The Knick: The Doom that came to Skinemax


Clive Owen Stars in Cinemax's new series; The Knick
"Don't take me to a black doctor." - Stewie Griffin, Family Guy, S04E18



Since it's launch in 1980, Cinemax has been one of the most infamous channels on television. Though originally created by HBO as a movie channel, it quickly became known for its pornographic programming. In fact, after a couple years of such content, it earned the nickname Skinemax. However, after nearly thirty years of using this business model, HBO decided that it was time to change the nature of its sister channel. No longer would Cinemax broadcast such shows as The Best Sex Ever (Gee, I wonder what that show's about!) or Hotel Erotica (the ultimate honeymoon spot). In their stead, the artist formerly known as Skinemax launched such shows as Alan Ball's Banshee and the originally UK made Strike Back. Though neither bombed terribly, both shows were not nearly up to par with competitors like Showtime or AMC. After the extraordinary quality of HBO shows, Cinemax really paled in comparison. However, as of August 8th, 2014, this all may be about to change. It seems that with the launch of Steven Soderberg's new drama, The Knick, Skinemax may be finally dead and Cinemax may have finally reached the quality of its peers.

So to start, let's take a look at the specs that The Knick has. At first glance, we pick up several appealing factors in Cinemax's new venture. Steven Soderberg, director of several critically acclaimed movies including Behind the Candelabra, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and Traffic is the creator of the show, signed on as both the executive producer and the director of every episode of season one. This not only puts an experienced and proven hand to guide the series creatively, but it also gives the show a bit of star power, making it more likely to be watched pretty widely and to be renewed for several more seasons. In fact, the show has already been given a second season. In addition to Soderberg, Clive Owen, a pretty well-known actor plays the lead. With an Emmy already tucked underneath his belt, Owen is more than qualified to carry the series as its leading man. Finally, once the pilot is watched, it can be seen just what kind of budget Cinemax put into creating The Knick. While in the past it seemed as if Cinemax was trying, but only half-heartedly, it seems that with its newest effort, Knick is taking some hints from its sister channel, HBO, and raking in the budget, star power, and finesse to make a truly great show.
After premiering on August 8th, The Knick has already been astoundingly good, making it one of the best shows of the summer, even after just two episodes. Especially once looked at against the other frontrunners in The Leftovers, Hell on Wheels, Ray Donovan, and The Strain, though not outdoing them just yet (with the exception of Ray Donovan... I think it's already better), The Knick is making a real name for itself. The focus of the show is on the Knickerbocker hospital in the year 1900, a New York hospital where modern medicine started to take shape. Though eventually successful, before the medicinal breakthroughs, the hospital struggled to stay open, making the stakes all the higher for the show. Additionally, The Knick covers racial issues of the time, making one of the major protagonists a black doctor who struggles to be taken seriously due to his race despite his qualifications. Then, there's the main character, played by the aforementioned Clive Owen. Dr. John Thackery, a drug addicted, angry, slightly crazy head doctor at the Knickerbocker is the central focus of the show. As most of TV's antiheroes are, Thackery is ornery yet brilliant at his craft. Though slightly cliche, the show does a good job making the drug addled protagonist interesting.

Though it may be a bit too early to tell, it is safe to assume that The Knick is going to be a hit. This is a great sign for Cinemax and for television in general. The better each individual channel gets, the steeper the competition becomes for their competitors, making all of the best channels step up their game. If Cinemax enters into the running against the likes of FX, Showtime, AMC, and HBO, it will only make all five channels become better. With Skinemax finally being defeated and the true Cinemax taking over, The Knick and all future content to come will hopefully be great, improving not only Cinemax, but television as a whole.

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