HBO Wants More Entourage and Conchords

HBO has renewed the hit comedy series ENTOURAGE for a fifth season and FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS for a second season, it was announced today by Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment. Currently debuting new episodes back-to-back on Sunday night (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), both series conclude their current season Sept. 2, and will return with new episodes in 2008.

"ENTOURAGE is a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, and FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS has quickly become a show to watch," said Strauss. "I'm delighted that we'll be bringing new seasons of these distinctive series to our subscribers."

Created by Doug Ellin, ENTOURAGE will have debuted 54 episodes at the end of its fourth season. Drawing on the experiences of industry insiders, the hit show stars Adrian Grenier as Vince, who is enjoying life in the limelight as a hot young actor; Kevin Connolly as Eric, Vince's manager, who tries to help him make the right choices; Kevin Dillon as Vince's half-brother Drama, now relishing a taste of success from his new series, "Five Towns"; Jerry Ferrara as Turtle, the least savvy of the group; and Emmy(r) winner Jeremy Piven as Ari, Vince's aggressive, high-powered agent.

ENTOURAGE continues to attract praise, with People calling the show "entertaining in the extreme," while TV Guide terms it "ridiculously entertaining." The Washington Post hails the show as "a seductive celebration," and the Chicago Tribune describes it as "crackling" and "whip-smart."

Earlier this year, ENTOURAGE received seven Emmy(r) nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, two for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (Martin Landau), and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Julian Farino). In 2006, the show won an Emmy(r) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Piven).

Starring the New Zealand music-comedy duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, and co-created by James Bobin, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS follows transplanted New Zealanders Jemaine and Bret, who live on New York City's Lower East Side and split their time between seeking venues where they can perform and awkwardly courting women. Sometimes finding it easier to express themselves with music, they're apt to break into song at a moment's notice.

The 12-episode first season of FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS has sparked critical raves, with the New York Times calling the show "very funny" and "deliciously absurd." Rolling Stone hails the series as "hilarious," while the San Francisco Chronicle terms it "the funniest thing you've seen in ages," as well as "brilliant," and the Los Angeles Times notes that the show is "consistently funny."

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie first teamed up in 1998. Earning a worldwide cult following through their live performances, the duo was named Best Alternative Comedy Act at the 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and Best Newcomer at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Flight of the Conchords released the live album "Folk the World" in 2002, and headlined a six-part BBC Radio 2 series, which won a Sony UK Comedy Award. They debuted on HBO in 2005 with their own "One-Night Stand."

Flight of the Conchords' EP "The Distant Future" was released by Sub Pop Records on Aug. 7. The EP includes "Business Time," "If You're Into It" and "Not Crying," as well as live versions of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" and "Robots." Sub Pop will release a full-length Conchords album in Jan. 2008.