This year marked the end to the celebrated AMC drama Mad Men as well as the news that the sixth season of Girls will be its last. But recent news coming out of HBO should have the fans of both series rejoicing.
According to Deadline, Girls creator Lena Dunham is set to begin work on the pilot episode of a new comedy for HBO. Entitled Max, the show will be set in 1963 and focus on an eager, low-level magazine writer named Maxine Woodruff and her life at the forefront of the time’s feminist movement. Lisa Joyce (Boardwalk Empire) will star as the titular character.
The project also serves as a reunion for some Girls alums—Dunham will direct the pilot as well as executive produce along with her Girls collaborators Murray Miller, Jenni Konner, and Ilene Landress.
This is certainly a promising project given the collaborators involved. HBO and Dunham certainly have a good relationship in the wake of the success of Girls. And Dunham has proven herself not only an interesting and impressive writer but also one not afraid to tackle issues and provide a powerful voice, specifically as it relates to feminism. Of course, she currently writes from the perspective of modern times. It will be interesting to see how she approaches it through the lens of the 1960s, a period rife with material perfect for her sensibilities, but without the seeming pulse she has on the current times. Also, the show is described as a comedy. I wonder how comedic it will truly be, especially since Girls is thrown into that category but often toes the line.
All in all, fans looking to fill the 1960s void following Mad Men and the soon-to-be absence of Girls should hope HBO picks up the pilot.
