MIKE JUDGE PRESENTS: TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS chronicles the tales of some of country music’s most legendary artists. The brand-new animated CINEMAX Original series will begin its eight-episode season same time as the U.S. on Saturday, September 23 at 10am, with a same day primetime encore at 10:30pm, exclusively on CINEMAX. New half-hour episodes will be premiering on subsequent Saturdays at the same time. The series will also be streaming on HBO GO.
Marking a return to his roots in animation and as a musician, Mike Judge (“King of the Hill”; “Beavis and Butt-Head”; Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) co-created, narrates and serves as an executive producer on the series, which recounts the raucous adventures of these musicians, as told by those who knew them best. TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS kicks off with an episode devoted to Johnny Paycheck, followed by episodes about Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and Tammy Wynette (two parts), Billy Joe Shaver, Waylon Jennings (two parts) and Blaze Foley.
TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS features animated interviews with former bandmates, friends and other erstwhile associates, who share uncensored anecdotes about the exploits of these artists, brought to life by animated reenactments, woven together with live-action archival performance footage and photos.
Episodic Synopsis
Episode #1: “Johnny Paycheck”
Debut: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 10am on CINEMAX
Other playdates: September 23 at 10:30pm and September 26 at 8:30pm on CINEMAX
In addition to selling 40 million records and producing chart-topping hits like “She’s All I Got” and “Take This Job and Shove It,” country music outlaw Johnny Paycheck became notorious for living the part. He was known for his music, grand theft auto, drug binges and stints in jail. At the height of Paycheck’s fame, he shot a man over a turtle soup recipe, which led to a high-profile trial, a prison sentence and one of his greatest hits, “Old Violin.”
Written by Mike Judge, Dub Cornett, Richard Mullins, Jeff Feuerzeig, Julien Nitzberg; directed by Mike Judge.
Episode #2: “Jerry Lee Lewis”
Debut: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 10am on CINEMAX
Other playdates: September 30 at 10:30pm and October 3 at 7:30pm on CINEMAX
One of the pioneers of rock’n’roll, Jerry Lee Lewis also happened to be a country music singer who liked to call himself “The Killer.” He made a name for himself not just as a magnetic piano-playing singer, but also as an impulsive, gun-wielding wild man, who stoked epic rivalries with the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. The Killer also notoriously married his 13-year-old second cousin, setting off an epic worldwide scandal.
Written by Mike Judge, Mark Monroe; directed by Mike Judge.
Episode #3: “George Jones and Tammy Wynette (Part One)”
Debut: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 10am on CINEMAX
Other playdates: October 7 at 10:30pm and October 10 at 7:30pm on CINEMAX
He was a poor boy from a bootleggers’ town in the Texas backwoods. She was a cotton-picking Mississippi girl dreaming of stardom in Nashville. Together, George Jones and Tammy Wynette became the first power couple in country music. They were perfect in the public eye, but their tumultuous relationship was punctuated by George’s alcohol-fueled escapades and his paranoia over Tammy’s romantic past. She tried to keep the marriage from turning toxic, singing “Stand By Your Man,” her greatest hit, onstage with her husband every night.
Written by Mike Judge, Mark Monroe, Jeff Feuerzeig, Julien Nitzberg; directed by Mike Judge.
Episode #4: “George Jones and Tammy Wynette (Part Two)”
Debut: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 10am on CINEMAX
Other playdates: October 14 at 10:30pm and October 17 at 7:30pm on CINEMAX
Collaborating on 33 hit songs and nine studio albums, George Jones and Tammy Wynette projected an image of marital bliss. Backstage, real life was more of a mess, highlighted by actual gunplay, an accusation of poisoning and ingenious disappearing acts in the name of alcohol. The marriage was ultimately sacrificed, but the music survived. Despite George’s split personalities and Tammy’s endless string of men, the two maintained an artistic partnership that stood the test of time and gave them one of their greatest hits, “Golden Rings,” about love and marriage.
Written by Mike Judge, Mark Monroe, Jeff Feuerzeig, Julien Nitzberg; directed by Mike Judge.
MIKE JUDGE PRESENTS: TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS was created by Mike Judge, Richard Mullins and Dub Cornett; executive produced by Mike Judge, Glen Zipper, Sean Stuart and Dub Cornett; producer, Richard Mullins; composer, John Frizzell.
The brand-new animated CINEMAX Original series, MIKE JUDGE PRESENTS: TALES FROM THE TOUR BUS, will premiere same time as the U.S. on Saturday, September 23 at 10am, with a same day primetime encore at 10:30pm, exclusively on CINEMAX. New half-hour episodes will be premiering on subsequent Saturdays at the same time. The series will also be streaming on HBO GO.