'Eastbound' gets the thumbs up from HBO

According to the Star-News, HBO has renewed the filmed-in-Wilmington comedy series “Eastbound & Down” for a second season.

The raunchy, dark series stars Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, who becomes a substitute teacher in his North Carolina hometown after his big mouth and declining fastball knock him out of Major League Baseball. ...

HBO says new episodes will begin production later this year and debut in 2010.

Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commision, said the show's return to Wilmington has not been confirmed, but McBride and co-star Ben Best each told the Star-News in January they hoped to return to the Port City to film more episodes.

The series filmed its pilot episode here in 2007, then returned in fall 2008 to film the five remaining first-season episodes. The show filmed entirely on location, shooting several scenes at Schaeffer BMW on New Centre Drive and at Blue Post Billiards in downtown Wilmington.

Barbara Weetman, co-owner of the Blue Post, said some cast and crew members hung out there even when they weren’t filming and that the wrap party for the pilot episode was held there as well. ...