HBO released the first trailer for the new series “Silicon Valley,” about six programmers living together who are trying to make it big in the tech industry.
Early in the trailer, a programmer insults his friend, who happens to be wearing an H.T.M.L. (“How To Meet Ladies”) shirt by calling Steve Jobs “a poser who didn’t even write code.” Burn.
From Mike Judge, creator of the cult comedy “Office Space,” “Silicon Valley” has the potential to be a bitingly clever parody of tech industry culture with enough inside programming humor to keep coders entertained. The show comes off as a cooler, R-rated version of “The Big Bang Theory,” which also started with a largely unknown group of nerdy-looking actors as its stars.
The only actor with any real name recognition is Martin Starr, veteran of cult TV shows like “Freaks and Geeks” and “Party Down,” who’s also appeared in comedies liked “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The lack of big names may help the audience identify with these programmers as they’re staring intimidated at a corporate exec or sitting around talking about starting their own company.
“Silicon Valley” premieres Sunday, April 6, at 10 PM ET on HBO, and the substantial lead-in audience it may get from the season premiere of “Game of Thrones” shows the network has some confidence in its startup comedy.
