It is time already to move on to another month of HBO entertainment. Times sure does fly when you are totally engrossed in what our favorite premium channel has to offer. I think HBO takes it in to consideration that when June hits people are thinking of fun activities in the sun. That means that the channel may not be stuffed to the gills with its biggest and boldest content, but as you will see, it still offers some exciting and interesting fare. We have powerful original series, insightful documentaries, witty commentary and engaging sports and movies in the month ahead. Here is our look at What’s On for June 2014.
Originals: Okay, we will start with the programming gem on the top of HBO’s crown because you demand it. GAME OF THRONES continues its ten-episode fourth season Sunday, 06.01 at 9:00pm. There are only three remaining episodes to go:
— Episode #38: “The Mountain and the Viper”: Mole’s Town receives some unexpected visitors. Littlefinger’s motives are questioned. Ramsay attempts to prove himself to his father. Tyrion’s fate is decided. Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Alex Graves.Air dates are on 06.01, 06.02, 06.03, 06.04, 06.05, 06.06, 06.07 and 06.13
— Episode #39: “The Watchers on the Wall”: Jon Snow and the rest of the Night’s Watch face the biggest challenge to the Wall yet. Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Neil Marshall. Air dates: 06.08, 06.09, 06.10, 06.11, 06.12, 06.13, 06.14 and 06.20
— Episode #40: “The Children”: An unexpected arrival north of the Wall changes circumstances. Dany is forced to face harsh realities. Bran learns more of his destiny. Tyrion sees the truth of his situation. Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss; directed by Alex Graves. Air dates 06.15, 06.16, 06.17, 06.18, 06.19, 06.20 and 06.21 It seems that our players Tyrion, Dany and Jon Snow all have some tense turmoil to address before the season is out. We are sure you will be glued to every last frame of film. We also hope you will check back with HBOWatch for our reviews as we conclude Season 4 in June.
Also wrapping up in June is the Sunday night comedy block. The premiere season of SILICON VALLEY, which was only a quick eight episode concludes on June, 01 at 10:00pm with the episode entitled –
— Episode #08: “Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency”: Poised to compete at TechCrunch Disrupt, the guys of Pied Piper become worried after an impressive presentation by Gavin Belson. As Jared tries to pivot the company, Richard is inspired to make big changes at the last minute. Written by Alec Berg; directed by Mike Judge. Airdates: 06.1, 06.02, 06.03, 06.04, 06.05, and 06.06. We hope there are not too many worries or big changes for Season Two because we like this series just the way it is. Thanks for this entertaining debut and the hard work that goes into this series as evidenced by this clip.
Armando Iannucci’s VEEP still has three episodes to go as Selina bungles her way down the campaign trail. It airs at 10:30pm. Coming up is –
— Episode #26: “Debate”: Selina preps for a debate with her primary opponents; Mike’s wife does a style piece on the Veep. Teleplay by David Quantick & Tony Roche; story by Armando Iannucci & David Quantick & Tony Roche; directed by Armando Iannucci. Air dates: 06.01, 06.02, 06.03, 06.04, 06.05 and 06.06.
— Episode #27: “Crate”: Selina’s staff devises a way to make her seem more “folksy”; Jonah tries to find a new job. Teleplay by Simon Blackwell 
& Georgia Pritchett; story by Armando Iannucci & Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett; directed by Chris Addison. Air dates: 06.08, 06.09, 06.10, 06.11, 06.12 and 06.13
–– Episode #28: “New Hampshire”: Selina and staff juggle her schedule in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary. Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Tony Roche; story by Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche; directed by Chris Addison. Air dates: 06.08, 06.09, 06.10, 06.11, 06.12 and 06.13. It is awful scary when the descriptions state the “staff devises a plan” because that always proves to be a humorous disaster and with the primaries looming that is a doubly dangerous thing. How will it end up? Oh, and how about poor Jonah? We will find out as the season comes to an end.
But it is June people so that means as series wrap up for the year they are replaced with others and we have two BIG ones coming our way. The final season of TRUE BLOOD is upon us and we know there are some shedding tears of blood over it. The first two of ten episodes debut in late June on Sundays beginning at 9:00pm.
— Episode #71: “Jesus Gonna Be Here”: Bon Temps is rocked by a vicious attack from a band of rogue H-vamps. Written by Angela Robinson; directed by Stephen Moyer. Air dates are on 06.22, 06.23, 06.24, 06.25 and 06.27.
— Episode #72: “I Found You”: Sookie and Jason visit an abandoned town in search of clues; Pam continues her search for Eric. (Written by Kate Barnow; directed by Howard Deutch. Episode airs 06.29 and 06.30 and into July.
The other big show or at least we hope it will be one, is THE LEFTOVERS which begins its ten-episode season with a 75-minute premiere on Sunday, June 29 at 10:00pm. It is from Damon Lindelof, Emmy winner for Lost, and acclaimed novelist Tom Perrotta, Academy Award nominee for Little Children. Based on Perrotta’s bestselling novel of the same name, the drama series follows a town searching for answers three years after hundreds of their own vanished in a global, rapture-like “Departure.” Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Charlie Carver, Max Carver, Carrie Coon, Ann Dowd, Michael Gaston, Emily Meade, Annie Q, Margaret Qualley, Amanda Warren and Chris Zylka star. Lindelof serves as the series showrunner.
— Episode #01: “Pilot”: Small-town police chief Kevin Garvey juggles personal and professional challenges as the three-year anniversary of the “Departure” – when millions of people worldwide suddenly vanished – approaches. Written by Damon Lindelof & Tom Perrotta; directed by Peter Berg. It airs 06.29 and 06.30 and into July and on HBOGo. You can be sure HBOWatch will be all over both of these dramatic series throughout their summer run!
Outspoken comedian/social commentator Bill Maher continues the 12th season of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, with a new edition on Friday, 06.06 at 10:00pm, followed by other new editions debuting subsequent Fridays at the same time. Devoted primarily to news and comedy, the show’s format includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with special guests, and interviews with guests. But you knew that. What yo didn’t know is the airdates in June. They are Edition #320 on 06.06, 06.08, 06.09, 06.10 and 06.11; Edition #321 on 06.13, 06.15, 06.16, 06.17 and 06.18; Edition #322 on 06.20, 06.22, 06.23, 06.24 and 06.25; Edition #323 on 06.27, 06.29 and 06.30. We haven’t given Mr. Maher much notice lately, so how about a clip from his show.
Maher isn’t alone in weekly commentary now. Don’t forget LAST WEEK WITH JOHN OLIVER plays Sunday nights at 11:00pm. On the schedule is Edition #5 on 06.01, 06.02, 06.04, 06.05 and 06.08; Edition #6 runs 06.08, 06.09, 06.11, 06.12 and 06.15; Edition #7 is on 06.15, 06.16, 06.17, 06.18, 06.19 and 06.22; Edition #8: 06.22, 06.23, 06.25, 06.26 and 06.29; Edition #9 plays 06.29 and 06.30 and into July. Also airing in June are the two final episodes of VICE’s second season. As always it covers the kinds of stories that mainstream media outlets do not. Edition # 21 airs on 06.06, 06.07 and 06.10. Edition # 22 airs 06.13, 06.14, 06.17 and 06.19. Unfortunately neither HBO or VICE are revealing topics or correspondents at this time. So, the surprise reports await Friday nights at 11:00pm.
Theatrical Movies: The sun shines longer evenings but if you want to catch the premieres of the five movies on Saturday nights you are going to have to cut those outdoor activities short, unless you have a TV rigged up on your porch. Hey, it happens both my father and older brother have portables they watch outdoors at night. The movies to settle in front of are ENOUGH SAID, THE CONJURING, THE WOLVERINE, and THE COUNSELOR. What follows is a few thoughts on each,. For full details on the movies check out the HBOWatch reviews that post prior to each movie’s debut date.
ENOUGH SAID starts off the month with two HBO darlings headlining it. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus of VEEP and the late James Gandolfini and starts on 06.7 at 8:00pm. Julia plays a masseuse who learns that her new boyfriend, played by James, is a client’s ex-husband and gets into hot water with both of them in this offbeat romantic comedy. Catherine Keener and Toni Colette also star and it is written and directed by Nicole Holofcener; Rated PG-13. Air dates are 06.7, 06.08, 06.11, 06.15, 06.19, 06.21, 06.24 and 06.28. If you want to see if these two get all warm and fuzzy with each other then, well…enough said. If you want a dose of horror than Saturday, 06.14 is the night for you with THE CONJURING in which a married couple (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) who are paranormal investigators examines disturbing occurrences in a family’s farmhouse. Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor also star in the R-rated flick. It runs on 06.14, 06.15, 06.18, 06.22 and 06.26. Just how scary good it is up to you, but I hear there is good old-fashioned demon possession and freaky dolls involved.
Haven’t the superhero movies hit their saturation point yet? HBO has got one of them debutng in June. It is THE WOLVERINE with Hugh Jackman. The rest of his cohorts are not present in this adventure. Our X-Men travels solo to Japan to confront his demons. Twentieth Century Fox describes the movie this way: In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before. It is directed by James Mangold; screenplay by Mark Bomback and Scott Frank; Rated PG-13. Air dates are: 06.21, 06.22, 06.25 and 06.29. Sneaking in at the end of the month is one called THE COUNSELOR. This one has a lawyer (Michael Fassbender) getting in over his head when he becomes involved in the drug trade. Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt also star in this tense drama directed by Ridley Scott; written by Cormac McCarthy; Rated R. Air dates are the last weekend 06.28 and 06.29 and into July. This one is a bit rough with some graphic sex and violence as it gets deeply involved in the deadly drug business. How about a bit of a tease with this Trailer?
Documentary: Switching gears to the documentary front June offers a trio of films. The first one to air is a portrait of the esteemed figurative visual artist by the man who knew him best; his son. It is called REMEMBERING THE ARTIST ROBERT DE NIRO, SR. In intimate interviews, actor Robert De Niro, Jr. profiles the artist, whose talent went largely unrecognized as the pop art movement swept the nation, and also touches upon their relationship. It is directed by Perri Peltz (HBO’s THE EDUCATION OF DEE DEE RICKS) and Geeta Gandbhir (Emmy-winning editor of HBO’s IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON’T RISE). The 45-minute piece debuts Monday, June 9 at 9:00pm and also plays on 06.11, 06.12, 06.15, 06.18, 06.21 and 06.25. The next documentary to premiere, on Monday, June 23, is called THE CASE 
AGAINST 8 It is a revealing new documentary that takes an in-depth look at the movement to overturn Prop 8, including the historic federal lawsuit filed to challenge its constitutionality. Filmed over five years, with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to both the powerhouse legal team David Boies and Ted Olson and the four plaintiffs in the suit, the film offers the definitive account of the battle that effectively ended marriage discrimination in California. It is directed and produced by Ben Cotner and Ryan White. For HBO credit goes to supervisi
ng producer, Sara Bernstein and executive producer, Sheila Nevins.Air dates: 06.23, 06.26 and 06.29 and into July. Monday, June 30 is the premiere date for 112 WEDDINGS which follows director Doug Block, a part-time wedding photographer and videographer who has shot more than a hundred weddings. Revisiting some of his favorite couples, he explores themes of love, commitment and life after the big day, juxtaposing present-day reality with wedding-day flashbacks. Written, produced and directed by Doug Block; produced by Lori Cheatle. For HBO: senior producer, Lisa Heller, executive producer, Sheila Nevins. It will play into July. HBoWatch will review each documentary as they come around.
Sports: Ding, Ding! Ring that ringside bell and let’s go a few rounds with boxing in the lineup. How about 24/7 COTTO/MARTINEZ: HBO Sports’ groundbreaking 24/7 reality franchise, which has captured 17 Sports Emmy Awards, kicks off its 19th boxing installment. The all-access series follows world-class fighters Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez as they prepare for their high-stakes pay-per-view middleweight title fight on June 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Show #2 airs 06.05, 06.06, 06.07, 06.08, 06.10, 06.11, 06.12, 06.13 and 06.14. Encore plays of Show #1 are on 06.01, 06.02, 06.03, 06.04, 06.06 and 06.07.
Also duking it out is HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV VS. CHRIS ALGIERI AND DEMETRIUS ANDRADE VS. BRIAN ROSE HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for an all-action doubleheader presented live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. In the feature event, Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs), the “Siberian Rocky,” puts his hard-earned junior welterweight title on the line against local talent Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KOs) of Huntington, NY in a matchup slated for 12 rounds. Kicking off the night’s action, two budding stars duke it out for the junior middleweight crown when titleholder Demetrius Andrade (20-0, 13 KOs) of Providence, RI, and Brian Rose (25-1-1, 7 KOs) of Blackpool, Lancashire, UK, square off in a 12-round fight. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event. Catch the fight on 06.14, 06.15 and 06.17. REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL gets another installment in with Edition #207 
on 06.24, 06.26, 06.28 and 06.30.
Other Movies and Shows: Okay, it is time to just throw out some titles and see if they stick. You just might find something of interest from the random programming who are about to get, so, you are welcome. FORTY YEAR OLD VIRGIN, the surfing movie BLUE CRUSH, Alexander Skarsgard in the non-primetime premiere of THE EAST about a women (Brit Marling) infiltrating an eco-terrorist group, THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, BIG, and CRY WOLF. Late night shows offer REAL SEX and CATHOUSE repeats.
HBO’s Other Platforms: What other treats are out there to be discovered? HBO Latino: A couple of series running on the channel right now are SR. AVILA about a mild mannered insurance salesman who is really a professional executioner and TANTA AGUA (So Much Water) which is touted as a warm yarn about a 14-year old girl forced to vacation with her divorced father. HBO Family: I am just going to plop a video clip in the middle of this section to promote this channel.
HBO Signature: DISCONNECT is a debuting movie that looks at three groups of people in intersecting stories involving cyber-bullies, identity theft and adult-webcam sites. It is a cautionary tale about our wired world starring Jason Bateman and some guy named Alexander Skarsgard. HBO Comedy: Well, that Skargard dude doesn’t seem to show up here, but JACK, TED, Ace Ventura, Kenny Powers and BROADWAY DANNY ROSE al sure do. HBOGO: The limited comedy series DOLL & EM and LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER both make it to the site. The action movie THE BEACH, the comedy THE FREELOADERS, AMERICAN HISTORY X, the theatrical version of LEAVE IT TO BEAVE
R and SYRIANA all appear onsite beginning on 06.15. Cinemax: The sister channel is promoting KICK-ASS 2, RUNNER RUNNER; THE HANGOVER PART III and THE HEAT plus, a whole slew of superhero movies from BATMAN BEGINS to FANTASTIC FOUR and 007 flicks like THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN and OCTOPUSSY.
Next Month’s Tease: Has anyone seen Eric??
Final Clip: I guess enough hasn’t been said about ENOUGH SAID, so here is the trailer. And don’t grumble because HBOWatch already has the TRUE BLOOD & THE LEFTOVERS trailers up. And that is enough said.
As always we keep track of all of these premiere an air dates on our HBO series schedule page so be sure to give that a bookmark.
