Tell Me You Love Me

Infobox_Television
show_name = Tell Me You Love Me


caption =
rating = TV-MA
format = Drama
picture_format =
runtime = 62 minutes
creator = Cynthia Mort
starring = Jane Alexander
Michelle Borth
Tim DeKay
Luke Kirby
Adam Scott
David Selby
Katharine Towne
Sonya Walger
Ally Walker
country = USA
network = HBO
first_aired = September 9 2007
last_aired = November 11 2007
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 10
website = http://www.hbo.com/tellme/
imdb_id = 0809497
tv_com_id =

"Tell Me You Love Me" is an American cable television drama series that premiered on HBO and on The Movie Network on September 9 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 ultimately was cancelled in July of 2008 when Mort said she "couldn't find the right direction" to take the series. [ [http://pophangover.com/?p=377 "HBO Cancels Tell Me You Love Me After One Season"] ]

Overview

"Tell Me You Love Me" revolves around three couples, Jamie and Hugo (Borth and Kirby), Katie and David (Walker and DeKay) and Carolyn and Palek (Walger and Scott), each with their own problems concerning intimacy in their relationships. They seek the help of therapist Dr. May Foster, who herself has relationship issues with her partner Arthur (Selby).

Cast

Regular cast

*Jane Alexander as Dr. May Foster
*David Selby as Arthur Foster
*Michelle Borth as Jamie
*Luke Kirby as Hugo
*Tim DeKay as David
*Ally Walker as Katie
*Sonya Walger as Carolyn
*Adam Scott as Palek
*Katharine Towne as Mason

Guests

*Ian Somerhalder as Nick
*Sherry Stringfield as Rita
*Ronny Cox as John

Structure

Each episode screens without any introduction, no title cards and no opening credits. The episodes are also shot with handheld cameras, giving the show a somewhat documentary-like feel. Each episode has no music score or soundtrack, except for one song which generally starts in the last 2-3 scenes and carries over the closing credits. The "Tell Me You Love Me" title card for the show is not shown until immediately before the closing credits.

Controversy

The series gained some early publicity because of its extremely realistic depictions of sexual intercourse, oral sex, masturbation and ejaculation. [cite news | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07197/801970-237.stm | title=Tuned In: Star Jones unveils new look in promoting new talk show | publisher=Pittsburgh Post Gazette | date=July 16, 2007] [cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-channel14jul14,0,4259034.story?coll=la-home-entertainment | title=HBO gets raw -- or is it raunchy? -- with sexually explicit 'Tell Me You Love Me' | publisher=Los Angeles Times | date=July 14, 2007] [cite news | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09012007/gossip/pagesix/passion_put_on.htm | title=PASSION PUT-ON | publisher=New York Post | date=September 1, 2007] [cite news | url=http://www.hollywood.com/feature/Tell_Me_You_Love_Me_HBO_Sonya_Walger_Cynthia_Mort_Michelle_Borth_Ally_Walker/4772290 | title='Tell Me You Love Me': A Different Kind of Real Sex for HBO | publisher=Hollywood.com] Despite persistent rumours to the contrary, and a notable lack of comment on the matter from either HBO or the production team, the sex scenes were finally confirmed as simulated by several individuals intimately connected with the show. 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." [cite news | url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/rozema.html | title=Sex Talk | publisher=www.cbc.ca |date=October 1, 2007]

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." [cite news | url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/zap-story-tellmeyouloveme,0,995973.story | title='Tell Me You Love Me' Bares Bodies and Souls | publisher=www.zap2it.com |date=September 9, 2007]

And Michelle Borth, whose scenes were perhaps the most explicit, said:

"We tried to do it as authentic as possible, but we were "not" having sex." [cite news | url=http://www.complex.com/GIRLS/Hot-Complex/MICHELLE-BORTH | title=Michelle Borth | publisher=www.complex.com]

Reception

"Time" magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2007, ranking it at #3. [ [http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686244_1691349,00.html Poniewozik, James; Top 10 New TV Series; time.com] ]

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". [cite news | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971784.html?categoryId=14&cs=1 | title=HBO's 'Tell Me' speaks to few | publisher=Variety Magazine | date=September 11, 2007] A month after its debut, HBO claimed the show had drawn a total of 3.1 million viewers across seven broadcasts.cite news | url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/tell-me-you-love-me/hbo-renews-tell-me-you-love-me-12001.aspx | title=HBO Renews 'Tell Me You Love Me' | publisher=Buddy TV | date=October 5, 2007]

DVD release

References

External links

* [http://www.hbo.com/tellme/ HBO's Official website]
* [http://www.themovienetwork.ca/tellmeyouloveme/ TMN's Official website]
* [http://www.rocketxl.com/tmylm/assets.htm Overview of Tell Me You Love Me: "Everything About HBO's Tell Me You Love Me"]