, when Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger collaborate on a new rock drama at HBO, it’s getting a second season. Still, following an inauspicious start in the ratings, Vinyl has been confirmed for a second season to air in 2017, just one episode into its run.

HBO rock drama Vinyl more than had our attention by its first trailers, but doubly so for Martin Scorsese’s direction of the two-hour pilot, much as he’d done for Boardwalk Empire. That said, where Scorsese never returned to direct more Boardwalk, the revered director hopes to stay much more actively involved in Vinyl, or so he says.

As if we couldn’t tell that HBO’s 2016 Jagger-Scorsese fronted Vinyl wouldn’t be one of the more exciting debuts in years, a new set of trailers and some seriously wall-worthy key art seal the deal. See (or hear) the future for rock and roll with our latest look at the February premiere!

HBO has been cranking up the Game of Thrones marketing early for Season 6, first a poster, then a trailer teasing Jon Snow’s return, and before 2015 is even out, we’ve been blessed with the first footage. See Dany’s new digs, and Cersei’s new ‘do in the first official Game of Thrones Season 6 footage!