HBO's shockingly explicit Euphoria will show 30 penises in one episode, but the network did push back on some scenes

The Hollywood Reporter

With graphic nudity, violence and drug use, the HBO drama starring Zendaya promises to offer the most extreme portrayal for a teen series. "It's not sensational to be sensational," says HBO programming president Casey Bloys, adding: "We're not trying to put out a Gossip Girl." The premiere episode may surprise viewers by showing an erect penis -- actually, a prosthetic worn by Eric Dane, whose character commits statutory rape of a 17-year-old trans girl. "There are going to be parents who are going to be totally f*cking freaked out," says Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, 34, son of director Barry Levinson, who wrote all eight episodes based on his own past struggles with addiction. "Though the sequence uses a prosthetic, it's still likely to shock most audiences — as will a handful of other graphic scenes in the pilot, from a gut-wrenching drug overdose by star Zendaya, 22, to a sex scene between teens involving choking," reports Bryn Elise Sandberg. "In one episode alone, close to 30 penises flash onscreen." But Sandberg adds: "Despite HBO's enthusiasm for authentic and edgy content, the network does have its limits. According to Levinson and Zendaya, execs pushed back on two scenes."