1“BILLIONS” AT ITS BEST

Axe (Damian Lewis) Returns For The Final Season Of Corruption And Power.

By Ileane Rudolph

Former hedge fund mogul Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) returns on the brainy financial drama Billions’ final season with his charming ruthless confidence intact. Having fled to Switzerland to avoid arrest by the now-former Attorney General Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) on trumped-up money laundering charges, “Bobby wants back in the game,” says Lewis (who left the show to spend time with family after his wife died of cancer in 2021). We eagerly anticipate Bobby’s two-pronged attack against the shady wannabe POTUS Michael Prince (Corey Stoll), who bought Axelrod’s huge assets way below market price, and his longtime nemesis Chuck, though he, too, is targeting Prince. Here Giamatti and Lewis talk about doing time on Billions

Damian, welcome back! Did you plan to return for the final season, or did you have to be convinced?

Lewis: Neither. I didn’t expect to come back, but I wanted to in the end. Axe has a rock ’n’ roll swagger that’s fun to play, and all my colleagues on the show are my bros.

Paul, what did you miss most about the loss of your scene partner?

Giamatti: I missed it all; the too-tight pants, the swagger. The character is iconic and unique. It was vital to have him back. Also, he’s a lovely chap and a lot of fun to act with.

Though beloved by many, Bobby has always been about money, whether it’s acquired honestly or not. Has he evolved in any significant way?

Lewis: No, he hasn’t. Bobby found a way to make money from a major global conflict [the Ukraine/Russia war] and he’s doing business with a character you will enjoy seeing again. He’s an old-fashioned opportunist who is just out to make dough. If he’s the slightest bit likable, it’s because he enjoys the friendship of the group. But he will turn quickly to maneuver to where he needs to be.

How much does he want revenge on Prince?

Lewis: I’ll say any reentry into that story on Bobby’s part might involve friends. There’s dissatisfaction within the ranks left behind with Prince. There’s still animus with Chuck, of course. But Bobby is [Gen.] Sherman-esque in his scorched-earth approach to business and life, so he’s going to have to rebuild bridges.

Giamatti: Prince is such an interesting character. It was an attempt to create someone who did seem to try to be the good billionaire, but that seems to be a facade, which maybe makes him worse.

Is taking that guy down enough of a mutual mission for Bobby and Chuck to temporarily become allies, despite their deep distrust of each other?

Giamatti: Yeah. In reclaiming his throne [as U.S. attorney] for the Southern District, Chuck attempts to reclaim some moral compass. Maybe he’ll try to do the right thing for the right reasons. Handing the reins of power over to [Prince], a self-interested monster, is wrong and un-American. That becomes his mandate.

What role does Wendy Rhoades, Chuck’s ex-wife and Bobby’s adviser and almost lover, play in this season’s machinations?

Giamatti: She’s still maintaining this monkey-in-themiddle stance, trying to negotiate both sides, because she has her own feelings about Prince.

Lewis: If you’re a fan of Billions, there’s a long con always, and Wendy has proved herself as good a grifter as the next person, which is the overall arc for the show. I think, conclusively now, anyone who enters the sphere of the Billions world is corrupted by the money and power. That’s the message, isn’t it?

Giamatti: She may be the closest on the show to having a moral compass, but yes, she doesn’t really survive the corrupting influences around her.

Does Chuck want to rekindle his marriage to Wendy? Does Bobby want to further the relationship he started with her?

Giamatti: Chuck still harbors feelings for her; that’s dealt with this season.

Lewis: By far, the most profound relationship is between Chuck and Wendy. For Bobby, it would be an interesting, sexy thing for them to get together, but they know who they both are.

Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon), now corunning Michael Prince Capital, tried to keep an ethical core too, no?

Lewis: Asia plays it so beautifully. It’s odd that a character who is seemingly devoid of emotional impulses and tries to rationalize in an algorithmic way is seduced by Bobby more than anyone.

Would either of you consider guesting on one of the announced Billions spinoffs?

Lewis: I would say there is absolutely no chance that I’m going to jump into the Billions universe — Trillions, Gazillions, any long-running spinoff. But if somebody came up with a fabulous 90 minutes with a really good grift or con. … If Mr. Giamatti and Mr. Lewis would reunite [as Chuck and Bobby] on the silver screen, I would love that.

Giamatti: This would not fall outside of my realm of possibility.

Billions is stuffed with extraordinarily complex financial maneuvers. Did you understand the markets when you came on the show? How about now?

Giamatti: A lot of it went over my head. Now I get the gist of it, but fortunately, I didn’t have to do a lot of the financial talk.

Lewis: Before I started the show, I couldn’t have told you what betting long or short on a stock meant. Now I know a bit more about bonds and sovereign funds and a bit more about the nefarious ways of the wealthy and powerful!

Billions returns to Showtime Sundays beginning Aug. 13

2 The Winter King

Sundays beginning Aug. 20 on MGM+ NEW SERIES!

Chivalry is not dead — at least onscreen. See the countless film and TV versions of the medieval King Arthur legend, in which good and brave knight Arthur Pendragon battles for the heart and soul of a kingdom. This 10-episode drama, based on author Bernard Cornwell’s trilogy and set in fifth century Britain, has a fresh tilt that makes the hero even more impressive: his painful origin story as an outcast.

“Arthur is trying to reconcile with childhood trauma and face the harsh realities of what it means to become a leader for [moral] good,” says star Iain De Caestecker (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). “We first meet him living under the weight of the title of bastard son, having spent his life all but rejected by his father.”

That would be High King Uther (Eddie Marsan, Ray Donovan), who unjustly banishes Arthur.

Eventually, the wizard Merlin (Nathaniel MartelloWhite) tracks him down in Gaul, where Arthur has made a reputation for himself as a great fighter. He is convinced to return and unite Britain’s warring tribal kings against the invading Saxons. “Their army is an unparalleled threat,” says De Caestecker.

Brave as he is in battle, the gallant Arthur has a weakness — his love interest, Guinevere (Jordan Alexandra). “They’re forced to decide between their rigid codes of honor or their hearts,” the actor says. “Things quickly get out of hand.” — Kate Hahn

3 Secrets Of Penthouse

Monday, Aug. 21 and Tuesday, Aug. 22 on A&E NEW LIMITED SERIES!

A&E continues its exploration of adult publishing with this new four-episode limited series based on Brooklyn-born Bob Guccione’s rise and fall as the creator of the sexually explicit Penthouse magazine. Guccione first launched the magazine in the U.K. in 1965, clear competition to the well-established Playboy magazine (1953) but with a darker and racier photo/edit offering, and within four years he moved it to the United States, where he became one of the wealthiest men. His launch of the title also began a bitter battle with Hugh Hefner. At its peak, Penthouse was distributed to over 5 million subscribers a month in the 1970s. When Guccione died in 2010, he had lost his entire fortune. Now, with access inside the family and to those who knew him best, many of whom have never spoken on this subject before, this series reveals the truth about Guccione and explores the impact he had on those closest to him.

WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY

Sundays beginning Aug. 6 on HBO SEASON PREMIERE!

“My friends, the future of sport is purple and gold,” boasts Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) in HBO’s teaser trailer for Season 2 of the drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The seven-episode second season picks up after the Lakers’ 1980 NBA championship and the birth of the franchise’s “Showtime” era. A powerful rival emerges in the Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small), and the show’s season culminates in the epic 1984 NBA Finals between the two clubs. The cast also features Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Sally Field as Jessie Buss, McCabe Slye as Jimmy Buss, Jason Segel as Paul Westhead, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman and Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach.

5 Run The Burbs

Mondays beginning July 31 on THE CW NEW SERIES!

Starring and cowritten by Kim’s Convenience this beloved Canadian comedy about a contemporary VietnameseSouth Asian family living life to the fullest in the suburbs makes its U.S. debut with a feel-good sense of humor and an upbeat attitude. You don’t have to be Canadian or Vietnamese or even an immigrant to enjoy the show; it’s relatable because it’s about family.

But if you are an immigrant, it’s more so. “We often see immigrant families on the screen, but I want to see the generation below that, the next one. How do they raise their kids?” Phung, who plays the father, Andrew, explained about the inspiration behind the show. “I often joke that the second generation raises their kids with one foot in North America and one foot in their parents’ country.”

Phung also wanted to revitalize the idea of the suburb on television. “For so many people, the suburbs are a place you go to actually thrive. We’re pivoting the camera one house over to the family that’s always existed in your neighborhood,” Phung said. “On top of that, we wanted to make it relatable to being millennial parents. Don’t go in expecting Kim’s Convenience, because it’s a different family, but this is a spiritual continuation. It’s the slice of life, the day-to-day.”

— Zhanna Slor

Time Of Essence

Fridays beginning Aug. 18 on OWN NEW SERIES!

Featuring interviews with Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and many other stars, as well as former employees, this five-part docuseries tells the history of the trailblazing beauty magazine Essence and how it has informed and reflected Black culture for 50-plus years. Beginning with its turbulent start in the 1970s, which included shareholder wars and a revolving door of editors-in-chief, each onehour episode focuses on a different decade of the magazine’s existence. In addition to covering the history of the magazine, cultural icons and former Essence writers and editors discuss the biggest moments from the world at large that were covered by Essence journalists; they also cover the huge cultural shift of inclusion with shows like The Cosby Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show that Essence helped to instigate. “Women would say they had a Bible on their night table and an Essence,” quips former Essence staffer Harriette Cole on the significance of the magazine, which was the first of its kind. Candid commentary is paired with never-before-seen footage, creating a window into the world of this revolutionary cultural publication as well as a trip down memory lane.

7the Megabrands That Built America

Sundays on HISTORY

It’s not often a brand gets an epic plug like Wilson did back in 2000, when Tom Hanks befriended its volleyball (and kept the name, Wilson) and won viewers’ hearts in the blockbuster hit Cast Away The brand’s original story as a top sporting goods company, however, isn’t as well known and dates back to 1913 Chicago and meatpacking (they manufactured gut strings for tennis rackets as a means of using animal byproducts). History continues to fascinate us with two new episodes of its Mega-Brands That Built America series delving into these surprising origin stories behind some of the world’s biggest brands and their trailblazing founders. In “Whole New Ballgame” (Aug. 6) you’ll meet the pioneers behind some of America’s most beloved sports: A.G. Spalding (think basketballs), Wilson and Rawlings (think baseballs). The following week (Aug. 13) puts the spotlight on “Dirty Work,” looking at Harley Procter and James Gamble of Procter & Gamble, and King Gillette and Jacob Schick, whose bitter rivalry revolutionized the shaving business, spawning a billion-dollar industry.

8

Big Brother

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays beginning Aug. 2 on CBS SEASON PREMIERE!

Adapted from a Dutch show, the reality competition series Big Brother debuted in the U.S. on July 5, 2000, and gave voyeuristic viewers the opportunity to watch the goings-on of Houseguests as they tried to avoid eviction and claim the $500,000 prize. More than 22 million people tuned in to the premiere, but only about half that audience returned the following night. The show had a major overhaul for Season 2, with the competition elements ramped up and the episodes cut down from 70 to a more digestible 30. This summer, expect a lot of throwbacks to past seasons as Big

9 Recipe For Disaster

Saturdays beginning Aug. 5 on THE CW NEW SERIES!

This new cooking reality series will pit three professional chefs against each other as they are partnered with novices and challenged by various simulated disasters and high-pressure situations. Each week the studio will transform into a different location with a different premise, such as a desert island in monsoon season or an alien-infested Mars; competitors must create the best dishes under the worst circumstances in order to be crowned the Masters of Disaster. The series premieres with two back-to-back episodes.

10

The Wild Sides

Saturdays beginning Aug. 5 on BBC AMERICA NEW SERIES!

BBC America’s “Wonderstruck” nature programming block on Saturdays features this new three-part documentary series exploring the wildlife of Mashatu in Botswana, where elephants, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and baboons coexist in an unforgiving ecosystem. In the premiere, “The Drought,” the region’s four-year dry spell is at its worst, and animal species struggle to maintain the balance of cooperation and competition to survive. Then in “Flood and Foes,” the desperately needed rains finally arrive, but the relief they bring also brings danger in the form of a pride of lions looking for food. In the finale, “Growing Up,” Mashatu has become a lush and fruitful land after the rains, and animal families welcome their next generation. Danger lurks even closer, as the lions see the young as easy prey.

Mountain Men

Thursdays beginning Aug. 24 on HISTORY SEASON PREMIERE!

Could you drop all the conveniences of modern society and learn how to live off the land and survive? Off-the-grid living is more popular than ever, and we can thank History’s favorite mountain men and women for showing us how to master the craft. Mountain Men, starting Season 12, welcomes back fan favorites, as well as a handful of new cast members and locations. We tracked down Chris Richardson, an executive producer, former cameraman and now president of Warm Springs Productions (which shoots the series) to find out what we can expect. First, rest assured, the 80-year-old Tom Oar is returning and continues his hunting and trapping. “He’s a true craftsman who has become a beloved mentor to a new generation of mountain men and women in Northwest Montana,” Richardson shares. Oar joins Eustace Conway, Jake Herak, brothers Kidd and Harry Youren, and a few newcomers. “Eustace takes on some new challenges traveling away from his Turtle Island homestead to complete unique projects that even he has not attempted before,” Richardson says. “Jake and his dogs chase mountain lions away from the ranches of Southwest Montana in their toughest season yet. Treeing mountain lions is wild and unpredictable, but Jake was also confronted by the heavy snow and even got stranded on the mountain for a night.”

As for the newbies, camera crews will follow Ray Livingston, an outdoor survivalist putting down roots in the mountains of Northeast Washington; Paul Antczak, who makes a living as an elite trapper of predators who is looking to further his remote life by buying a plot of land in Northwest Montana (enter Tom Oar!); and Aron Toland and his wife, Jen, a Canadian couple living on a remote off-grid homestead hundreds of miles from civilization on a lake in British Columbia.

“This winter much of the western U.S. and Canada received record snowfall, which proved to be a daunting challenge for all,” Richardson says. “Everyone’s skills and grit were put to the test.”

— Barb Oates