HBO “Comfortable” With James Franco And ‘The Deuce’ Season 2, Casey Bloys Tells TCA

“We all felt comfortable with a second season” of The Deuce, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys insisted as he kicked off Summer TCA 2018.

Early this month, HBO announced Season 2 of the porn industry drama series would premiere September 9.

James Franco stars as twin characters Vincent Martino and Frankie Martino in the series, created by George Pelecanos and David Simon, chronicles the birth of the modern porn business in New York City in the early ’70s.

Questions surrounding the show arose earlier this year when five women came forward to the Los Angeles Times with allegations of sexually inappropriate and expoitative behavior against Franco, who also executive produces the series.  Franco vehemently denied the claims. HBO and Simon quickly came to Franco’s defense, saying there had been no complaints about Franco on the production, and called Franco’s behavior on the show “entirely professional.”

Bloys briefly discussed the network’s protocol for handling the situation “Any time something comes up on a show with somebody we’re in business with,” noting the pay cabler did scrap its relationship with Russell Simmons and with Mark Halperin in wake of credible sex harassment claims.

“When the Franco issue came up” Bloys said, they read the Los Angeles Times article, and talked to producers and show cast, among others, before reaching its decision.