As of Friday, HBO subscribers can stream the series premiere of The Deuce — the latest prestige drama from The Wire veterans David Simon and George Pelecano — two weeks ahead of the show's official release date. Though the network has previously aired shows before their planned time slots to avoid scheduling conflicts, the reasons for HBO quietly releasing the series pilot remain unclear.

Also on Friday, the network put out the second trailer for the show, which features James Franco pulling double duty as a pair of smut-peddling twin brothers, Maggie Gyllenhaal as an intrepid sex worker trying to make it in the nascent porn industry, and a medley of gratuitous violence soundtracked by Marvin Gaye.

Tracing the porn industry's ascent in New York, the series is mostly set beneath the seedy backdrop of 1970s and 80s Times Square. It's in that nearly forgotten underworld where "a cast of barkeeps, prostitutes, pimps, police and nightlife denizens...swirl through a world of sex, crime, high times and violence and the porn business begins its climb from Mafia-backed massage parlors and film labs to legitimacy and cultural permanence," per the show's official synopsis.

According to Rolling Stone, "the series will also explore the rise of HIV, the real estate boom and police efforts to crack down on the adult film trade."

In addition to Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco², the cast also includes co-stars Emily Meade, Anna Glover, Gary Carr, Jamie Neumann and Dominique Fishback.

The first season of The Deuce consists of eight episodes and officially premieres on Sunday, September 10th — but anyone with access to HBO NOW, GO, or On Demand, can watch the 90 minute pilot right now.



