For decades, watching Cinemax could trigger a spiral of shame. Many voyeurs waited until their parents or spouse fell asleep, then crawled out of bed, tiptoed down to the living room and watched "The Great Bikini Bowling Bash" at low volume in the dark.
It's now safe to turn the lights on.
The premium cable channel, whose own executives have called it "Skinemax," has dabbled for years with original programming that didn't involve a sudden tryst with the pizza delivery guy. But with "The Knick," it has its first genuine heart-stopper, a bloody good medical drama set in 1900, a time when surgery was about as primitive as a game of Operation.
Using Red Dragon digital cameras that capture an unprecedented level of detail in low light, the series boasts a great look; a great star in Clive Owen, playing a doctor addicted to heroin and rage; and, most important, a great driver in Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, who filmed all 10 episodes of the first season.
"The Knick," which premiered this month, was developed for HBO. However, Soderbergh, who won an Emmy helming the Liberace film "Behind the Candelabra" for the pay-cable giant, was intrigued by what he saw going on at HBO's sister network, most notably the action-packed series "Banshee" and "Strike Back."
"I kind of wanted to be a big kid at a small school," he told reporters at a recent Television Critics Association panel in Los Angeles. "I'm glad it worked. It allowed for a smaller teacher-to-student ratio."
Michael Begler, an executive producer and writer for the show, admits that he was curious about Soderbergh's decision to change ships, but quickly saw the advantages of working at a place where their series is a top priority.
"I sincerely hope that we're the groundbreakers for an entirely new chapter at Cinemax," he said.
