Super Pumped (TV series)

Last updated

Super Pumped
Genre
Created by Brian Koppelman & David Levien
Based on Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
by Mike Isaac
Starring
Narrated by Quentin Tarantino [1]
Music by Brendan Angelides
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
ProducerSarah Acosta
Cinematography
Editors
  • Dana Congdon
  • Jane Rizzo
  • Todd Desrosiers
  • Doug Abel
  • Marnee Meyer
Production companies
Original release
Network Showtime
ReleaseFebruary 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) –
present (present)

Super Pumped is an American anthology drama television series created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, named for the 2019 nonfiction book of the same name by Mike Isaac. The first installment, subtitled The Battle For Uber, is based on Isaac's book and centers on the rise and fall of former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Also starring Kyle Chandler, Uma Thurman, and Elisabeth Shue, it premiered on Showtime on February 27, 2022. Ahead of the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, based on a separate forthcoming book by Mike Isaac about Facebook.

Contents

Premise

The show dramatizes the foundation of the ride-hailing company Uber from the perspective of the company's CEO Travis Kalanick, who is ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup.

Cast and characters

Main

The first season is narrated by Quentin Tarantino. [1]

Recurring

Episodes

The Battle For Uber
No.Title  [2] Directed byWritten byOriginal air date  [2] U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Grow or Die" Allen Coulter Brian Koppelman & David Levien February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27)0.120 [3]
Kalanick, CEO of the startup UberCab, makes a deal with investor Bill Gurley to finance the operation. Under pressure to pay onerous fines from the San Francisco Mass Transit Authority, Kalanick and Chief Business Officer Emil Michael decide to shut down and rebrand themselves as a "ridesharing service" instead of a cab company.
2"X to the X"Daniel Gray LonginoSarah AcostaMarch 6, 2022 (2022-03-06)0.138 [4]
When Portland Uber drivers face fines and impounding by authorities posing as fares, Kalanick has the company begin tracking undercover regulators so that Uber drivers can avoid them, called greyballing. The company begins to expand despite competition from Lyft and bad publicity. Gurley has growing reservations about Kalanick's methods, though he is somewhat mollified when Kalanick keeps the press out of a blowout party in Vegas (the "X" of the title) to celebrate their NYC penetration. Kalanick and Angie's relationship breaks down, and he becomes involved with Gabi, a violin player.
3"War"Daniel Gray Longino Stephen Schiff March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13)0.154 [5]
Uber goes to war with its competitors, meanwhile Kalanick attempts to raise money from Google Ventures by bringing them into the fold, which Gurley objects to.
4"Boober" John Dahl Emily HornsbyMarch 20, 2022 (2022-03-20)0.112 [6]
The company still struggles to find direction as its heads disagree over its future. The startup's leaders visit Code Conference in Silicon Valley where they meet other titans of industry. As the rest of Kalanick's colleagues begin to lose faith in his grandiose ideas, he finds a new ally in Arianna Huffington.
5"The Charm Offensive"John DahlSafie M. DirieMarch 27, 2022 (2022-03-27)0.103 [7]
Kalanick is brought to a meeting at Apple, Inc. where it is revealed that the company is aware of Uber's data leak. Threatened with Uber being removed from the App Store, he claims that he was trying to become competitive in China and weed out fraud. Huffington and Gurley clash over their opinion on how best to help Kalanick.
6"Delete Uber" Zetna Fuentes Beth SchacterApril 3, 2022 (2022-04-03)0.148 [8]
7"Same Last Name"Zetna FuentesBrian Koppelman & David LevienApril 10, 2022 (2022-04-10)0.085 [9]

Production

Development

The project first emerged on September 18, 2019, when the non-fiction novel Super Pumped by New York Times technology journalist Mike Isaac was featured on The Hollywood Reporter 's list of highly sought-after intellectual property. [10] The following month, it was announced that Showtime had optioned the television rights to the book, with the intention to adapt the novel into a limited series. Billions co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien were attached to create, write, and executive produce the series under their overall deal with Showtime Networks. [11] By March 2021, the series had quietly received a series pickup, with the series given a 2022 premiere timeframe. [12] It was later announced in May 2021 that Showtime had officially given the project a series order, with the series following an anthology format, opening up the possibility of future seasons instead of the miniseries previously envisioned. [13] The series, subtitled The Battle For Uber in its first season, premiered on February 27, 2022, on Showtime and Paramount+ Internationally. [14] Allen Coulter was the director and executive producer for the first episode. [15] On February 15, 2022, ahead of the series premiere, Showtime renewed the series for a second season which will focus on Facebook. [16]

Casting

In May 2021, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kyle Chandler were cast in lead roles. [13] [17] In August 2021, Kerry Bishé, Babak Tafti, Mousa Hussein Kraish, and Hank Azaria were added to the main cast. [18] [19] [20] The following month, Bridget Gao Hollitt and Elisabeth Shue joined the cast in lead roles while Virginia Kull, Amanda Brooks, Annie Chang, Erinn Ruth, and Mishka Thébaud were cast in recurring capacities. [21] [22] [23] In October, it was announced Uma Thurman would be playing the role of Arianna Huffington. [15] On February 16, 2022, it was reported that Quentin Tarantino is set as the narrator for the first season. [1] Tarantino indicated he was a big fan of Billions which led Koppelman and Levien to pitch the role to him. [24]

Filming

Principal photography began in September 2021 in Los Angeles, California. [25]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 64% approval rating with an average rating of 6.5/10, based on 28 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Super Pumped has energy to spare, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's committed turn as an unpleasant tech honcho will leave many viewers feeling stuck in a particularly uncomfortable rideshare." [26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [27]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Super Pumped
No.TitleAir date Rating
(18–49)		Viewers
(millions)
1"Grow or Die"February 27, 20220.010.120 [3]
2"X to the X"March 6, 20220.010.138 [4]
3"War"March 13, 20220.030.154 [5]
4"Boober"March 20, 20220.010.112 [6]
5"The Charm Offense"March 27, 20220.010.103 [7]
6"Delete Uber"April 3, 20220.010.148 [8]
7"Same Last Name"April 10, 20220.010.085 [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Im Dying Up Here</i> American TV series or program

I'm Dying Up Here is an American comedy-drama television series created by David Flebotte. The pilot was written by Flebotte and directed by Jonathan Levine. It premiered on Showtime on June 4, 2017. The series is executive produced by Flebotte, Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, and Christina Wayne. It was announced on January 12, 2016, that Showtime had ordered the pilot to series based on the bestselling nonfiction book by William Knoedelseder of the same title. On September 8, 2017, Showtime renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. The second season premiered on May 6, 2018. On September 28, 2018, Showtime announced that it had canceled the series.

<i>The Chi</i> American drama television series

The Chi is an American drama television series created by Lena Waithe about life in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. It premiered on Showtime on January 7, 2018. In August 2022, the series was renewed for a sixth season. On June 21, 2023, it was announced that the sixth season would consist of 16 episodes split into two parts. Part one premiered on August 6, 2023, and part 2 will premiere on May 12, 2024.

American Rust is an American crime drama television series created by Dan Futterman based on the novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer. The series premiered on September 12, 2021, on Showtime. In January 2022, the series was canceled after one season by Showtime. In June 2022, the series was revived for a second season by Amazon Freevee. The second season was released on March 28, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.

City on a Hill is an American crime drama television series created by Charlie MacLean, based on a story by Ben Affleck and MacLean. The series stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Amanda Clayton, Cathy Moriarty, Kevin Dunn, and Jill Hennessy. The series premiered on June 7, 2019 (online) and June 16, 2019 (Showtime). On August 2, 2019, Showtime renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 28, 2021. On June 2, 2021, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on July 31, 2022. On October 27, 2022, Showtime cancelled the series after three seasons.

<i>Good Trouble</i> (TV series) American drama television series

Good Trouble is an American drama television series. It is a spin-off of the Freeform show The Fosters. Good Trouble began in January 2019 with a thirteen-episode first season and follows Callie Adams Foster and Mariana Adams Foster, following the earlier series, "as they embark on the next phase of their young adult lives working in Los Angeles."

<i>Black Monday</i> (TV series) American historical dark comedy television series

Black Monday is an American historical dark comedy television series created by Jordan Cahan and David Caspe that premiered on January 20, 2019, on Showtime. The series stars Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells, Regina Hall, Casey Wilson, and Paul Scheer, and follows the employees of second-tier Wall Street trading firm the Jammer Group during the year leading up to "Black Monday", the day when international stock markets crashed in 1987. In April 2019, the series was renewed for a second season that premiered on March 15, 2020. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on May 23, 2021. In January 2022, the series was cancelled after three seasons.

<i>On Becoming a God in Central Florida</i> 2019 American dark comedy television series

On Becoming a God in Central Florida is an American dark comedy television series created by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky that premiered on Showtime on August 25, 2019. The series stars Kirsten Dunst and is set in the early 1990s.

<i>Your Honor</i> (American TV series) American legal drama TV series

Your Honor is an American drama television series starring Bryan Cranston, adapted from the Israeli TV series Kvodo. It premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020 and ended on March 19, 2023. While ordered as a miniseries, in August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 15, 2023. In July 2022, it was reported that the second season would be its last.

<i>Penny Dreadful: City of Angels</i> 2020 American historical dark fantasy television series

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is an American historical dark fantasy television series created by John Logan that premiered on Showtime on April 26, 2020. The series stars Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé, Adriana Barraza, Jessica Garza, Michael Gladis, Johnathan Nieves, Rory Kinnear, and Nathan Lane. The series follows two detectives as they investigate a murder in Los Angeles. A spin-off of the series Penny Dreadful, City of Angels was ordered in November 2018 and is set in Los Angeles, California, in 1938.

<i>Super Pumped</i> 2019 non-fiction book by Mike Isaac

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber is a 2019 book by New York Times journalist Mike Isaac. The book covers the events between the founding of Uber and its initial public offering in 2019.

<i>Work in Progress</i> (TV series) 2019 American sitcom created by Abby McEnany

Work in Progress is an American comedy-drama television series produced by Showtime that premiered on December 8, 2019. The series was created by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, written and executive produced by McEnany, Mason, and Lilly Wachowski, and directed by Mason. Work in Progress stars McEnany in a semi-autobiographical role alongside Karin Anglin, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney, and Theo Germaine. The entire series was written, filmed, and post-produced in Chicago.

<i>Cherish the Day</i> (TV series) American television series

Cherish the Day is an American romantic drama anthology television series created and produced by Ava DuVernay. The series chronicles the relationship of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day marking a significant moment. The first season took place over the course of five years. The second one expanded over a few months.

<i>Ziwe</i> American late-night talk show

Ziwe is an American satirical late-night talk show hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh based in New York City. The show premiered on May 9, 2021, on Showtime.

<i>The First Lady</i> (American TV series) American anthology drama television series

The First Lady is an American anthology drama television series created by Aaron Cooley which premiered on Showtime on April 17, 2022. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, and Gillian Anderson, among others, and portrays life and family events of three First Ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. The series received mixed reviews, with praise for Pfeiffer's and Anderson's performances, as well as the costuming, set design, and themes, but criticism for its pacing, plot, and Davis's performance. In August 2022, the series was canceled after one season.

<i>Shameless</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh and final season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020. Showtime announced the series' final season renewal on January 13, 2020.

<i>The Man Who Fell to Earth</i> (TV series) 2022 science fiction drama television series

The Man Who Fell to Earth is an American science fiction drama television limited series created by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. It is a sequel to the 1976 film starring David Bowie. The series stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an alien who arrives on planet Earth and Bill Nighy, playing the role originally played by Bowie in the 1976 film. It debuted on Showtime on April 24, 2022. A portion of the series was shown at SXSW on March 12, 2022. The series was canceled after one season.

<i>Dexter: New Blood</i> American crime drama mystery miniseries

Dexter: New Blood is an American crime drama mystery television series developed for Showtime as a continuation of the series Dexter, developed by original series showrunner, Clyde Phillips, and directed by Marcos Siega. The show features Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter reprising their roles as Dexter and Debra Morgan, respectively, alongside new cast members Jack Alcott, Julia Jones, Johnny Sequoyah, Alano Miller, and Clancy Brown. The story is set ten years after the events of the original series finale, "Remember the Monsters?", which was broadcast in 2013. It premiered on Showtime on November 7, 2021.

Gossip is an American documentary television miniseries directed and produced by Jenny Carchman. It follows the life and career of gossip columnist Cindy Adams of the New York Post. It consisted of four episodes and premiered on August 22, 2021, on Showtime.

Flatbush Misdemeanors is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman. It is based on Iso and Perlman's 2017 digital series of the same name. In October 2020, it was given a straight-to-series order by Showtime. The series premiered on May 23, 2021. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on June 19, 2022. In September 2022, the series was canceled after two seasons.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Grobar, Matt (February 16, 2022). "'Super Pumped': Quentin Tarantino Set As Narrator For Showtime Anthology's First Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Shows A-Z – Super Pumped on Showtime". The Futon Critic . Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (March 1, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 2.27.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily . Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (March 8, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 3.6.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (March 15, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 3.13.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily . Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (March 22, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 3.20.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (March 29, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 3.27.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily . Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (April 5, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 4.3.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (April 12, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 4.10.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  10. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (September 18, 2019). "Rights Available: An Uber Deep-Dive and an Instagram Ghostwriter Tell-All". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ Petski, Denise (October 16, 2019). "'Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber' Limited Series Adaptation From 'Billions' Duo In Works At Showtime". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  12. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (March 17, 2021). "'Man Who Fell to Earth' Series Shifts to Showtime From Paramount Plus (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (May 24, 2021). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Star As Travis Kalanick In 'Super Pumped' Showtime Series About Uber From 'Billions' Co-Creators". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  14. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (November 23, 2021). "'Super Pumped': Showtime Sets Premiere For Anthology Series From 'Billions' Co-Creators". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  15. 1 2 Otterson, Joe (October 19, 2021). "Uma Thurman to Play Arianna Huffington in Showtime Uber Series 'Super Pumped' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  16. ↑ White, Peter (February 15, 2022). "'Super Pumped' Renewed For Season 2 At Showtime; Anthology Series To Tackle Facebook As Network Starts Meta Battle With HBO". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2021). "Kyle Chandler To Star In 'Super Pumped' Showtime Series About Uber From 'Billions' Co-Creators". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  18. ↑ Otterson, Joe (August 3, 2021). "Showtime Uber Series 'Super Pumped' Casts Kerry Bishé (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  19. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 10, 2021). "'Super Pumped': Babak Tafti & Mousa Hussein Kraish Join Showtime Series About Uber". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  20. ↑ Otterson, Joe (August 19, 2021). "Hank Azaria to Play Apple CEO Tim Cook in Uber Series 'Super Pumped' at Showtime (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  21. ↑ Otterson, Joe (September 3, 2021). "Uber Series 'Super Pumped' at Showtime Casts Bridget Gao-Hollitt (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  22. ↑ Petski, Denise (September 13, 2021). "'Super Pumped': Elisabeth Shue Joins Showtime Series About Uber From 'Billions' Co-Creators". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  23. ↑ White, Peter (September 22, 2021). "'Super Pumped': Showtime Anthology Series Adds Five To Cast". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  24. ↑ Bergeson, Samantha (February 23, 2022). "Quentin Tarantino's 'Billions' Fandom Led Him to Become Narrator on Showtime's 'Super Pumped'". IndieWire. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  25. ↑ Carolina (September 2, 2021). "Thursday, September 2 Filming Locations". On Location Vacations . Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber: Season 1". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.