Summary
Tell Me You Love Me is an American drama television series that premiered on HBO on September 9, 2007.
| Tell Me You Love Me | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Created by | Cynthia Mort |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Running time | 47-55 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | September 9 – November 11, 2007 |
The series was created by Cynthia Mort and originally conceived as Sexlife. The pilot episode was produced and directed by Patricia Rozema and shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The series was picked up by HBO for a second season in October 2007, but was ultimately canceled in July 2008 when Mort said she and the network "were unable to find the direction of the show for the second season".[1]
Overview edit
Tell Me You Love Me revolves around three couples, all of whom seek the help of Dr. May Foster. Katie and David are an outwardly happy couple in their forties with two young kids, but the intimacy in their marriage has faded. Carolyn and Palek are thirtysomething professionals who are trying for a baby, but the pressure to get pregnant is taking a toll on them. Jamie and Hugo are in their twenties and are engaged to be married, but have hesitations about trust and fidelity. May herself has relationship problems with her husband Arthur.
Cast edit
Main cast edit
- Jane Alexander as Dr. May Foster
- Michelle Borth as Jamie
- Tim DeKay as David
- Aislinn Paul as Isabella
- Adam Scott as Palek
- Katharine Towne as Mason
- Sonya Walger as Carolyn
- Ally Walker as Katie
- Julie Mond as Nicole
Recurring guest stars edit
- David Selby as Arthur Foster
- Luke Kirby as Hugo
- Ryan Wynott as Joshua
- Ian Somerhalder as Nick
- Sherry Stringfield as Rita
- Ronny Cox as John
Structure edit
The series was filmed in a cinéma vérité style with handheld cameras, giving it a documentary-like feel.[2] Each episode screens without opening credits.[3] The title card for the show is not shown until right before the closing credits. Episodes did not have a music score or soundtrack, with the exception of episode 4 which featured Audioslave's "Like a Stone" during the final scenes and carried over the closing credits.
Depiction of sex edit
The series gained early publicity because of its extremely realistic depictions of sexual intercourse, oral sex and masturbation.[4][5][6] Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, and a notable lack of comment on the matter from either HBO or the production team, the sex scenes were simulated. Director Patricia Rozema was among those to have addressed this issue directly:
But it's not real, it's simulated. At one point, one of the producers was floating this idea in the trade papers that it would be real sex in the series. I immediately said, "Well, find another director, I don't want to do that." I wasn't interested in that.[7]
With regard to these controversial scenes actress Jane Alexander has said the following:
You know, people tend to believe those scenes, when they see them, are real, but they're not. They're acted. Our union doesn't even let us have any real sex, not that we would anyway. But just acting with someone like David [Selby], whom I have known for so long, it was fine. Those scenes are never easy.[8]
Episodes edit
| No. in series |
Title | Written by | Directed by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Cynthia Mort | Patricia Rozema | September 7, 2007 | 101 |
| Katie, a forty-something housewife, decides to start seeing Dr. May Foster about the intimacy problems in her marriage to David. Palek and Carolyn are thirty-something professionals who are having difficulties trying to conceive. Jamie are Hugo are an engaged couple in their twenties, but Jamie has doubts about whether Hugo can be faithful. | |||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Cynthia Mort | Patricia Rozema | September 16, 2007 | 102 |
| Jamie and Hugo's relationship comes to a head over their trust issues. Katie and David argue over the value of her therapy sessions with Dr. May. Carolyn is experiencing a surge, but Palek seems to be losing interest in their quest to get pregnant. | |||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Cynthia Mort | Patricia Rozema | September 23, 2007 | 103 |
| Jamie attempts to move on from Hugo. A night with friends brings up new issues for Carolyn and Palek. May reaches out to an old acquaintance. | |||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Anya Epstein, Cynthia Mort | Rodrigo García | September 30, 2007 | 104 |
| David decides to join Katie in therapy and surprises her when he has something to admit during their session. Carolyn confides to Palek that she had an abortion during college and wonders if that has affected her fertility, which stokes Palek's insecurity. Jamie attempts to reunite with Hugo but is rebuffed, leading her to seek guidance from May. | |||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Vanessa Taylor, Cynthia Mort | Anthony Hemingway | October 7, 2007 | 105 |
| Carolyn and Palek try a more aggressive approach in their efforts to get pregnant. May suggests a first step to solve David and Katie's intimacy problems. Jamie resolves to try celibacy, but meets Nick, whose own relationship is on the rocks. | |||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | David Schulner, Cynthia Mort | Ernest R. Dickerson | October 14, 2007 | 106 |
| May offers up a novel idea for David and Katie to save their marriage. Carolyn and Palek come to terms with their infertility, prompting Palek to admit he has changed his mind on parenthood. In turn, Carolyn steps up her effort to be made partner at her law firm. After an awkward visit with Nick's family, Jamie and Nick assess their relationship. At her husband Arthur's insistence, May meets up with an old flame named John. | |||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | David Gould, Dylan Gary, Cynthia Mort | Melanie Mayron | October 21, 2007 | 107 |
| Katie and Dave get a rare night without their kids and make small steps towards rekindling their intimacy. Jamie's relationship with Nick is jeopardized by the reappearance of Hugo. Palek and Carolyn move to a new home, but their problems continue. | |||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Anya Epstein, Cynthia Mort | Alex Zakrzewski | October 28, 2007 | 108 |
| Carolyn happily discovers she is finally pregnant despite ending fertility treatments, but Palek worries about losing his identity. Dave and Katie debate the value of continued therapy. Nick is spending more with Jamie, but she can't tell him what he wants to hear. | |||||
| 9 | "Episode 9" | David Schulner, Vanessa Taylor, Cynthia Mort | Melanie Mayron | November 4, 2007 | 109 |
| Unsettling news from her friend Rita sends Katie in a new direction, leaving Dave to handle the household and therapy alone. Meanwhile, Palek finds it difficult to cope with his mounting anxiety of impending parenthood, to Carolyn's bewilderment. Jamie decides to be honest about her feelings to Nick, with unanticipated results. | |||||
| 10 | "Episode 10" | Cynthia Mort | Melanie Mayron | November 11, 2007 | 110 |
| On the verge of a split, Katie and David have a breakthrough in their marriage. Hugo and Jamie reconcile and make an impulsive decision. May is distressed when she hears upsetting news about John. Palek moves out of his home with Carolyn, but reconsiders his situation. | |||||
Reception edit
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Tell Me You Love Me has an approval score of 62% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.[9]
Time's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at #3.[10]
Ratings edit
The first episode of the show only attracted a total of about 910,000 viewers—far fewer than what the network had been pulling in for previous series such as Rome, Deadwood, and even the ill-fated John from Cincinnati.[11] A month after its debut, HBO claimed the show had drawn a total of 3.1 million viewers across seven broadcasts.[12]
Home media edit
Tell Me You Love Me was released on DVD on February 11, 2008.[13] The release includes four audio commentaries. It received a DVD release in Australia on April 29, 2009. It was released in Israel in 2008.
References edit
- ^ Rice, Lynette (July 28, 2008). "Tell Me You Love Me: HBO Pulls the Plug After All". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
- ^ Phipps, Keith (September 9, 2007). "Tell Me You Love Me: Pilot". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Cotter, Padraig (September 5, 2019). "HBO's Tell Me You Love Me Sex Scenes Controversy Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Owen, Rob (July 16, 2007). "Tuned In: Star Jones unveils new look in promoting new talk show". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "HBO gets raw -- or is it raunchy? -- with sexually explicit 'Tell Me You Love Me'". Los Angeles Times. July 14, 2007. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009.
- ^ Topel, Fred (September 9, 2007). "'Tell Me You Love Me': A Different Kind of Real Sex for HBO". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
- ^ Morrow, Martin (October 1, 2007). "Sex Talk". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
- ^ Crook, John (September 9, 2007). "'Tell Me You Love Me' Bares Bodies and Souls". Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 16, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ "Tell Me You Love Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (December 9, 2007). "Top 10 New TV Series: #3. Tell Me You Love Me". Time. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
- ^ "HBO's 'Tell Me' speaks to few". Variety. September 11, 2007.
- ^ Claustro, Lisa (October 5, 2007). "HBO Renews 'Tell Me You Love Me'". Buddy TV. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
- ^ "Tell Me You Love Me". Amazon. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
External links edit
- Official website
- Tell Me You Love Me at IMDb
- Tell Me You Love Me press and photos (archived)
