The Deuce

Set in New York City from the early 1970s into the mid 1980s, The Deuce follows the emergence of the porn industry around Times Square and the people who made a living there. The series tracks a cast of characters whose careers and private lives intersect: twins who work in the nightlife and run errands for the underworld, a sex worker trying to build a different life, bartenders, cops and small-time criminals. You watch how an informal economy becomes a business, and how public health crises, the cocaine trade and changing property values eventually alter that neighborhood. The show treats the period as an ecosystem, showing everyday details without leaning on plot twists or tidy resolutions.

The series premiered on HBO in 2017, created by David Simon and George Pelecanos. It stars James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, and uses meticulous production design to recreate the grit and noise of 1970s and 1980s Manhattan.

The show drew awards attention, especially for lead performances and its writing, and critics often praised particular actors for their portrayals. Rather than listing trophies, the series was frequently discussed during awards season for acting and craft work, even if it wasn't a sweep at major ceremonies.

Culturally, The Deuce helped widen mainstream TV conversations about sex work, consent, and the business side of adult entertainment. Its period detail and frank scenes pushed other shows to take more direct approaches to difficult subject matter, and it became a common reference when people talked about the visual and economic transformation of Times Square.

Critics generally responded positively, and viewer scores reflect steady appreciation, with interest in realism over melodrama. Thematically the show zeroes in on capitalism, gendered labor, exploitation and the messy interaction of legality and vice, using small moments to build a broader portrait of a city changing under market and social pressures.