HBO renewals

Here are some interesting news that fell into my news feed today.

HBO renews Epitáfios and Capadócia – From Teleséries.
Following their local investments, HBO is renewing two of their Latin American Shows for a second season. Both are renewed for new 13 episode cycles, as follow previously renewed Brazilian show “Filhos do Carnaval”, which received an early renewal, and the new season will premiere later thi year.

Epitáfios is procedural police show from Argentina, and the new season will find the protagonist Renzo Marquéz hunting a new serial killer. The first season / mini series was produced and broadcasted back in 2004.

Capadócia is an award winning Mexican show about a women prison.

On related news, as I’ve blogged before, they’re new Brazilian show, “Alice” will premiere next Sunday.

HBO renews True Blood after only 2 episodes – From SciFi Wire

Created and produced by Alan Ball from the Six Feet Under Fame, starring Anna Paquin and based on a book series from Charlaine Harris, it’s been a somewhat polemic show since the pilot leaked in the web a few months ago.  After some satisfying results, HBO’s already announced it’s renewal for a second season to be shown in the summer of 2009.

As the first really genre show from HBO since Carnivale, hopefully we won’t just be left dangling, by the end of the second season, with no resolution at all.

Creative marketing campaign, part of HBO promotion for “Alice”

Creative marketing campaign, part of HBO promotion for “Alice”.

As it seems Fox is not the only cable network working some alternative marketing solutions to promote their new shows, especially local investments.

“Alice” is HBO’s most recent local investment in tv series, following the success of other great successes such as “Mandrake”. The new series which is slated to premiere later on this month, is being heavily promoted, and tells a story of a young girl named Alice, who used to live at the state of Tocantins, and have to move to São Paulo, after the death of her father. After moving to the big city, she’s faced with a journey of self discovery, and explores the night life of our big city. This new show stars the quite unknow Andréa Horta, and include other better known actors such as Regina Braga and Educardo Moscovis. Life most shows, it has a commitmment for 13 episodes, for this first season.

As part of their guerrilha marketing campaign to promote the show:

• They’re relying heavily on the use instant messaging applications, as people who be-friend the characters user, will receive updates about the show, including videos. Such as this one.
• The most interesting one, though is some people who were out partying and some university students were presented with “Alice”-themed pen-drives. The content and visual of it is still unclear, as I have yet to find reports of people who actually got said pen-drive, but is really something interesting to watch out.

Wonder if it will reflect on viewership, HBO is not exactly the most accessible network, even for people with Cable at home, as it for the most widespread company NET, it’s only present in more elaborate packages. I don’t even have it for myself, and I’m just hoping they’re giving us a freebie oportunity, when it premiere, like it was done previously for Mandrake or the premiere of Rome, a couple years ago.