Showtime Chief Talks About "Masters of Sex" On Emmy Nomination Day
 |
| The Stars |
Emmy Nomination Day brings out fond wishes for next year when "Masters of Sex" will make its debut. In a brief interview, Showtime Chief David Nevins talks to The Wrap about his upcoming series. It stars Michael Sheen as Dr. Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson. The series is adapted from "Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How To Love", Basic Books in hardcover and paperback.
 |
| Showtime's David Nevins |
We talked briefly with Nevins about the Emmys, why he thinks the network will have more actors in competition next year, and a "revitalized" upcoming season of "Dexter."
TheWrap: Congratulations. Do the nominations today reflect a particular strategy for Showtime paying off?
Nevins: Thank you. The strategy is simple: to make great television that's provocative and not boring. There's no grand strategy beyond that. ... "Homeland" is a show that's very personal to me. It feels like we've really broken through. It's great to be recognized in all the big categories.
Nevins: Thank you. The strategy is simple: to make great television that's provocative and not boring. There's no grand strategy beyond that. ... "Homeland" is a show that's very personal to me. It feels like we've really broken through. It's great to be recognized in all the big categories.
Were you surprised by Don Cheadle's nomination?
I was hoping for Don Cheadle. That was the big one. I wasn't really surprised. I kind of looked at that category and thought he had a real shot.
I was hoping for Don Cheadle. That was the big one. I wasn't really surprised. I kind of looked at that category and thought he had a real shot.
How much do nominations help you?
It's important for these first year shows. We're in 21 percent of the homes in the country. It's hard to get our younger shows noticed. ... We build from here. "Homeland" and "House of Lies" are going to be mainstays for the foreseeable future for this network.
It's important for these first year shows. We're in 21 percent of the homes in the country. It's hard to get our younger shows noticed. ... We build from here. "Homeland" and "House of Lies" are going to be mainstays for the foreseeable future for this network.
And we've got two new shows we're really excited about, "Masters of Sex" and "Ray Donovan." We're about great acting and great writing, and creating roles for actors. Maybe you'll see ["Ray Donovan" leads] Liev Schreiber or Jon Voight or ["Masters of Sex" leads] Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan getting nominations.
