Cinemax’s latest drama, The Knick, is set to premiere is Singapore on Aug 9 (National Day!), less than 24 hours from the US premiere. And while most cable productions would require a subscription for viewing purposes, HBO Asia is giving fans a chance to watch the entire first episode for free, both on the Cinemax website, and on YouTube.
The Knick is a historical drama set in 1900s New York hospital, the Knickerbocker Hospital. While healthcare is quite different in the modern age (or is it?) the show features how the doctors of the 1900s pushed the “boundaries of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics”. Starring Clive Owen (Children Of Men) and directed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, the Solaris remake), The Knick has already been renewed for a second second season, proving that people have appetites for doctors testing out new ideas about surgery while battling their own personal demons.
That’s right, The Knick is going to be particularly enjoyable for those who appreciate Hannibal, but beyond that the show also promises a great frontman (Owen), and a fantastic director – Soderbergh has already signed to direct season two.
The series will premiere on Aug 9 at 10pm on Cinemax, but if haven’t subscribed to the channel, you’re going to be able to get a tester on Cinemax’s website or on HBO Asia’s YouTube channel. The viewing period will start two days after the show premieres, and will last from Aug 11 to 25. It will only be of the first episode – but if you really enjoy it, then it’s a good time to think about subscribing.
New episodes of The Knick will air every Saturday at 10pm, and the series will be available for free on HBO On Demand from Aug 18. HBO Go subscribers (HK- and Philippines-only, right now) can also watch the episode less than 12 hours after it airs in the US.
“This is the first time HBO Asia is offering the entire pilot episode of our original series for free to all audiences, including non-subscribers, on our website and on the HBO Asia YouTube channel,” said Magdalene Ew, Head, Marketing, Creative and Content, HBO Asia. “We hope this free sampling of the CINEMAX Original series, THE KNICK, will help build interest in the brand-new show, offer more viewers a chance to watch the show legitimately, and prompt viewers to subscribe to the channel.”
I know I’ll be catching it – how about you?
