Writer / Producer
David Simon is the writer, producer and creator of The Wire, Treme, Show Me a Hero, and The Deuce.
PROFILE
David Simon
Guest
FROM David Simon
The Treatment
David Simon: The Deuce Creator David Simon talks bringing personal police reporting experience to HBO's The Deuce.
The Business
Finding a home for stories we cut for time We have interesting guests on The Business, and sometimes our conversations are too long to fit into one show. So a few months ago, we decided we'd save some of the best stuff that didn't quite make the cut and we would find a home for it. First up is writer-producer David Mandel, the showrunner of HBO's Veep, which just won another Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. He tells us what Larry David taught him about writing for sitcoms while working on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. We also hear from David Simon, creator of The Wire and co-creator of The Deuce about why he was -- for a time -- labeled “the angriest man in television,” and how he was able to use that to his advantage. Then, producer and director Shawn Levy defends his movie Real Steel, and tells us what went wrong with the marketing of that film. Finally, filmmaker Matt Reeves shares the crazy story about the time he and JJ Abrams were called in to repair Steven Spielberg's very first home movies when he and Abrams were just 15 years old.
The Business
David Simon on ‘The Deuce’ Writer-producer David Simon’s new HBO series The Deuce begins in early 1970’s Times Square, then a seamy part of New York that was to become the birthplace of the modern pornography industry. As is usual for Simon’s series, the show explores the varied perspectives of the people involved in the creation of porn--prostitutes, pimps, cops, mob members, and the budding X-rated filmmakers--all along, following the money. The title The Deuce could refer to a couple things--there’s a pair of twins--both played James Franco, and “the deuce” was also the nickname for Manhattan’s then-seedy 42nd street. The series also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as Candy, a prostitute who gets involved in early attempts to make porn movies, but wants to be behind the camera. Before agreeing to play Candy, Gyllenhaal told Simon she also wanted to be a producer on the series, not just nominally but with the ability to have real creative input. Simon accepted right away, and consulted with other women as well. When he joined us in the studio, Simon talked how he ended up doing a series about porn in the first place, and what The Deuce and The Wire have in common. He also explains what he thinks people didn’t understand about Treme, and why he believes more TV writers should begin their series knowing what they want the ending to be.
To the Point
David Simon on America's Divided Cities David Simon has created enormously successful TV series, including The Wire and Treme. His latest miniseries for HBO is Show Me a Hero . It's about the battle to desegregate housing in Yonkers, New York in the 1980's and 90's. As the drama heightens, a federal judge has ordered public housing projects built in older, wealthier — whiter — parts of the city.
Recommended
Scheer Intelligence
Is California About to Execute an Innocent Man? In part one of a two-part interview, 33-year death row inmate Kevin Cooper—also an artist of exhibited works and a published author—describes his fight to prove his innocence of a heinous murder and asks why Gov. Brown refuses testing that could prove his innocence, identify the real killer and prove he was framed.
The Treatment
John Krasinski: A Quiet Place Actor turned director John Krasinski talks theme of loneliness in "A Quiet Place."
Hollywood Breakdown
So. Much. TV. This year's numbers are in, and according to an annual study done by FX, there are more scripted original series than ever before. We're at 495 shows for 2018, up from 487 last year.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
California Wildfires: Learning to Live in the New Abnormal We’ve just had some terrible fires: Woolsey, Camp, Thomas. More of those fires will come again -- bigger and hotter. Californians need to figure out how to cope with this new reality, and plan ahead. We broadcast a portion of Press Play’s live event: “California Wildfires: Learning to Live in the New Abnormal.”