HBO heroines... the Sex and the City girls. Photograph: Chris Blankenhorn/AP/HBO
HBO is in a rut. Previously a byword for quality television, the fortunes of the subscription channel have tumbled in the last few years. HBO's big-hitters such as Sex and the City, The Sopranos and The Wire have come to an end, while Curb Your Enthusiasm is two seasons past its best. HBO's replacements have failed to make an impact; have you heard of John From Cincinnati or Tell Me You Love Me?
Subsequently, HBO's rivals have gained new prominence. Showtime, for years HBO's runt sibling, has had successes with Dexter, Weeds and The Tudors, as well as the feverishly anticipated United States of Tara, written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame. Meanwhile Mad Men, created by former Sopranos writer Matthew Weiner, is shown by AMC, a sign that it is moving from a film channel to be a producer of original programming and therefore a potential competitor to HBO.
Now, HBO wants to reclaim its territory. In a year dominated by the US election, Recount, an original movie airing at the end of the month, looks promising. Retelling the Florida fiasco in 2000 with verbatim dialogue, news footage and fictional dramatisations, it focuses both on political dirty tricks and the human drama. If nothing else, it'll be essential viewing for those portrayed in the film, one of whom has described Recount as "pure fiction". Contemporary, intelligent and controversial, it's what HBO does best, though the shadow of ABC's 2006 drama The Path to 9/11 still looms over political dramatisations.
If Recount brings viewers back to HBO, it's Sue Naegle's job to keep them there. Appointed HBO's entertainment president last month, she's just released details of her new projects. First up is Hung, the simple story of a high school basketball coach who, as Reuters so coyly put it, "excels in one (private) area". The title and set-up might sound like one the Farrelly Brothers would reject for being too crude but the project has a fine pedigree - it's the first foray into television by Alexander Payne of Sideways fame.
Other productions include Alan Ball's latest drama, True Blood. Having done death to, well, death in Six Feet Under, he's moved on to vampires. NYPD Blue's David Milch returns to his roots with Last of the Ninth, exploring police corruption in 1970s New York.
Completing the line-up is 1%, inspired by the life of Hells Angels' founder Sonny Barger. The title refers to the infamous quote that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and it was the other 1% who gave them a bad name. Barger isn't happy with HBO and is taking them to court for refusing to acknowledge his authorship. It looks like HBO's troubles aren't over just yet.
