Digital Spy gets it right. The announcement of Cinemax’s decision to air “Strike Back’ (Origins) features Richard Armitage’s name AND a neat trailer. This is exactly what’s needed to broaden the potential audience for SB beyond the current demographic.
The current season of “Strike Back” on Cinemax ends in around 6 weeks. Let’s hope they pull out all the stops on promoting Richard Armitage. This is a good time to start posting that great Vimeo Pre-production video. Hint Hint.
Armitage Agonistes 
I’ll be really interested to see how this plays out in the US. I just read Bollyknickers’ comment on your previous post and I agree that there are some inherent problems in showing the Sky version to an audience already steeped in a different vibe. Luckily, we saw it in the correct order here in Australia.
I saw a comment on the iMDB board from an American who said they found the Sky version too slow and the family subplot annoying. Just goes to show how perceptions differ- character development’s not a big priority on Cinemax.
I presume Andrew Lincoln will feature heavily in any promotion as well as RA, so it might pick up some Walking Dead fans as well.
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What did they spend on the family subplot – like 20 minutes? I’m going to break down and watch more of the newer one just to see what it’s like. The current fans will probably hate the first two episodes.
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Does Cinemax have a large viewership? From comments on IMDB those who subscribe seem to demand a very macho style of entertainment- just read the thread about a gay male sex scene- woohoo- ‘I don’t pay to see this sort of thing on my screen’, and it’s all downhill from there.
I actually watched all of the first Cinemax series on free-to -air fairly late at night here, and I really see them in my mind as two totally different programs. Its unapologetically a straight -up action show, nothing more, and to me it’s false advertising to even link them with the same title.
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I meant to add, the Sky version went out on our national broadcaster here, which screens without ads, and Cinemax aired on a commercial channel, so there was never any problem with having to tie the two together.
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I don’t know much about Cinemax except it’s somehow tied into HBO. It’s a premium channel like HBO, Showtime and Starz. It shows mostly movies and few original series. I had a subscription for a very short time with a package a few years ago. I never watched anything on it and I dropped it. I read those IMdB threads. What unfriendly, nasty people. That fan base isn’t going to like our Porter episodes – On Tumblr with a search for #strikeback it’s a slightly different vibe. I think the idea has to be to get different viewers in for this. That’s up to Max to do. HBO may also show promos for it. This cost Cinemax next to nothing, They partner with Sky which already spent all the $$ on SB Season 1- so they made a good deal. They’ll probably air it over 6nights instead of the 3 doubles Sky did. And then show it 100 times over and “on demand.” The current viewers will watch all of it and complain and pan all of it.
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Is it affordable and easy to pick up a subscription for a short period only? I’m thinking of RA’s US fans who’ll be wanting to see it once, but not want the normal Cinemax fare? Hopefully you’ll get the DVD released sometime soon as well.
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With my company, Time Warner Cable, it is. I do it all the time. It’s about $10 or $15 per month for a premium channel ( or there are packages of several channels). I flip back and forth all the time on principle because I watch only one or two shows on each channel. When Homeland comes back to Showtime, I’ll cancel HBO and get Showtime because Boardwalk Empire will be over. It’s all done with a phone call- automated, at that. And TWC pro rates the cost by the day.
But lots of households have satellite and they get all the channels,I think.
So yes,any commitment can be short term, att least where I am. RA fans can get Cinemax for the 6 or so weeks that it’s on.
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I suppose a certain kind of audience is not interested in all the nuances RA put on Porter character. Reading your comments I made an opinion about Cinemax clients and I suppose they are not interested in a soldier with a conscience that choose not to kill a Iraqi teenager. But I may be wrong, I’m not American and don’t know American audience at all 😉
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I don’t know much about the Cinemax bunch. I have a feeling they wouldn’t mind the conscience as long as there was enough sex, violence, action and jokes to go along with it.
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yes, my perception too 😦
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I guess I am not your typical American audience 😉 , but I can’t see how the original series could ever be negatively received. However, I will agree that if a fan of the US version – that “certain kind of audience” – is looking for the gratuitous sex that is in the current one (not that I personally found anything wrong with it), then there may be some disappointment in that.
The only thing that was the most difficult for me in the Sky 1 series was (SPOILER, somewhat) what happens to Katie initially in Iraq. But I got through it, as does she.
Otherwise, I find the new series quite weak and slightly misogynistic, and have not seen the newest season for those reasons.
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I’m not sure the Cinemax audience is typical. Or what is a typical American audience? It’s not likely The Sky1 Strike Back is going to satisfy the current SB audience – but viewers who like better quality action films with a multi dimensional hero ( and by the way – higher budget equipment and such) and better acting should appreciate it. Will those people stay with Cinemax ? Probably not. Does Cinemax care/ Probably not.
Thanks for the re-blog. I think we’ll have some fun with the promos and the reviews after.
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🙂
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thank you for your comment 🙂
Katie’s story is very strong and I deeply loved it even if I suffered watching it. The chemistry between Porter and Katie is magic. My fave episode but I really loved the whole series.
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Reblogged this on crystalchandlyre and commented:
I’ve been waiting for this. If they air the original episodes I will then re-subscribe once again to Cinemax.
If you proudly call yourself an Armitage Army member, and have yet to see this series (or have the opportunity to find), I would strongly advise you take advantage and see this ORIGINAL Sky1 series of Strike Back. John Porter is one of Richard’s very best characters. You will not be disappointed!
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Well I subscribe to Cinemax as part of a package, so I’ll be watching it! Not sure if I’ve ever watched anything on Cinemax! If they show that trailer, or if they put those pics of Porter on some bulletin boards…I think they might get a lot of new subscribers! Maybe optimistic? I think Porter is one of the best of RA’s creations.
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I don’t know is Cinemax will get new subscribers- probably some RA fans- what they get is increased viewership for the run of the series,scheduled to begin October 25. I’m sure there will be *some* promos on both Cinemax and HBO. I have the DVDs,but I’ll get Cinemax for the series fo whatever extras there might be, like ads. But then. how will I know when to watch Cinemax to catch those promos? Hmmm.
By the way- The Hobbit is coming to HBO. Trying to find out the date. So RA maybe on two US channels at once! Overload.
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I can’t say how American fans will look at this series but I agree that generally Cinemax has little to offer. The main obstacle might be the audience understanding that this is a “before” series but otherwise they may very well like it. Americans don’t necessarily like it all violence and certainly they don’t turn down shows where soldiers have a conscience. Believe it or not our soldiers can and do think for themselves and they aren’t all killers. I’d say given that Richard knows how to deliver quite well that they will appreciate his acting and the ability to show compassion in such a tough job. Everyone is guessing here how this will be accepted and no one really knows. Remember many Americans may not have known this series existed but a lot more of them probably did because they may have known about Chris Ryan to begin with so just let it go and wait and see. They’re going to see some excellent acting here. My understanding is that the date is October 25th or sometime around that once the current season ends and they are making it clear that this is a prequel. I think most of the current fans will watch but for myself I could care less if they do. I know Richard and I certainly will watch and enjoy as always.
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