TV Picks: 30 September – 6 October 2013 (8 Out of 10 Cats, The Blacklist, Glee, HIGNFY, Homeland, The Psychopath Next Door, True Blood, etc.)

Below are my picks of the week's most notable shows, premiering/returning to UK screens...

CBS developing adaptation of Anne Rice time-travel novel ANGEL TIME

It's been reported that CBS are developing a pilot for Angel Time; an adaptation of the Anne Rice novel of the same name—the first in her The Songs of the Seraphim series.

The pilot is being written by Josh Harto and Liz Garcia (Memphis Beat), with Joe Carnahan (Narc, The Grey) slated to direct.

I'm unaware of these books, but they apparently involve a modern-day New Orleans hitman called Toby O'Dare (aka 'Lucky the Fox'), who accepts an offer from a mysterious stranger (a 'seraph') to atone for his sins. O'Dare duly finds himself transported back through time to 13th-century England; beginning a quest for salvation in this primitive, frightening setting.

That sounds very interesting. I'm a sucker for a good time-travel yarn, and this sounds like an extreme version of Life on Mars—if Sam Tyler were a villain trying to repent, and found himself going back to the 1270's.

Has anyone here read the books? I don't want any spoilers, but would it bet set entirely in the 13th-century from thereon in? Is is a medieval story that just happens to feature a man from the future? Mind you, I'd be more excited if it wasn't on CBS and written by the duo behind TNT's short-lived Memphis Beat...

Premiere: BBC1's ATLANTIS

What's it about? Fantasy-adventure series Atlantis concerns a modern-day man called Jason; who finds himself whisked back through time to the city of Atlantis before its famous watery demise.

Review: Channel 4's THE IT CROWD – 'The Internet is Coming'

written & directed by Graham Linehan

The fourth series of Graham Linehan's The IT Crowd ended in 2010, and hopes for a fifth series (co-written with amateur and semi-professional writers recruited via Twitter) soon fell by the wayside. Chris O'Dowd then had a breakthrough Hollywood role in Bridesmaids, Richard Ayoade kick-started an acclaimed directorial career thanks to Submarine and The Double, and Katherine Parkinson's stage career took off. It wasn't a surprise that getting the gang back together suddenly became a logistical challenge; but the talented cast of The IT Crowd appreciate the role this sitcom played in launching their careers, so they've come together for an hour-long valedictory wave.

Video: BREAKING BAD – Ecstasy of Gold

The final ever episode of Breaking Bad airs tomorrow night on AMC (can you believe it?!), so I thought I'd share this excellent fan-made music video covering the events of all five seasons. Needless to say there are gigantic spoilers within, so if you haven't seen the show please stay away. I'm serious; just move on... ideally to an online store to buy the complete series box-set (released 25 November). I'm going to miss this show so much...

Update 06/10/13: the video has been updated, post-finale, to reflect the second half of season 5.

Pilot: CBS's THE CRAZY ONES

What's it about? The Crazy Ones is a new CBS single-camera sitcom about a father and daughter who run a Chicago advertising agency.

NBC planning TV series based on CONSTANTINE graphic novels

It seems Marvel's success at multiplexes, coupled with The Walking Dead's success on cable television, is encouraging a lot of US studios execs to take a chance on network TV. Arrow's going to 'back-door pilot' a Flash spin-off this year, Fox have just ordered a crime drama called Gotham (taking place in Batman's home town), and now NBC have ordered a pilot of Constantine from David Goyer (Batman Begins, Man of Steel).

Pilot: MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D

What's it about? ABC's expensive sci-fi drama Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is a small-screen cousin of the superhero blockbusters Marvel's been churning out recently (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers). It follows the exploits of the fictional S.H.I.E.L.D organisation, who protect the public from super-villains, aliens, and dangerous technologies...

Pilot: Showtime's MASTERS OF SEX

What's it all about? Masters of Sex is a new 1950s comedy-drama, based on author Thomas Maier's biography of scientists William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who pioneered the study of human sexual response.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 4.15 – 'This Year's Girl' & ANGEL, 1.15 - 'The Prodigal'

Faith (to Buffy): What'd you think, I'd wake up and we'd go for tea? You tried to gut me, Blondie.

The departure of Professor Walsh from the narrative (somewhat prematurely, a la Oz), together with a feeling cyborg Adam only offers so much as a villain, perhaps led to the awakening of comatose Faith (Eliza Dushku) in "THIS YEAR'S GIRL". She was a character the show's had in its back pocket for awhile now, so her return was inevitable but well-timed. As much as I've enjoyed this fourth year more than I expected to, it hasn't really had the same punch as season 2 and 3, but the return of Faith certainly restored some energy.

Adam's still off on a rampage around Sunnydale; eviscerating demons and putting them on display as grisly "performance art", which chills Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends to the bone. Riley's (Marc Blucas) fortunately back on the team, having left The Initiative's medical care following last episode's brawl with Adam, but there's bigger fish to fry with the return of the cocky, wise-cracking Slayer called Faith—who awakens from her slumber like a poisonous Sleeping Beauty, having experienced symbolic dreams of Buffy knifing her in the stomach and slaughtering her adopted father The Mayor (Harry Groener) during a picnic.

MSN TV: The Worst TV Phone Calls

Over at MSN TV today: I've written a light-hearted feature, inspired by the BBC's new comedy-drama The Wrong Mans, outlining some of television's worst phone calls. Some are genuine scenes from actual TV shows (Breaking Bad, Doctor Who), while others are imaginary scenarios featuring TV personalities (Gordon Ramsay, Chris Tarrant). I hope you enjoy it!

Click to read this 'gallery feature' at MSN TV...

Fox order Batman-less GOTHAM series

Fox have perhaps noticed the popularity of The CW's Arrow (based on DC superhero The Green Arrow), so they've ordered a TV series set in the Batman universe. Gotham will focus on the Jim Gordon character (played by Gary Oldman, above, in The Dark Knight trilogy), but won't feature Gotham's most famous citizen Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Pilot: NBC's THE BLACKLIST

What's it about? NBC's The Blacklist is a crime drama revolving around the surrender of master criminal Raymond "Red" Reddington to the FBI, where he offers to help catch his criminal associates with the help of rookie profiler Elizabeth Keen.

Premiere: BBC2's THE WRONG MANS

What's it about? BBC2's comedy-drama The Wrong Mans concerns geeky council worker Sam Pinkett, who answers a ringing phone at the scene of a car crash and becomes embroiled in a kidnapping with his energetic friend Phil Bourne.

BREAKING BAD, 5.15 – 'Granite State'

"You really don't want us coming back here." – Todd to Skyler

written & directed by Peter Gould

Last week's "Ozymandias" deservedly registered with most people as a gold-standard classic, and one of the best episodes of television I've seen in years. It was always going to be hard to top that, and "Granite State" didn't manage to. But that's fine, because this episode had completely different intentions. "Ozymandias" detonated a narrative bomb we've been waiting to see go off for five seasons, so "Granite State" was about seeing where the wreckage fell.

DEXTER, 8.12 – 'Remember the Monsters?'

written by Scott Buck & Manny Coto | directed by Steve Shill

From the very beginning, fans of Dexter have speculated about the very end. It seemed inevitable the show would resolve with either serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) murdered by one of his quarry, or his secret exposed to the world and made to pay for his crimes. I'm sure everyone reading this review has dreamed up their own series finale (mine involved Dex being given the lethal injection, watched over by his workmates and spectral father), so the challenge for the writers was to do something unexpected. I think they achieved this, for the most part, which meant the finale was interesting and one of the better episodes this season. It was pretty good and a decent finale, but I'm very disappointed the writers never embraced the possibilities a final season presented them with. It was a chance to do something truly radical and memorable. Some will also argue the ending was cowardly, for reasons I'll expand upon below...

TV Picks: 23-29 September 2013 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Atlantis, The IT Crowd, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Strictly Come Dancing, The Wrong Mans, etc.)

The 2013/14 TV season begins this week! Below are my picks of the week's most notable returning/premiering shows on UK screens...

Flashback: ROUND THE TWIST (1989, 1992; 2000-2001)

If you're a thirtysomething Aussie or Brit, chances are you watched children's television series Round the Twist in 1989 and 1992. It was also revived in 2000, but I'm guessing original fans weren't so keen on that millennial remake—in the same way fans of Eerie, Indiana don't have much time for Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension. But that's a whole other flashback..

What would a modern X FILES be like?

Michael C. Hall & Archie Panjabi - the modern, alternative Mulder & Scully?

Imagine if Chris Carter never had the idea that became The X Files back in 1993, but someone else dreamed up the same concept today. What would the show be like if it was born two decades late into the current TV landscape? The X Files changed so much about television that it's impossible to know for sure, as it influenced so much that's currently airing, but let's play a fun game of 'alternate universe speculation' anyway...

MSN TV: BBC Three's ORPHAN BLACK

Today over at MSN TV: I've reviewed the first two episodes of BBC America's sci-fi clone drama ORPHAN BLACK, which has started its run on BBC Three.

Remember the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama, Ringer, in which she played the roles of twins who swap lives? No? That's hardly surprising, as it was a textbook guide on how to take a interesting concept and then ruin it over 22 excruciating episodes. I therefore wasn't expecting to enjoy Orphan Black, perhaps due to residual feelings of disappointment from how Sarah had let me down so badly. However, this pilot episode did a terrific job laying out the concept of an unusual identity switch and hooking audiences into its story and mystery, as it opens with streetwise Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) witnessing her doppelgänger jump to her death in front of a speeding train.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

WHITECHAPEL, 4.3 – episode three

Whitechapel isn't a show I'm reviewing weekly, but I thought I'd share my thoughts about this week's third episode. The interesting thing is how this hour was written by Steve Pemberton, who plays local crime historian Edward Buchan on the show, but is still best-known for co-writing/starring in horror comedies The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville. I was interested to see how Pemberton would tackle a relatively straight crime drama like Whitechapel, as someone whose horror expertise is beyond reproach, but usually has to ensure there's something funny happening between the lines.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 4.14 - 'Goodbye Iowa' & ANGEL, 1.14 - 'I’ve Got You Under My Skin'

Spike (to Buffy): Gotta hand it to you, Goldilocks. You do have bleedin' tragic taste in men. I got a cousin married to a regurgitating Frovalox demon that's got better instincts than you.

Something of an adjustment episode now Professor Walsh has been killed by her own creation, the modern-day Frankenstein's Monster known affectionately as Adam (George Hetzberg). "GOODBYE IOWA" involved everyone trying to fathom what's going on, as feeling of paranoia and mistrust bubbled up. In particular, Riley (Marc Blucas) began to suspect his girlfriend Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was responsible for killing Walsh, nudged along by the theorising of best-friend Forrest (Leonard Roberts); and even Buffy had a moment of doubt when it looked possible her boyfriend Riley was involved in Walsh's plot to kill her.

Pilot: Fox's SLEEPY HOLLOW

What's it about? Sleepy Hollow's a fantasy thriller that concerns Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), a soldier who beheads a masked horseman during a skirmish in 1781, only to wake up in present-day Sleepy Hollow to continue his duel with the now 'headless horseman', aided by Deputy Sheriff Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie).

DEXTER, 8.11 – 'Monkey in a Box'

written by Tim Schlattmann & Wendy West | directed by Ernest Dickerson

As penultimate episodes go, "Money in a Box" wasn't awful. As penultimate episodes of a series-ending season go, "Monkey in a Box" was an underwhelming hour. I just expected so much more for Dexter in its final season. While it's almost inevitable eight years of expectations are hard to satisfy, the writers have taken things in a direction that lacks impact. I find it hard to care that Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is planning to leave the country with Hannah (Yvonne Strahovski), because what we really want is him forced to deal with everyone knowing he's a serial killer. Maybe that will happen next week, but this episode also played the "all you need is love card"--where it seems the antidote to Dex's homicidal urges was love. Awww. A sentiment so naive and one-dimensional it wouldn't have been used pre-season 4, but a lot's changed since those days.

BREAKING BAD, 5.14 – 'Ozymandias'

"My name is ASAC Schrader and you can go fuck yourself" – Hank Schrader

written by Moira Walley-Beckett | directed by Rian Johnson

The title refers to the Shelley poem of the the same name, about a proud king's crumbling legacy, so it was fitting that "Ozymandias" marked the moment Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) self-made empire came crashing down all around him; leaving death, disillusionment, and despair in its wake. After last week's thrilling climax, it was inevitable this hour would contain a devastating aftermath, but writer Moira Walley-Beckett really blew the whole show wide open, leaving a gaping wound bleeding everywhere. If you're still sympathetic towards Walt, you need your head examining.

AMC developing THE WALKING DEAD companion series for 2015

AMC have announced they're making a spin-off to their smash-hit zombie drama The Walking Dead, which regularly pulls in mainstream ratings for the cable network. The comic-book's creator Robert Kirman will executive-produce, alongside Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert.

So many of the best or most popular television shows are dead, or dying...

In the wake of True Blood announcing its final season next summer, have you noticed how many TV shows have recently finished, or are also approaching their ends? Being Human, The Borgias, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Fringe, Luther, Mad Men, Merlin, Misfits, Spartacus... I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that spring to mind. By this time next year, none of those will be broadcasting new episodes. Quite a few will be all tapped out by October. Some are already dead.

TV Picks: 16-22 September 2013 (By Any Means, Downton Abbey, Father Figure, Orphan Black, Rise of Animals, etc.)

Below are my week's picks of the most notable new/returning TV shows on UK screens...

Twitter'd: A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

My live-tweets of bad movies continued on Saturday afternoon with action sequel A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD, starring Bruce Willis & Jai Courtney. (You can read my previous live-tweets here.)

THE X FILES: 20 Years On

I feel I have to write something about The X Files in the week it has somehow reached its 20th birthday. A cultural touchstone for many, I credit it with cementing my love of television drama back in the mid-'90s. It's strange to remember just how ingrained in pop-culture The X Files was around that time. There are now so many excellent TV shows vying for people's attention, that few rise above the rest in terms of both critical acclaim and popular appeal. That's perhaps because viewing's so fractured these days, whereas when The X Files started most people still only had four channels in the UK, and Sky's only non-sporting selling point was The Simpsons. It was little wonder the masses seized on this very unusual, intelligent, enjoyable show.

Letterboxd: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (2013); HANSEL & GRETEL - WITCH HUNTERS (2012)

★★★ (out of five)

Antoine Fuqua's OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is: DIE HARD in the White House. The fact the actual DIE HARD franchise long ago forgot its greatest asset wasn't superstar Bruce Willis but environmental limitation, means I appreciated OLYMPUS for delivering a better sequel than the same summer's A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD.

There's also some post-9/11 flavours here, as there is in almost every high-concept US thriller nowadays. I guess it's because what once felt like utter nonsense now has potential to feel plausible to audiences, no matter how ludicrously presented. The idea of hijacked planes crashing into the World Trade Center felt laughable pre-9/11, which is why most movies like this kept things smaller-scale or looked to Mother Nature for the big thrills... but who's laughing now? That's not to say I think North Korean terrorists are going to infiltrate the US and orchestrate a take-down of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue using a ground and air assault lasting just shy of 15-minutes. That would be absurd.

Gerard Butler plays Mike Banning; a Secret Service agent who failed Aaron Eckhart's President Asher and was removed from Presidential Detail. He gets a chance for redemption when North Koreans, led by Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune), lay waste to "Olympus"; kidnapping POTUS and detaining his West Wing staff in the building's impregnable bunker while they try to crack the nation's top secret 'Cerberus' program and remove US forces from Korea's DMZ.

Autumn/Winter 2013: What to Watch

The start of the 2013/14 TV season is almost upon us, with UK and US channels ready to launch a slew of new shows together with their returning favourites. It promises to be a busy few months for telly addicts, but what will I be watching from now until Christmas? In chronological order, let's take a look...

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 4.13 - 'The I in Team' & ANGEL, 1.13 – 'She'

Buffy: Why exactly can't we damage this Polka thing's arms? I mean, n-not that I want to. It's just, in my experience, when fighting for your life, body parts get damaged. And better its bits than mine.

I really like how "THE I IN TEAM" didn't waste any time advancing the plot far beyond what I expected it to, concerning what's behind The Initiative's mysterious Door 314 and the intentions of Dr Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) when it comes to new recruit Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). As I mentioned last week, I already knew that Door 314 contained a 'Frankenstein's Monster' called Adam, harvested from an assortment of demons the commandos have been rounding up, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment because it wasn't such a big secret. The only thing I found frustrating about this hour was trying to fathom the motivations of Walsh in wanting to kill Buffy, seeing as having a Slayer on your team is such an obvious boon. Maybe she just dislikes her? Or believes she'd never see the virtue of their secret chimera? Maybe things will become a little clearer next week, but it feels like the writers could have done a better job explaining Walsh's thought processes.

AMC/Sony close to announcing BREAKING BAD spin-off BETTER CALL SAUL

Talk of a Breaking Bad spin-off focusing on the sleazy lawyer character of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) has been going on for awhile now, but it seems AMC/Sony are close to officially announcing prequel series Better Call Saul. It will be an hour-long comedy-drama set before the events of Breaking Bad; which means Saul could potentially die in the final three episodes of Breaking Bad, and that characters from said show could cameo in Saul's own series.

BBC unveil DOCTOR WHO's 50th anniversary celebrations

The news leaked earlier than scheduled yesterday evening, but the BBC have officially released information about the programming that's been commissioned to celebrate the half centenary of their iconic sci-fi drama Doctor Who.

Trailers: CBS's BACKSTROM & HBO's TRUE DETECTIVE

Don't get too excited after viewing this trailer for Backstrom (if that's possible), because CBS decided not to pick it up for a full series. It's an unaired pilot, probably doomed to forever float around the internet in this 'sizzle reel' format. However, maybe if enough people shout about it the streaming Gods will listen and bring it to Amazon or Netflix. Stranger things have happened. I'm probably helping by embedding it here, in a very small way.

DEXTER, 8.10 – 'Goodbye Miami'

written by Scott Reynolds | directed by Steve Shill

The final three episodes begin, but with a mild pop instead of an explosion. I simply don't buy into the idea Dexter (Michael C. Hall) would elope with Hannah (Yvonne Strahovski) and his son, leaving his sister behind, because their relationship doesn't feel as strong as it once did. It's tried to undo some of the knots the Dexter/Hannah situation had tied itself up in last season (he can't trust her, she hates his sister), but it hasn't been handled effectively enough. It just feels like the show needs Dexter to start making a life-changing decision like leaving Miami because, well, it's the end of the series soon and they need a big event.