This Valentine’s day, Martin Scorsese and HBO are bringing us Vinyl, a new series about the drug-fueled, debauched record executives of the late seventies. The show stars Bobby Cannavale as Richie Finestra, president and founder of American Century Records, who is desperately trying to save his company. His wife, Devon (Olivia Wilde), was a model who used to party with Warhol, but has become a suburban mother of two. As Richie is more and more consumed by his work, Devon feels a strong pull back to her past.
Check out the series trailer below, but be aware that it’s pretty NSFW.
Interested yet? Me too. Here’s what you should know before the series premiere:
If You Liked Boardwalk Empire, You’re In Luck
Scorsese’s previous collaboration with HBO, was a huge success with a solid fandom here on Wikia. The show ran for five seasons under the guidance of creater/showrunner Terence Winter, who will also be running Vinyl. Winter’s a fantastic writer, having penned the riotously funny screenplay for Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Also returning from Boardwalk Empire is Bobby Cannavale, who played gangster Gyp Rosetti in the show’s third season.
Mick Jagger is one of the Executive Producers
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was the one who approached Scorsese with the idea. He initially pitched the story as a film, but with so much of today’s best grown-up entertainment happening on TV, the transition from film to TV was an easy one. Jagger’s involvement will lend the show an authenticity that will surely be one of Vinyl‘s defining aspects.
The Rest of the Cast is Amazing, Too
In addition to Cannavale and Wilde, the cast is filled out with great performers. Ray Romano plays Zak Yankovich, an industry veteran whose experience proves invaluable at American Century. Juno Temple plays a young, ambitious assistant at American Century. Mick Jagger’s son, James Jagger, plays the lead singer of a band called The Nasty Bits. Even better — James and Mick wrote new original music for The Nasty Bits, and we’ll get to hear it exclusively on HBO’s Vinyl.
Vinyl’s two-hour premiere, directed by Scorsese himself, airs on Sunday, February 14, 9:00 PM EST.