'The Deuce' is a Perfect HBO Monday Night Show

The Deuce is back for a third and final season on HBO, and it's got a new night. David Simon's unblinking look at the lives of the prostitutes, pimps, directors, cops, and characters who contributed to the porn boom has been moved from its hallowed place on Sunday nights to Monday nights.

In days gone by, a programming change like this could signal that executives were hoping to burn off a series rather than help it thrive. However in the last year, HBO has begun to invest serious energy into making Monday nights a destination for fans of distinctly creative storytelling. The Deuce fits in with the likes of these shows — Chernobyl, Years and Years, Our Boys, and Gentleman Jack — much more than it did with the crowd-pleasing fare of the new HBO Sunday nights. Basically, Mondays are where The Deuce belongs.

For decades, HBO has used Sunday nights as its showcase for its bold original programming. Series like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, and of course, Game of Thrones ruled over Sunday night programming, and inspired a race in cable to own Sundays. Since the rise of streaming, there's been a push for HBO to make more original fare, and that means finding new places to showcase original series. Hence, HBO started airing dramas on Monday nights. The first two HBO programs to get a spot on Mondays were the delightfully warped Gentleman Jack (already renewed for a second season) and the smash hit Chernobyl.

The Deuce Season 3
Photo: HBO

During his executive session at Summer TCA, HBO's Head of Programming Casey Bloys told reporters that Mondays were definitely being seen as a new stage to showcase HBO originals. "I think both of them, especially Chernobyl with the numbers it was getting, would prove that Monday night is not a night where we're looking to burn off programming or a night where we're not taking it seriously. Both shows were really heavily promoted, and Chernobyl did really well in the Emmy nominations. So the commitment to Sunday and Monday night and that increased volume of quality programming is real," Bloys said.

When you look at the shows that have wound up on HBO's Monday night line-up already a pattern starts to emerge. These series are more understated than the epic Game of Thrones, more creatively challenging than trendy crowd-pleasers like Big Little Lies. These are old school HBO series, full of envelope-pushing material and somber tones. The Deuce fits better among these dramas than it ever did in the spot reserved for huge genre series like Westworld or the upcoming Watchmen.

The Deuce is a tricky show full of audacious storytelling. From the beginning it weaves itself into the lives of characters other shows would see merely as low-lifes, and at least, elevates them to three-dimensional human beings. James Franco plays twins, Maggie Gyllenhaal a sex worker who finds power behind the camera shooting porn, and beyond that, the series takes on a scope that is staggering to behold. It's not easy to watch at times, but it's always full of the poignant, truthful storytelling David Simon is known for.

With that all in mind, it makes sense that The Deuce struggled to break through on HBO's ever-evolving Sunday night; its ratings dropped significantly in Season 2, seeing an all-time low with the second season finale. On Mondays, The Deuce may just work. HBO has been cultivating a different sort of audience on that night — one that is open to challenging material. If anything moving The Deuce to Mondays isn't burying it, but recognizing it for the drama it truly is.

The Deuce Season 3 premieres on HBO tonight, Monday, September 9, at 9PM ET.

Where to stream The Deuce

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