Steve McQueen Set to Make HBO Very, Very Depressing

By  · Published on October 29th, 2013

“Six Degrees of Separation meets Shame.” Sounds like a decent idea, no? A few high society hijinks here, a touch of devastating emotional trauma there, and all wrapped up in a fancy New York-tinted bow. The only thing better would be if you could somehow include Shame director Steve McQueen in the process.

Conveniently enough, that’s exactly what’s happening over at HBO. McQueen has assembled a motley crew that includes hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, Matthew Michael Carnahan (co-writer of World War Z) and a handful of The King’s Speech producers for a TV drama described as “Six Degrees of Separation meets Shame.” According to Deadline, the project is “an exploration of a young African-American man’s experience entering New York high society, with a past that may not be what it seems.” McQueen will direct and will share writing duties with Carnahan.

For whatever reason- perhaps McQueen’s busy schedule or HBO’s desperate longing for another hit series, The Steve McQueen Glower Hour (title pending) has already been shoved into pre-production. Casting is underway and McQueen is expected to fulfill directing duties before he films his next feature. It’s a good omen for all including both McQueen, who can stretch his artistic abilities into a new format, and HBO, who’ve begun poaching talent from the film industry even quicker than before. Plus, anyone who enjoys McQueen’s signature long takes will be overjoyed when he eventually devotes an entire TV episode to an hour-long shot of a man staring into a bowl of cereal.

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