It is really interesting around here with the big changes at WBD. At least the new owners seem to appreciate what HBO brings to the table, or is that to our screens? With all the other issues going on it looks like the September slate is rather slight. However, we will keep a close eye on what develops and one sure way to communicate that to the viewer is through this monthly post. So, we jump right in to share most of the titles coming our way for September 2022. Enjoy!
A few quick points:
Halloween isn’t until October but LOS ESPOOKYS starts now
Not all kids’ programming is dead – we have BATWHEELS
Not all unscripted programming is dead – we have THE HYPE S2
Plus, our last trip of the summer is to Kabul! Yeah, sure it is.
and plenty of imported shows & old movie classics to be found!
HBO Original Series: We begin with the returning show to the slate. It is one of the smaller half-hour shows but it lands with a sophomore season nevertheless. It is LOS ESPOOKYS, which returns now after two years off. Created by Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega and Julio Torres, season two of the bilingual, six-episode HBO Original comedy series debuts FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The critically-acclaimed series follows a group of friends who turn their shared passion for horror into a peculiar business, providing horror to clients who need it, in a dreamy Latin American country where the strange and eerie are just a part of daily life.
The new season finds our charismatic leader and gore enthusiast, Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco), haunted by the ghost of a beauty pageant queen, while Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti), enlists an old acquaintance to challenge the political status quo. Úrsula’s well-meaning sister, Tati (Ana Fabrega), is adjusting to her life as a newlywed while balancing a new gig, and Renaldo’s ominous best friend, Andrés (Julio Torres), tries to find his place in the world after appeasing his inner demons (literally). Meanwhile, Uncle Tico (Fred Armisen) is searching for a new purpose after his valet career is derailed.
–Season 2, Episode 1: “The Spirits in the Cemetery (Los Espiritus en el Cementerio)”
Debuts: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT)
Much has changed for Los Espookys: Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) is haunted by the ghost of a pageant queen, Andrés (Julio Torres) has relinquished the title of chocolate empire scion, Tati (Ana Fabrega) is married, and Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti) is plagued by mysterious phone calls. As they take on their newest client – an incompetent groundskeeper hoping to get grieving families off his back –Tico (Fred Armisen) faces a career transition. Written by Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega; Directed by Sebastian Silva
–Season 2, Episode 2: “Bibi’s”
Debuts: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT) 
Los Espookys’ latest gig sees Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) transforming into a student role model and monster named Bibi’s (with an apostrophe). After learning Tico (Fred Armisen) and Sonia (River L. Ramirez) are moving back, Andrés (Julio Torres) searches for a new place to live – as does his parasitic demon (Spike Einbinder), who bids him farewell for a new opportunity as Ambassador Melanie’s intern. Later, Tati’s (Ana Fabrega) marriage implodes. Written by Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega; Directed by Sebastian Silva
–Season 2, Episode 3: “The Ruins (Las Ruinas)”
Debuts: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT)
Delighted with the success of her town’s attractions, Mayor Teresa (Carmen Gloria Bresky) runs for president – and gets unexpected guidance from Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti). When Los Espookys must help a professor prove his bogus theory about ancient queer people, Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) looks to Tico (Fred Armisen) for assistance. After Úrsula (Ciangherotti) kicks Andrés (Julio Torres) out to make room for a freshly divorced Tati (Ana Fabrega), he finds a new home with a rich handsome widower. Written by Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega; Directed by Sebastian Silva
Continuing on Sunday night, of course, is House of the Dragon, the 10-episode prequel to GAME OF THRONES. Find it beginning SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 04 (9:00-10:00pm) and repeats twice immediately after. There is no mistake that this show has been well received. September episode titles are
–-Episode # 3 “Second of His Name” Debuts: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 04 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
–Episode # 4 “King of the Narrow Sea” Debuts: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
–Episode # 5 “We Light the Way” Debuts: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
–Episode # 6, “The Princess and the Queen” Debuts: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
Unfortunately, there is nothing more to say that hasn’t already been said or offered.
INDUSTRY continues its second season MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 05 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT). It only has three more episodes to go. Here is a look at two of the three installments.
–Season 2, Episode 6: “Short to the Point of Pain”
Debut Date: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
When a group of online traders attempts a short squeeze of FastAide, Bloom (Jay Duplass) takes it personally, while a recently AWOL Harper (Myha’la Herrold) suddenly fears the future of their working relationship. As Gus (David Jonsson) grows increasingly conflicted about Aurore’s job offer, Yasmin (Marisa Abela) navigates a major transition. Written by Joseph Charlton; Directed by Caleb Femi
–Season 2, Episode 7: “Lone Wolf and Cub”
Debut Date: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT)
After receiving confirmation that the London office will merge with New York, Harper (Myha’la Herrold), Eric (Ken Leung), and Rishi (Sagar Radia) team up to pitch their small global force to rival banks. Just as Yasmin (Marisa Abela) readies herself for her first client meeting in her new role, she becomes engulfed in a pressing issue at Pierpoint. Meanwhile, Gus (David Jonsson) leverages an opportunity for Leo (Sonny Poon Tip). Written by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay; Directed by Isabella Eklöf
Both Maher & Oliver have new installments in September once they get past the Labor Day weekend. REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER starts back up FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 09 (10:00-11:00pm ET). Hs latest blasts have been about his friend Salman Rushdie’s attack and more. LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER returns SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (11:00-11:30pm ET/PT), snuggled in between airings of that show with dragons. His latest topics have included monkeypox and more.
Original Series Exclusive to HBO Max: WHO’S TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE? No, that’s a title of a new show for HBO Max. The former Fox News journalist’s interview show, which originally debuted on the now-defunct CNN+, will be making the move to the WBD streaming site. Its first 
installment uploads FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. It is called a rare show built for streaming that gives newsmakers the opportunity to have candid conversations and an open dialogue about the issues of the day and whatever is on their minds. The News comes to HBO Max! Returning for a second season is the reality competition series THE HYPE. It begins uploads on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. It returns with host Speedy Morman and as judges, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and designer, Offset; creative director and founder of Bephies Beauty Supply, Bephie Birkett; and Emmy Award-nominated costume designer and renowned stylist, Marni Senofonte. Competing for a career-changing Co-Sign and $150,000, up-and-coming streetwear visionaries elevate their cutting-edge designs and entrepreneurial hustle to prove their brand is the future of fashion – and worthy of the hype. Are you following this streetwear design competition?
RAPSH!T drops its final episode of the premiere season on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01. HOUSE OF HO just got started though. New episodes upload in September.
HBO International Titles: Arriving on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 04 is a documentary out of Chile via HBO Latin America. It is entitled PRIMERA and is directed and produced by Vee Bravo, with New York-based filmmakers Kevin Lopez and Catherine Gund serving as producers. The 
film follows the 2019-20 social uprising in Chile that saw millions take to the streets to demand a new constitution, penned by average people, that would guarantee healthcare, education, and pensions for all. The doc promises an immersive look at the year-long process through the experiences of working-class parents pushing the government amid police repression and the COVID-19 pandemic. Power to the people! Also listed is SALVAR AL REY (Saving The King) Max Original Season 1. I can’t find anything on it. So, it will be a surprise to us, I guess. Whether it is an HBO Latin America drama series or documentary series will be revealed when it uploads beginning FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 09. PICO DA NEBLINA (Joint Venture) has new episodes in September. The series picks up where it left off beginning FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 02.
HBO Saturday Night Movies: We are blessed with two movie premieres in September and we’re ‘all shook up’. Aren’t we lucky? The traditional Saturday night flicks are ELVIS on 09.02, MOONFALL on 09.10, Melissa McCarthy as TAMMY (2014) on 09.17, and HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (2010) on 09.24. Here is a quick look at the debuts.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann explores the life and music of Elvis Presley in ELVIS starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks. A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks) and delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Olivia DeJonge co-stars as Priscilla Presley. Directed by Baz Luhrmann; screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. Find it steaming on HBO Max and on the channel beginning SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 03 (8:00pm-10:40pm ET/PT). The other new title is a Sci-Fi picture from Roland Emmerich. In the thrilling tale MOONFALL a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Michael Pena, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu, and Donald Sutherland. Directed by Roland Emmerich; written by Roland Emmerich & Harald Kloser & Spenser Cohen. It is slated for SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 (8:00pm–10:10pm. ET/PT).
Movies Exclusive to HBO Max: This is likely the last entry under this heading as there are no exclusive movies slated by the streamer for the foreseeable future. This is one of the cost-trimming measures employed. Plus, WBD only wants to make movies worthy enough to get a theatrical run out of them first. That’s why, for example, the BATGIRL movie died a nasty cinematic death. The only exclusives that might happen will be purchased from elsewhere. To clarify, movies like ELVIS are not exclusive to the site in an effort to draw new subscribers. It is also on HBO Now for cable subscribers and on the traditional HBO Channel.
HBO Documentary Films: We’re heading out of the country in September as we are off to Afghanistan and Iran, of all places. Thank goodness there is no celebrity bio scheduled. First on our itinerary is ESCAPE FROM KABUL on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (9:00-10:25pm ET/PT). The piece looks at the span of over 18 monumental days in August 2021, from the U.S. withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan through the subsequent evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghan citizens from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized the city. The other documentary, HOSTAGES, explores the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 and its resounding consequences. The four-part documentary series reveals never-before-seen archival footage and revelatory new interviews with the American hostages and Iranian hostage-takers alike, it is a gripping chronicle of one of the most dramatic international deadlocks in American history, and a deep dive into the geo-political history that led to the crisis and the political fallout that still reverberates today. Find its first installment, entitled “The Peacock Throne”, arriving WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
HBO Max Kids & Family: We lead off with THE SECRET ORIGIN OF THE BATWHEELS. Say, what? Celebrate Batman Day and this program’s debut on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, with the Batwheels on Cartoonito on HBO Max! DC’s first-ever Batman preschool series will celebrate the Caped Crusader with a half-hour special that will tell the backstory of how the Batwheels team formed before the series officially launches later this fall.
Okay, okay, I’ll fill you in. The third Saturday in September is always Batman Day because the Caped Crusader first came out in comic book form on a weekend in September back in 1939. As for the BatWheels team? They are Bam (the Batmobile), Bibi (the Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s Sports Car), Batwing (the Batwing Jet Plane), and Buff (The Bat Truck). Don’t forget to tell the kids. Also slated is LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. They cancel the Christmas special but slip in the Halloween one? Witch Hazel is said to appear!
Also, for the family is Total Dramarama, (over from Cartoon Network) Season 3B Premiere on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 02, SESAME STREET MECHA BUILDERS Season 2 on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 03 and BING! Season 1C on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30.
HBO Sports: HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS drops its last on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 06 at 10:00pm. BACK ON THE RECORD WITH BOB COSTAS returns FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 09 and REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL adds another one to the long list of installments on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27.
Other Movies & Shows: Here is where the slate gets a little heavy because HBO Max has always imported shows from the WB networks and WB production studios and appears to be laying heavy on it this month. On 09.04 all eight seasons of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES will upload. It is a WB show from The CW. That’s the series that was set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town charged with supernatural history. It followed the life of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenage girl who had just lost both parents in a car accident, as she falls in love with a 162-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). It ran from 2009-2017. Also, from The CW, is TOM SWIFT S1 with uploads beginning 09.09. TNT’s GOOD BEHAVIOR comes over on 09.16; YOUNG SHELDON’s S5 on 09.07. Even though it aired on Fox, 1993-1998’s LIVING SINGLE with Queen Latifah was made by WB; its five seasons arrive on 09.22. And last, but not least, all five seasons of GOTHAM hits the slate on 09.30.
Speaking of imports, I guess we should mention the Magnolia Network content making its way over to HBO Max. That’s right, select content from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network will become available in a new Magnolia Network Spotlight Page on HBO Max on 09.30. Shows in that hub will include – The Cabin Chronicles, Seasons 1-2; The Courage to Run with Chip Gaines & Gabe Grunewald Special; The Craftsman, Season 1; The Established Home, Season 1; Family Dinner, Seasons 1-2; Fixer Upper (Five Season Library); Fixer Upper: Behind the Design, Season 1; Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, Season 1; For the Love 
of Kitchens, Season 1; Growing Floret, Season 1; Homegrown, Seasons 1-2; In with the Old, Season 1; Inn the Works, Seasons 1-2; The Johnnyswim Show, Seasons 1-2; The Lost Kitchen, Seasons 1-2; Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, Seasons 1-6; Maine Cabin Masters, Season 7; Making Modern with Brooke and Brice, Seasons 1-2; Point of View: A Designer Profile; Ranch to Table, Seasons 1-2; Restoration Road with Clint Harp, Seasons 1-2; The Retro Plant Shop with Mikey and Jo, Season 1; Silos Baking Competition; Van Go, Seasons 1-2 and Where We Call Home, Seasons 1-2
But there are also movies, movies, movies. Mickey Rooney starred as Andy Hardy back in the day and so six of those movies are curated here, most likely on the TCM Hub. But you want more recent movies than that, right? Um, I found 2019’s The Beach Bum, the three Divergent movies, 2015’s Dragon Blade and Woman Walks Ahead from 2017. Yea, most of the movies listed are older movies, but good ones like Village of the Damned (1960), Torpedo Run (1958), The Sea Wolf (1941), and two Presley movies to go with the big premiere, Jailhouse Rock and Elvis On Tour. Out of all those, we’ll kiss the summer goodbye with –
Next Month’s Tease: The gentleman’s gentleman.
Last month’s answer – Do you remember the visual clue of astronauts last month? They are the team front & center in this month’s MOONFALL.
Final Clip: When Batman, Robin, and Batgirl are captured, the Batcomputer brings the Bat-Vehicles to life. The newly-minted Batwheels must defend the Batcave and face off with the Legion of Zoom – all without Batman’s help! Well, I wasn’t going to show you Magnolia Network stuff.
Enjoy HBO and HBO Watch!
