HBO is launching a new series In Treatment on January 28th. The half-hour series stars Gabriel Byrne as a psychoanalyst in sessions with several different patients.

Its tagline on HBO.com is One Doctor, Five Sessions, Five Nights a Week.

HBO is airing the series 5 nights a week; each night features a session with a different patient. While normally I’d question that scheduling tactic, during this strike-hobbled winter, it might be a good move, giving viewers fresh scripted programming every weeknight. What does everyone else think?

Personally, I’m looking forward to checking out the series: Gabriel Byrne, Josh Charles, and Dianne Wiest will be interesting to watch.

I'm also looking forward to this series. The idea of airing 5 episodes that are essentially one-act plays every week is quite ambitious. Gabriel Byrne is one hell of an actor that never seems to get the roles he deserves so this show should be a great showcase for him since he's the only one who'll appear in every single episode. I'm also looking forward to seeing Michelle Forbes on this show.

I'm really looking forward to this. Although I'd probably watch anything Blair Underwood is in.

God, I've missed Josh Charles. I wonder if it will be necessary to check in every night to follow the overall plot or if it will be segmented by character/day.

I believe each day is a different character, so all Monday night episodes will deal with one, Tuesday night episodes with another, etc.

I'm so there. For years, I have had the biggest crush on Gabriel Byrne. He is an underrated actor who is handsome as well as talented.

I'm with you on that SimoneS.

Keely, I think Josh Charles' segments air on Thursdays.

Alan Sepinwall's posted a review of the show ...here He seems to like it.

The reviews I've read have ranged from positive to meh - but everyone seems to praise the acting in the show.
Though 5 nights a week is a lot, between On Demand, HBO's rerun on Sundays and a DVD recorder, I think I'll be able to keep up (or at least, catch up when I fall behind)

I'm really looking forward to this tonight.


ETA: Turns out, On Demand has a section outside of HBO with Featured Picks from a couple of networks. In Treatment is one of the featured shows, and currently all of this week's episodes are available. So, if you have that service, you can do a mini-marathon of the show. I just caught episode 1, and now I'm off to watch the second episode. I'm impatient...what can I say.

I spent some time on the weekend checking out the series preview and character studies OnDemand and this show looks fabulous to me. It's nice to have it airing the way it does and I have so missed Josh Charles. I also love Gabriel Byrne so that will help tremendously.

Looking forward to it!

Okay, that was wacky as hell. The chick, Laura comes off as mentally unstable or at least deluded. I guess, this is why she is in therapy in the first place. I'll keep watching because Gabriel still makes me swoon.

Thank God there will be a half hour of scripted drama to watch every night! The pilot episode wasn't perfect (Wouldn't a therapist end a clients sessions if the patient made a pass at him?), but I did find it thoroughly enjoyable. GB is "the bomb" and the rest of the cast is impressive. Is this what TMYLM would look like with a good edit? This was much better than the president's speech!

He sure made Laura swoon in a major way.

I like GB, as well as Rodrigo Garcia, the creator. The music at the end felt a little Six Feet Underish. Looking forward to more episodes, characters and storylines. This one episode already tops TMYLM which was a total waste of time, IMO.

I couldn't figure out why I didn't like Laura at first, but I wanted to smack her so badly. Then she cleaned off the raccoon eyes and I started focusing on her buck teeth and realized it was freakin' Melissa George without the blonde hair. My hate for her on Alias has transfered to other roles.

Maybe I won't watch Monday nights so I won't have to deal with her, but Gabriel Byrne is must see TV for me.

Was it just me or was Melissa George's accent all over the place? I kept hearing Australian and British syllables creeping into pretty much every sentence. I admire Garcia's work a lot and kept wondering why the hell he didn't notice the accent issue. It was just so obvious to me, but maybe some of that is hatred transfer from the days of Lauren on Alias.

Isn't Garcia from Colombia? I don't think we should expect him to be able to detect accent slips from American to UK or Aussie. I certainly wouldn't be able to tell if someone went from Puerto Rican Spanish to Dominican to Argentinian.

Wow. I will give it the full week and meet everyone, but this sort of thing just isn't my bag. 2 1/2 hours a week of listening to someone else's icky problems? I guess it's too sophisticated for me. I'm not sure even I can hang around for Gabriel Byrne if this ep is any indication.

Too busy paying attention to GB's accent to notice Melissa George's accent. She's from Perth, by the way - same as the late Heathcliff Ledger. GB does sound a bit Irish now and then. And he certainly looks it, so I wonder if his character will be from Ireland.

Thanks to On Demand, also saw second ep with Blair Underwood as Alex. I think it's a very well-done show and I'll probably watch the next 8 eps on On Demand in the next few days. HBO's fixation with shrinks is peculiar, but at least this show is of a much higher quality and is more compelling than Tell Me You Love Me.

Reviews have indicated that Byrne is playing his character with his natural Irish accent.

I watched the Laura episode tonight. That character had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I really want to like this show; the cast is fantastic (yes I too am a GB fan, but double that for Dianne Wiest.), but if this show is going to "work us into" some character redemption I'm not sure I have the patience. Well I'm giving it a chance anyway and hopefully some of the other characters will be people I can stand to watch. Laura? Not so much, at least at this point.

Melissa George (who I've never seen before and had no pre-existing feelings about whatsoever) ruined it for me with her accent issues. Everything else was strong and I could see myself getting really into this kind of show -- 30 minutes, no action, all talking -- perfect for me. But the inconsistent accent kept bringing me out of it. Here's to hoping the other nights are better than Laura's.

Also, I read that she (Laura) is supposed to be an anesthesiologist. I know we heard about double shifts at the hospital -- but really -- a medical doctor? I'm not buying.

I'm not a mental health professional, but I think it's pretty common for a patient to develop a crush on a therapist--it's called transference, and therapists generally work through it.

I'd dump Laura as a patient because she's irritating, but like I said, I'm not a mental health professional.

I watched the 1st 3 episodes last night, and the first episode was my least favorite. I really liked the premise, and Gabriel Byrne, but it was a tough episode to start out with. I won’t comment about the other episodes yet, since they haven’t officially aired. ( I stopped at 3 because I wanted to be fresh for the Josh Charles episode, which is # 4)

Laura is wacky (makes sense that she’s in therapy), but in a way that wasn’t really fun to watch. I got the sense that nothing she says is based in reality, and that she has her own warped view of the world. If the series was just about her, I’d have a hard time sticking with it. I think it will be interesting to watch to see how the therapist handles it, though. (for example, he spent a lot of time twitching his wedding ring whenever Laura talked about her interest in him - it was a little on the nose for me, but seemed to indicate that he's a bit more conflicted about Laura than his professional facade would indicate)

Unlike many, I didn’t find her accent distracting. However, I did find her makeup very distracting. When you’ve had a really bad, sorrowful night and face the morning with raccoon eyes, there is no way that your eyelids escape the mess. Laura’s eye makeup was smudged below her eyes, but perfect above. And then, when she came out of the bathroom, her eye makeup wasn’t gone; the smudges were gone but her makeup had been reapplied perfectly.

At first I thought it was just badly done on the show’s part, but after watching I wonder if Laura is just so crazy that she made herself up, initially, to play into the “you look good sad” idea – trying to be sad, yet seductive to the Dr. Then when that didn’t work, she cleaned herself up to be pretty and seductive. If that was the case though, I think the show could have done a better job conveying it.

Anyway, I’m sticking around – for GB, the other patients, and the beautiful setting and photography. I just really like the look of the show – for a 2 person 1 act play, they do a lot with setting, position, framing, lighting, etc, and it was beautiful to watch.

I also saw the first two episodes and I'm intrigued. I'm a PhD clinical psychologist and I've always been (snobbily) irritated about the way therapy sessions are portrayed on television. I never find them realistic. The therapist always gives way too much direct advice instead of asking questions to help the patient come to their own insights. I have to say I'm pretty impressed by the fairly authentic nature of the sessions so far. I think Gabriel Byrne did a good job keeping his face/reactions as neutral as possible to some of Laura's revelations. The session ended a little weird with her being so out of it and him allowing her to drive home. I'm also disconcerted by the setting, is it in GB's own house? But, overall this seems to be a good reflection of a distressed patient, a real issue that can happen with patient/therapist transference, and therapist reactions. Looking forward to more episodes; I hope I can sustain such an involved nightly commitment to a television show!!

I've hated Melissa George in everything she's ever done, and this show is no different. So while I like the concept of this show and I love the Byrne, I will NOT be watching this on Monday nights ever again.
Looking forward to the other "sessions", especially Byrne's own with Wiest.

I'm not really a big notice taker of accents so Melissa George's didn't bother me. I also really like the premise and while Laura is certainly not a character I particularly like I found the episode intriguing.

Gabriel Byrne is excellent and I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the week.

Wow, that makes up for last night's lack luster debut. I loved tonight's episode with Blair Underwood. Alex is far more interesting and complex than Laura. He has so many issues that I can't imagine where Paul can begin. He is competitive with his brother, dislikes his father and is distant from his wife who midght as well not exist. Paul's comment about his friend Daniel who is gay makes me wonder about the true nature of his feelings for Daniel. I can't wait for next week's episode with Alex. Yep, I have been sucked in by content rather than just Gabriel's appeal.

I was surprised to see that Mark Wahlberg is the executive producer of "In Treatment." Marky Mark is all grown up.

Anyone know how long the season is for "In Treatment?"

I thought Blair Underwood absolutely rocked that segment. The way Alex tried to control the whole session was fascinating and kept me wondering what he was leading up to with his big question. And he had way more chemistry with Doc than Laura did. :)

BU was right on the money tonight. It's amazing how much depth he can bring to a character when the script supports him. In comparison, his DSM persona is somewhat two-dimensional. He plays confrontational very well. In fact, he was kind of an asshole through the entire session, but I guess that's what makes for good drama. I also had no clue where his speech was leading, which was nice. I can usually predict the storyline arc in the first 10 minutes!

I totally agree. BU is always good and plays the extremely egotistical Alex perfectly. While Dr. Paul seemed rather perplexed by Alex, he held his own. This was much better than the "Laura" episode. In fact, I couldn't resist and have watched the entire week's 5 episodes OnDemand. It only gets better.

The Alex episode was way better than the Laura episode, IMO. It gives me hope that I can actually get into this show. Plus the format means I can skip Laura and still enjoy the other characters without having to bleep-bloop through her segment.
Blair Underwood was fantastic and I think they set the character up so that he could go in any number of directions in the future. Hopefully, though, they won't make him try to pronounce "statistics" again.
Also, Executive Producer Marky Mark?

I find the premise fascinating, because you don't have to watch everyday. You can follow the storyline or patients you want, at least that is the impression I'm getting. I missed Mon and Tuesdays eppy's so I am going to try and watch them OD before Wednesday's episode. Although for some reason I every time I see a promo I instantly think of TMYLM - and not in the good way.

Personally, I think skipping the Laura segments while better in the short term, might be harmful the overall enjoyment of the show. The doctor is the main character, and the show's primary plotline seems to be how the problems of these various patients effect the doctor's psyche. I would hate for there to be some key revelation regarding Paul sometime down the line that only makes sense if I had seen a certain Laura episode that I skipped.

I've only seen the first Laura ep, but Dr. GB didn't let her drive home - she had said that she had left her car at home and had gone to this session by cab straight from the club. That's why he offered to call her a cab, and when she didn't respond, asked how she was going to get home. I figured she would either walk or get her own cab.

Veruka - Thanks for that observation. For some reason, I kept thinking she was sitting in her car for hours watching the sun come up before the session, but she must have said she sat in the park for hours across from the house. So, that makes me feel better because she would have had a different way home. I hope I listen better in my own sessions, huh?

Anybody else think that Alex saw a tunnel? Or that maybe he was stuck in the middle of one as he lay unconscious? I think its called limbo.

I suspect that's why he feels the need to 'atone' - there might be hell to pay now that he's regained consciousness.

Great show, but I have had difficulty in enticing others to watch it with me. I can't imagine it being much of a success or sustaining interest indefinitely. Credit to HBO for taking such a risk on a show likely to only attract a small dedicated following of possibly diminishing returns.

Alex seems to be in denial about so many things that I can't begin to figure out if he saw a tunnel or not. Alex is a control freak and killing those children has resulted in a loss of control which is why all these issues are rising to the surface.

I suspect that I will find it difficult to watch a new episode every night though it helps that there is much else on thanks to the strike.

I agree Simone - except its difficult to reconcile Alex's control freakery with the need to diminish or transfer responsibility. I've never seen that combination before (the need to be in control whilst needing to have decisions made for him, etc).

I originally (or also) suspected that he was in denial about being gay, so maybe the tunnel he (possibly) saw was merely the projection of an anal passage.

Wittgenstein, of all Alex's myriad of issues, for me the possibility that he was in denial about being gay stood out the most. However, that might just be misdirection to cover his anger at his father and dismissal of his wife who he barely mentions during the session.

I thought Gabriel did a great job of showing Paul's bemusement at Alex's attempt to control the session and shift from one topic to the next. Seems to me that everything that Alex said wasn't important was important because he brought them up. I can't wait to see where his therapy goes. He is an emotional mess.

I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen during Alex's session. Byrne and Underwood both did a great job.

I like that they wrote Alex as clearly traumatized but not in a stereotypical way. I expected to see a startled, guilt-ridden character, but this was much more realistic. He's hiding from everyone, even himself.

Having seen this week's remaining episodes.......(spoiler)......the statement above rings true. When Paul visits Gina (Dianne Weist), his previous mentor who is a retired psychiatrist, he talks to her about his clients' cases---and in peticular Laura's transference issues and the effect this could be having regarding personal problems Paul is having at home. I believe that Laura's storyline will be crucial in further episodes.

Whilst Slate's television critic doesn't like it (he thinks its phony) http://www.slate.com/id/2182948/nav/tap3/ , a psychologist writing for Slate praises the show for its authenticity http://www.slate.com/id/2182943/

(warning - the first link includes a major spoiler)

Am I the only person who doesn't get distracted by accents on TV all the time? It seems to come up a lot in the forums and recaps, in regards to non-Americans doing American accents, to the degree that some people seem really put off by it. I've always found accents to be a bit of a parlour trick, with people putting way too much emphasis on one's ability to do the, and other people always trying to out the attempter of the trick.

Then again, I'm not American (I'm Canadian), so maybe that's why the sounds don't bother me that much.

Not the only one but I suspect those of us who don't get distracted are very few and far between, lol. I've also seen it commented on a lot and I always wonder what I'm missing because I don't get sidetracked by it.

While I was one of the few who didn't mind (and actually sort of liked) the Laura episode I have to say Alex blew Laura right the hell out of the water. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen and when Paul brought the session to an end it was all I could do not to scream "NO" at the television.

That was one intense while also thrilling 1/2 hour of television. BU was fantastic and GB was right there with him. I'll be looking very forward to Alex's sessions each week.

Nobody has commented on Sophie yet? Although this was the least thrilling episode so far this week, I have a hunch it may be the most intense. I have a feeling this young gymnast and her coach have a "complicated relationship"... Another defensive confrontational patient tonight, I can't imagine how Paul will break down her walls. Tomorrow night's couple session (JC!) looks promising.

My biggest complain about this show so far is how confrontational the patients are. I don't know, it sounds kinda fake to me. They are too rude, which just screams "issues!" I think it would be more realistic to me if the patients were "nice", you know? Hiding behind a facade or whatever.

Yep, Sophie is definitely using her coach as a surrogate for her absent Dad...and the coach appears to be using her for his own - or a number of - reasons. Which (presumably) is why she rode into traffic.

Whilst watching this marvelous little show, I find myself thinking how I would come across in therapy. I expect it would be a horrible experience being (vaguely) aware of my own evasions and elisions.

It will be remarkable if the show can make us care about (and possible even care for) people struggling with self loathing , amongst other things. I (generally) believe the combativeness of the sessions - even if they appear to be amplified for dramatic conflict. It would seem that the conflict between patient and therapist is simply an internal struggle externalised and writ large anyway.

Even though GB is always a pleasure to watch, even when all he does is nod and stare blank-faced (which he does a lot of in this show), I think I'm going to pass on this new show. Mostly because I like my theater on stage, not on screen, and the dialogue, blocking and basic nature of this show feels too much like a theatrical monologue to me. Have fun, those who are into it. Unfortunately, HBO has let me down again (I'm looking at you TMTYLM, John from Cincinnati, Lucky Louie).

Sophie’s session is my favorite so far, of the ones that have been broadcast. For someone so young, she’s got an intensity about her, and a seriousnes, too. That plays into her history as a competitive level athlete, but also plays into the question of her potential ‘suicidal tendencies’. I was surprised that she was able to arrange the whole session without adult intervention – who is paying the bill in this case? Does she pay cash, like Alex? Or is the insurance company funding the sessions.

Anyway, I’m intrigued to find out her back-story – why does she flare up in anger so quickly, especially when to topic of her mother comes up? And what’s the deal with her coach? Paul seemed a little patronizing with her at first, though he seemed to deal with her better, more directly, toward the end of the session. Sophie’s the first patient who provides him with an outside assessment – in the previous sessions, Paul only has what the patient says and his own observations. Arguably, the outside information Sophie provides probably isn’t objective (since it was from an insurance company trying to pin responsibility on Sophie to avoid paying $$)

I did finally check out the patient intros On Demand, and I kind of wish I hadn’t in Sophie’s case, since there was a scene with her in Paul’s office in a neck brace, leading me to think she gets injured again. I don’t want to see her hurt, and I don’t want to be spoiled about it. Also, with all the talk about Melissa George’s accent, I was surprised to find the actress playing Sophie is working with a non-native accent as well. It does come through a bit, IMHO, but rather than being distracting, to me it kind of makes the character seem a bit affected, something that would fit with how she’s being presented, that would fit with someone who had spent her childhood in practices and competitions, maybe a bit isolated from her peers and family.

I’ll keep watching for the time being – I like the 2 person, one-act play feel to the series, and if the stories keep up to the level of the acting, I’m going to really enjoy this (well, maybe not Laura's sessions, but the rest of them)

Same here. Except I have no idea who Melissa George is, and apparently that's a good thing.

I like the setup, and am willing to invest in the series. A true character study/psychological/non action series on TV is rare these days. It's all thinking and perception and revelation. In some sense, it's a lot like reading a book, only without the page turning.

The only downside is that I can't really say I enjoy this, as so far all three sessions have made me feel uncomfortable at some point, and I fully expect to feel that way tonight and tomorrow night as well.

Well put, Wittgenstein. The interplay betw the characters is fascinating to me, esp how Paul basically remains calm in the face of all the confrontation, sarcasm, and attitude that these, so far, three patients have shown. He's rubber, they're glue. (And I'm 5 years old.)

I love smart dialogue and interesting characters. I don't mind that this might come across as too theatrical, which actually to me it doesn't. It never seems static to me.

I've really disliked all the patients so far -- Laura, Alex, and Sophie. I'm sure I'll dislike the others as well. But I know I'll come around as THEY come around. Of course I don't know if every one will really benefit from the sessions, if every one will experience revelations that lead them to change for the better, but I expect we'll see them at least have flashes of self-understanding and appreciation for Paul's help.

Regarding accents, I haven't noticed any except for GB's. I don't know Melissa George, so I've no preconceptions there. I'm glad to see Blair Underwood prove himself after Dirty Sexy Money. I don't like his character there, and I don't like his Alex here, but it's an interesting character that I'm drawn to even though I want to punch his face.

I don't know which one is my favorite session so far. It's probably betw Alex and Sophie. I want both of them to wake up and open their eyes. Alex's arrogance is so overwhelming that when he finally breaks down and cries (I hope), it will be very satisfying. And Sophie is too smart[-alecky] for her age, so I want her slapped down. For her own good, you understand.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this gem of a show.

I believe that making them somewhat unlikeable (YMMV) was Rodrigo Garcia's intention. It shows us that these people are in dire need of help, plus it gives Paul Weston credibility as "one of the best" and allows Byrnes room to showcase his talent.