We here at More TV, Please decided to ring in the New Year by taking a look forward into the TV landscape for 2014. We bring you six new and returning shows which we are especially looking forward to. You may even see one or two show up as regular fare on the blog.
Orphan Black
If you paid any attention during 2013, you would know that one of the most unexpected breakout hits of the year was BBC America’s “Orphan Black”. It follows a group of clones, namely Sarah, Cosima, Alison and Helena, as they discover each other and what their existence means to the world. Not only is it a thriller from start to finish, but the acting is superb. Newcomer, and total talent, Tatiana Maslany portrays all the clones seen on the show. In addition to the four mentioned before, she portrays at least three others throughout the first season who all have distinct personalities and voices.
We are very excited to see where this surprise hit goes in season 2. The first season ended with a pretty big cliffhanger for all of our characters. So we can’t wait to see how that resolves. And if we know anything, it’s that the Orphan Black world will only be getting bigger as more clones are introduced. With tight storytelling and intriguing people populating this world, there is a high expectation that the new season will only improve on the prior material. And let’s be honest, if that happens, then season two will be mind-blowing instead of just amazing.
The second season of Orphan Black premieres Saturday April 19, 2014 at 9:00pm on BBC America.
Game of Thrones
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past three-plus years, “Game of Thrones” is an HBO adaptation of the “Song of Ice and Fire” book series by George R.R. Martin. It tells the story of a struggle for power in the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
Jen’s only about half-way through the second book in the series (and Sarah hasn’t read any of them), so we have no clue where the show is possibly going (and please, please don’t spoil us), but when we last left Westeros, things were pretty dire. The big event known in the fandom as the “Red Wedding” has happened, and the fallout is obviously going to be severe. The worldbuilding in both the book series and the show have been impressive, and watching “Game of Thrones” is a wonderfully immersive experience. We’ll certainly enjoy following the interesting characters that are still alive, like Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister, for as much time as they have left!
The fourth season of Game of Thrones will premiere on HBO in Spring 2014.
Doctor Who
You really thought you would be able to avoid us talking about Doctor Who for a while? Not happening! Again, if you’ve been living under a rock, “Doctor Who” is a long running (for fifty years, to be exact) British institution. The show focuses on the adventures of an alien called the Doctor who travels through time and space with one or more companions.
We’re looking forward to the return of “Doctor Who” because we want to see new Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, properly take the reigns. Capaldi has been seen briefly in the role in the two recent specials, but we want to see what he can do when he has whole episodes to work with. Capaldi has been a life-long uber-fan of the show, so expectations are high. More generally, “Doctor Who” is a fun show to watch because the premise means it can be so many different things. There can be a hard sci-fi future story one week and a historical story the next. The Doctor always finds adventures and people to save no matter where he goes, and we can’t wait to see where he goes next!
The eighth season of (modern) Doctor Who will premiere on BBC America in August, 2014.
The Americans
“The Americans” was a critical darling for FX in 2013, and it returns for a second season next month. The show follows a married pair of Soviet spies (Kerri Russell and Matthew Rhys) in early 1980’s Washington, DC. They are part of an elite program that was meant to form sort-of sleeper cells of KGB agents around the country. Unfortunately for these two particular spies, they live across the street from an FBI agent (Noah Emmerich). Work and family conflicts abound, naturally.
We’re looking forward to the return of “The Americans,” because really, what people of a certain age don’t find 80’s nostalgia fun? Jen in particular has always been a bit of a Cold War junkie, and Cold War conspiracy action abounds in “The Americans.” Intellectually, it’s interesting to look at the Cold War from the perspective of the “other side.” The creative team also does a great job at mixing the nostalgia and the history with real interpersonal drama between the Jennings family and the other people, both KGB and American, who get mixed up in their world. The characters are richly drawn, which is what truly makes “The Americans” worth watching.
The second season of “The Americans” will premiere on FX on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 10:00 pm.
Intelligence
One of CBS’s only new drama offerings for the 2013-2014 season is “Intelligence”. It centers on a secret government project which took a black ops soldier and implanted a microchip in his brain, turning him into a superhuman. “Lost” vet Josh Holloway plays said super soldier, Gabriel Vaughn. His handler is played by “Once Upon a Time” werewolf Ruby (Meghan Ory). Long-time “CSI” shift leader Marg Helgenberger also offers a supporting role.
This show is more up Sarah’s alley in terms of being far more procedural than the rest of the shows we’re discussing. It looks to have a lot of action and intrigue as well as a somewhat sci-fi premise with the microchip technology. It will be nice to have Josh Holloway back on our screens (and no we’re not getting into a Sawyer v. Jack battle here). We think he has the chops to pull off the action hero and since it is getting a coveted post-NCIS launch, it has the potential to be a strong contender for the network. Only time will tell.
The first season of Intelligence premieres January 7, 2014 at 9;00pm before moving to its normal Mondays at 10:00pm slot on January 13, 2014 on CBS.
Helix
We are big fans of the sci-fi genre here at MTVP. As such, we are somewhat regular viewers of fare on SyFy. Unfortunately, in the last few years the network has cancelled some of our favorites, including short-lived “Alphas” and veterans “Eureka” and “Warehouse 13”. But they’re starting to roll out some new shows in 2014, including bio-thriller “Helix”. It focuses on a group of CDC scientists who head down to a remote research base in the Arctic to investigate some sort of viral breakout.
With so little left on the network worth watching (we really aren’t into pro-wrestling or cheesy paranormal/ghost hunting shows), we figured Helix has the potential to be a good replacement for some of our old favorites. Besides, it’s got Billy Campbell (Jordan Collier from The 4400) in it and he’s always fun to have in a sci-fi show. Not only does it appear that the show will give us a mystery to solve with the viral outbreak but from recent promotional materials it seems there’s more drama between the characters than would first be apparent. Love triangles in the Arctic? We’ll take it.
The first season of Helix premieres Friday January 10, 2014 at 10:00pm on SyFy.
We hope some of our new and returning prospects interest you enough to at least take a peek when they arrive in the coming months. We also hope you all had a happy and safe New Years.
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