8:00 AM PST 1/10/2013 by Merle Ginsberg & Gary Baum
This story first appeared in the Jan. 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
Buzzed-about new pulp thriller series Banshee, debuting Jan. 11, originally was developed by Alan Ball for HBO, home to his True Blood.
But the network didn't pick up the small-town drama and its sluttier sister, Cinemax -- beginning to experiment with its own prestige-minded original programming -- picked it up.
TV REVIEW: Alan Ball's 'Banshee'
"I never felt like 'Skinemax, that's a step down,' " says Ball. "If [the executives] are looking to redefine it, that's great. When we were at HBO, we were dialing back on the pulp nature. At Cinemax we went to our original pitch again: high-octane entertainment, violent and clever, yet complex. 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."
