‘Three Women’ gets series commitment, ‘Back to Life’ begins October 6

Docu-series Couples Therapy begins on Showtime Friday, September 6. The series comes from Josh Kriegman, Elyste Steinberg and Eli Despres, the team that produced Weiner.

There are nine episodes. They will come out weekly on Showtime, but will be immediately available September 6 for streaming and on partnering on-demand platforms.

The show looks into people’s relationships. “Far from reality-show caricatures, this is true documentary filmmaking that brings viewers into the authentic and visceral experience of weekly therapy with four couples,” said Showtime. Therapist Dr. Orna Guralnik guides couples through the minefield of honest confrontation with each other and with themselves, revealing the real-life struggles usually hidden behind closed doors.

“Couples Therapy is deep, profound and addictive,” said Vinnie Malhotra, executive VP, non-fiction programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Watching this series, you can’t help but be drawn into the complexities of each relationship, and be equally enlightened and entertained by the discoveries revealed through the process of therapy.”

Couples Therapy was produced by Edgeline Films for Showtime. Kriegman, Steinberg and Despres are executive producers.

Showtime also gave a series commitment to Three Women, based on the book by Lisa Taddeo. Taddeo will executive produce and write.

Three Women is a portrait of erotic longing in today’s America, exposing the fragility, complexity and inequality of female desire. Showtime said, “It is both a feat of journalism and a triumph of storytelling, brimming with nuance and empathy, that introduces us to three unforgettable women — and one remarkable writer — whose experiences remind us that we are not alone.”

“In this time when gender relations are under thorough reexamination and introspection, Lisa Taddeo has written the book of the moment,” said Jana Winograde, Showtime president of entertainment. “Her work fits seamlessly with the Showtime sensibility for exploring provocative and meaningful issues on screen, and we are beside ourselves with excitement at partnering with Lisa to explore these characters and themes.”

Showtime also said that Daisy Haggard comedy Back to Life begins October 6. There are six episodes.