Alan Ball may have brought a real hit to HBO with his series True Blood, but that didn't stop the premium cable network from passing on his new series Banshee when he pitched it to them upon stepping down as showrunner on the supernatural drama. Instead, the series - a small-town drama that's being described as a 'pulp thriller' - ended up on HBO's sister channel Cinemax, a premium cable network more often jokingly referred to as 'Skinemax' due to the amount of softcore erotica that airs after dark.
And this, Ball told The Hollywood Reporter, is just fine.
"I never felt like 'Skinemax, that's a step down,'" he said. "If [the executives] are looking to redefine it, that's great. When we were at HBO, we were dialing back on the pulp nature."
The series is just the first of the newest original shows that the premium cable network has picked up - until now, the network has aired Hunted and Strike Back, two shows hailing from the UK, along with a variety of movies and, of course, the adult films. "At Cinemax we went to our original pitch again: high-octane entertainment, violent and clever, yet complex," Ball continued. "It also allows us to treat the sexuality in the show in a very frank and adult manner. We don't have to hold back."
Banshee stars Antony Starr, and will premiere on January 11th at 10 PM.
RELATED: The 25 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2013
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
