Test Pattern: What's Your Indispensable TV Network?

We all have the networks--whether broadcast or cable, legacy or newbie--that we gravitate to, but I was wondering this morning about so-called indispensable networks.

Given that I write about television, nearly all networks could be said to be indispensable in one way or another, but what I was pondering was that one specific television channel that you can't turn away from, that you automatically switch to when you turn on the television, or which you have on as background while you're doing other things in our multi-tasking obsessed society.

Many years ago, that channel was--perhaps not surprisingly for those of you who know me--Food Network, but it was replaced by BBC America around 2000 and for many years that was my go-to network, the one spot on the metaphorical dial that I could always depend on for diverting fare, soothing background noise, or a sense of the familiar and comforting.

For whatever the reason, sadly, that's not the case anymore and--shock, horror--I've actually gone so far as to remove BBC America from my list of TiVo favorite channels as it's become a 24-hour network showcasing little other than Star Trek: The Next Generation, Top Gear, and repeats of three ubiquitous Gordon Ramsay reality series. (Three standouts this year: crime drama Luther, reality series The Choir, and culinary competition series Come Dine with Me all had short runs, unfortunately, and Doctor Who can't run all year long.)

But that's a rant for another post (and, believe me, it's coming).

What I am curious about is whether you have a specific network that fulfills those needs and just what network that might be. Are you addicted to USA? Hooked on HBO? Famished for Food Network? Drawn to Cartoon Network? Ingratiated towards IFC? Perpetually amazed by AMC?

Head to the comments section to discuss and debate.

This Thing of Darkness: An Advance Review of BBC America's Luther

Idris Elba's haunted detective, DCI John Luther, is at the center of BBC America's newest drama offering, the intense psychological drama Luther, created by Neil Cross (Spooks). Fiery-tempered and prone to violence, Luther is often a thug with a policeman's badge, an amoral copper with a need for justice and a taste of darkness.

The six-episode first season of Luther begins this Sunday on BBC America after a successful run on BBC One earlier this year. A bruised Valentine of a police procedural, the series charts the moral disintegration of John Luther following an incident in which he seemingly let a child killer fall to his death rather than saving him. Was it justice? And is there a difference between man's justice and the law's?

Elba plays Luther with a burning anger, a righteous indignation at the presence of evil in the world. But like any man who has stared into the abyss, it has stared right back into him, corrupting him with its darkness. Returning to work after a breakdown, all eyes are on the unpredictable Luther, even as he attempts to get his life back on track in light of that moral breach. (You can read my interview with Elba at The Daily Beast.)

But life has moved on without John Luther.

His marriage to wife Zoe (Rome's great Indira Varma) in in shambles. Zoe has taken up with a new lover, human rights lawyer Mark North (Collision's Paul McGann), but Luther can't wrap his head around the fact that their relationship is over. It, however, only makes too much sense that Zoe has chosen to start over with someone who happens to be Luther's polar opposite: a sensitive soul whose profession is at odds with Luther's unorthodox methods. She's chosen saintly over id-driven, really.

As he attempts to reclaim his life following his suspension from the Metropolitan Police, Luther is assigned a new partner--Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley (Occupation's Warren Brown)--and a new case: the brutal murder of a couple and their dog, a crimson-stained bloodbath that turns up few leads and only one suspect: the couple's icy and brilliant physicist daughter, Alice Morgan (Jane Eyre's Ruth Wilson).

Did Alice viciously murder her parents? And for what end? What secrets do her crystal blue eyes conceal? And just why is she taking an interest in Luther's own life? Is she friend or foe? It's these answers that the first season of Luther seeks to answer, positioning Luther and Alice as a cross between combatants and potential lovers, two brilliant minds whose instantaneous connection will either save or damn them both.

What follows is a taut psychological thriller, an intense game of cat and mouse that pits the wits of Luther and Alice against each other, even as it offers an exploration of moral relativism. Alice's belief that nothing matters is at cross-purposes with Luther's need for justice; her cool detachment the opposite of Luther's fiery anger. Sparks, as they say, instantly fly between the two.

On the surface, Luther is a police procedural: ghastly crimes--everything from Satanic kidnappings, sniper attacks, and serial killings--occur and Luther and Ripley investigate and attempt to apprehend the perpetrator, who is each week identified at the start of the episode, making it less of a whodunit and more of a "whydoneit" akin to Columbo or a Ruth Rendell novel.

It's also an incisive workplace drama, depicting the inner workings of the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crime Unit and the temptation that detectives face to cut corners, to exact their own vengeance, to test their own moral ambiguity in pursuit of some serious villains. Saskia Reeves (Spooks) plays Luther's well-intentioned boss, Detective Superintendent Rose Teller, who attempts to balance the needs of the force against her support of Luther and his unusual policing style. Steven Mackintosh (Criminal Justice) is Luther's trusted ally, DCI Ian Reed, a man who has Luther's back but may have inherited his friend's own sometimes dubious outlook on life.

And it's also a gripping, white-knuckle psychological thriller, as Luther faces off with Wilson's Alice Morgan, a woman so gifted that she excels at everything she encounters, including murder. Once Luther has entered her dangerous web, he's ensnared by her madness and her genius, their every encounter escalating as Alice makes Luther her latest project. But does she want to kiss him or kill him?

Elba crackles with energy as John Luther, easily the best role he's played since The Wire's Stringer Bell. It's fantastic to see Elba in such a physical and emotionally draining role: his passion, his fury, and his thirst for justice resonate in every scene. Wilson is breathtaking as Alice, incandescent and smoldering even as she buries her emotion under a veneer of ice. But there's a coquettish danger to her every movement, every bite of her lower lip, toss of her hair reveals a cold-blooded serpentine nature to Alice. (It's almost impossible to tear yourself away from Wilson's performance, so perfectly cast as she is here.)

I will say that some of Luther's action--particularly in the later part of the season--does require a very willing suspension of disbelief and the procedural mysteries often have a hole or two in the plotting that niggle afterwards, but that's a rare flaw in an otherwise taut and accomplished series, casting an intoxicating spell that sticks with you long after the final scene.

It's not one to be missed.



Luther begins Sunday night at 10 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "Idris Elba: The Next Denzel"

Idris Elba is everywhere, from The Big C to next summer’s Thor to playing Alex Cross in the rebooted James Patterson franchise. His BBC America mystery, Luther, begins Sunday.

Over at The Daily Beast, I talk to the former star of HBO's The Wire about his career and about his new BBC show Luther in my latest feature, "The Next Denzel," in which we discuss everything from Luther to The Big C and The Office and his role in James Patterson's Alex Cross franchise, a role he takes over from Morgan Freeman.

Personally, I had a blast chatting with Idris, who has an immense amount of charm and charisma... as well as a way with colorful turns of phrases.

Luther begins Sunday night at 10 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Set Course for America: Doctor Who Heads to the US for Season Six Arc

The Doctor is heading to America.

Season Six of Doctor Who will not only see the Doctor and Amy head to the States for an upcoming two-part episode to air in 2011 (which will be co-produced by BBC America), but the production itself will head across the pond to shoot scenes, marking the first time that the venerable sci-fi franchise has actually shot within the U.S.

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will be joined by Artur Darvill's Rory and Alex Kingston's River Song as they head for the U.S. in mid-November to shoot scenes that will be set in the Utah desert and the Oval Office... and in the 1960s. Production on the non-US location-based scenes will get underway this month.

“The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually!" said Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat. "And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location - and not with a story like this one! Oh, you wait!”

"Steven's scripts generally inspire us to go that extra mile - this time we're going that extra four thousand," said Piers Wenger, Head of Drama BBC Wales and executive producer. "Thanks to our friends at BBC America and to the continuing ambition of our lead writer and production team, the first two episodes of Matt Smith's second season as the Doctor are going global and look set to become Doctor Who's most action-packed and ambitious season opener yet".

Doctor Who returns this Christmas for a new one-off special before returning for its sixth season in spring 2011. The season, as previously reported, will be split into two segments, the first airing in the spring and the second in autumn 2011.

The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

DOCTOR WHO TO FILM IN THE U.S. FOR THE FIRST TIME
Upcoming season’s first two episodes to be set in the U.S.
The BBC announced today that season six of Doctor Who, which delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA earlier this year, will open with a spectacular two-parter set in the U.S. and penned by ‘Who supremo’ Steven Moffat.

In the special two-parter co-produced with BBC AMERICA, key scenes will be filmed in Utah for a story set in the late ‘60s in which the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah - right to the Oval Office itself.

Production on episodes one and two of the new season starts in Cardiff this month and Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will then travel to America in mid November to shoot pivotal scenes. They will also be joined by Alex Kingston who reprises her role as River Song.

Showrunner and lead writer, Steven Moffat, said: “The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually! And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location - and not with a story like this one! Oh, you wait!”

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama BBC Wales and Executive Producer, added: "Steven's scripts generally inspire us to go that extra mile - this time we're going that extra four thousand. Thanks to our friends at BBC AMERICA and to the continuing ambition of our lead writer and production team, the first two episodes of Matt Smith's second season as the Doctor are going global and look set to become Doctor Who's most action-packed and ambitious season opener yet".

The new season follows on from the Doctor Who Christmas special guest starring Katherine Jenkins and Michael Gambon which is due to premiere during the holiday season. Season six will start airing on BBC AMERICA in spring 2011 and has been split into two blocks, with the second block airing in autumn 2011. By splitting the series Moffat plans to give viewers one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers and plot twists ever, leaving them waiting, on the edge of their seats, until the autumn to find out what happens.

2010 has been a breakthrough year for the Doctor Who franchise across all platforms since BBC AMERICA became the official home of the series. The series reached the number one spot on the “Top TV Seasons” chart on iTunes and now Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Season hits stores on Blu-ray and DVD on November 9.

Doctor Who was co-commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning for BBC One and Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One and will be produced by Marcus Wilson (Life on Mars) and Sanne Wohlenberg (Margaret). Steven Moffat is Lead Writer and Executive Producer (Sherlock Holmes) with Piers Wenger, Head of Drama, BBC Wales and Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes), also Executive Producing.

Filming is taking place in Cardiff until March 2011.

High Drama: BBC Announces Dramas from Sam Mendes, Jane Campion, and Sir David Hare (Plus Sizzle Reel Video)

I've found myself extremely distracted this morning.

The cause: this gorgeous sizzle reel put together by BBC for their upcoming drama offerings, which include Accused, Aurelio Zen, Christopher and His Kind, The Crimson Petal and the White, Doctor Who Christmas Special, The First Men in the Moon, Hattie, Lip Service, The Nativity, Outcasts, The Shadow Line, Silk, Single Father, The Song of Lunch, South Riding, Toast, Upstairs Downstairs, When Harvey Met Bob, and Women in Love. (Whew.)

Look for cameos from Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Christopher Eccleston, which must be the first time the three most recent actors playing the Doctor have appeared in anything together. Even if it is just a sizzle reel.

You can view Auntie Beeb's slick and provocative reel below. Just be forewarned: you'll probably want to watch it again and again.



Meanwhile, the Beeb also announced upcoming dramas from Sam Mendes, Jane Campion, and Sir David Hare. The full press release from the BBC can be found below.

BBC Controller of Drama announces new commissions from three of world's leading creative talents: Sam Mendes, Jane Campion and Sir David Hare

To mark two years in post, BBC Controller of Drama, Ben Stephenson unveiled the new season of drama coming up on the BBC over the next six months across all four channels.

Speaking tonight at the event to the press, industry and artists, Ben Stephenson said: "Two years in this job has put the fire in my belly to stand up for British drama. I love the passion for drama in this country – opinionated writers and audiences who demand quality drama. The BBC should embrace all of these – we should be contradictory and a broad church in our ability to mix high art with the best of popular culture.

"The Song Of Lunch should rub shoulders with EastEnders, Sherlock with Shakespeare, Sir David Hare with Steven Moffat, Emma Thompson with Idris Elba… Tonight, I have some pretty incredible announcements and only BBC Drama could bring you this kind of quality and ambition.

"Epic film versions of four of Shakespeare's History plays from award-winning stage and film director Sam Mendes, by some of the best theatre directors in the country. A major new single play written and directed by playwright and screenwriter Sir David Hare. Finally, authored, original drama at its finest from Oscar-winning writer/director Jane Campion."

Shakespeare on BBC Two from Neal Street Productions

Ben Stephenson announced BBC Drama's commitment to Shakespeare with new screen versions of four of the History plays - Richard II, Henry IV part I and II, and Henry V from Neal Street Productions, with Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and Pippa Harris (Starter For Ten, Stuart A Life Backwards) executive producing.

The producer will be Rupert Ryle-Hodges (Cranford), with Simon Russell Beale as associate producer. The directors include Sir Richard Eyre (Iris, Notes On A Scandal) and Rupert Goold (Enron, Macbeth).

Commissioned by Ben Stephenson and Controller, BBC Two, Janice Hadlow.

Executive producer Sam Mendes said: "I couldn't be more delighted to be making these Shakespeare films for the BBC. One of my earliest introductions to Shakespeare was watching the plays on TV, and it's terrific to have the opportunity to bring them to a new, wider audience."

He also added that: "Richard's production of 'King Lear' and Rupert's 'Macbeth' were two of the best Shakespeare productions I've ever seen, and it's an honour to have them on board."

Jane Campion's Top Of The Lake for BBC Two

Startling, atmospheric new multi-part drama series announced for BBC Two from Oscar-winning writer/director Jane Campion (The Piano, Sweetie, Portrait Of A Lady, In The Cut, Bright Star).

Top Of The Lake is authored, original drama at its finest, bringing to screen a unique landscape – remote, mountainous New Zealand – in a powerful and haunting story about our search for happiness in a paradise where honest work is hard to find.

A twelve-year-old girl stands chest deep in a frozen lake. She is five months pregnant, and she won't say who the father is, insisting it was 'no one'. Then she disappears. Robin Griffin, the investigating detective, will find this the case that tests her to her limits. In the search for Tui she will first have to find herself.

Directed by Jane Campion, and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee. It is a multi-part serial for BBC Two and will film in 2011, produced by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning of UK/Australian company See-Saw Films.

Commissioned by Ben Stephenson and Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two.

Sir David Hare

English playwright and screenwriter returns to the BBC with a single play which he will also direct, through Christine Langan Creative Director of BBC Films. More details to be announced soon. His credits include Plenty (1985), Wetherby (1985), My Zinc Bed (2000) and The Permanent Way (2003).

Channel Surfing: Bryan Fuller to Tackle The Munsters, J.J. Abrams Talks Alias Reboot, Matt Smith Talks Doctor Who Xmas, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

File this under: oh my god. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello and Andy Patrick are reporting that Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller is developing an update of--wait for it--The Munsters. NBC has ordered a pilot for the project, which is being described as "Modern Family meets True Blood." If that wasn't enough to whet your appetite, Ausiello and Patrick also report that Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy) might executive produce as well. Jaw officially on the floor... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos talks to Undercovers executive producer J.J. Abrams about the NBC espionage drama and about several topics on everyone's minds: namely that rumored Alias reboot and the Terry O'Quinn/Michael Emerson NBC drama pilot. News of a potential Alias reboot were news to Abrams, despite unnamed sources at the network telling Dos Santos that they're still considering rebooting the franchise. "I know there were some discussions about that early on," Abrams told E! Online. "But it was internal Disney discussions, not discussions with me. So I'm not sure what they're thinking now. At the moment obviously they have True Lies, which I'm sure is going to fill their need for a spy series, and we're obviously very busy at Bad Robot [J.J.'s production company]. So the idea of even discussing it is going to be very delayed for a while. But it's not only up to me; if they wanted to redo it, they could do it with or without me. It's not really my decision." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Metro's Tom Phillips has an interview with Doctor Who star Matt Smith about this year's Christmas special, written by head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat. "We've got Michael Gambon playing a Scrooge-like miser with a time travelling twist – and I think it’s really, really good," said Smith. "It’s particularly Christmassy, lots of snow and lots of twinkly lights. I think it’s full of the right heart and soul for the season. Steven has, once again, written something brilliant." Smith also discusses the Neil Gaiman episode of Who, set to air next season, which he describes as "a real cracker – I think it’s going to be a real one for the Who fans, I think they’re going to love it." (Metro)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a first look at the Cylon Centurions heading to Syfy's Caprica, which returns for the back half of its first season next week. “Daniel Graystone’s creation—the early-model Cylon known as the U-87—emerges as a critical story point,” executive producer David Eick told Ausiello. “Due to the bad PR Daniel has endured since his prized creation, the Holoband, [was blamed for] the emergence of terrorist cells on Caprica, Daniel shifts his company’s focus to the perfection of artificial intelligence and its proliferation throughout the culture as the ultimate `helper’: Never gets tired. Never asks for a raise. Never quits on the job... Meanwhile, Joseph Adama and his brother Sam—using their organized-crime muscle to seize control of Daniel’s company—see an altogether different purpose for the U-87s: to sell to the highest bidder, no matter how violent their agenda might be." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Shelley Conn (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) has been cast as the female lead in FOX's upcoming prehistoric/futuristic adventure series Terra Nova, which will get a sneak peek in May before launching in Fall 2011. Conn will star opposite Jason O'Mara and Stephen Lang and will play Elizabeth Shannon, the wife of O'Mara's character, who travels back 85 million years. (Deadline)

Despite being cancelled earlier this week, FOX's Lone Star's second episode will still get its encore broadcast this Saturday, according to The Futon Critic. (Futon Critic)

NBC has ordered a pilot (with a penalty attached) for a Jack Black-executive produced comedy based on AJ Jacob's book "The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment." Project, from Reveille and Sony Pictures Television, will revolve around "a man fixated on self-improvement who takes on difficult experiments and lifestyles, all of which makes things tough on his family." Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa are attached as writers. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere at the Peacock, NBC is said to be adapting British reality series The Boss Is Coming to Dinner, from Zodiak USA. Project, from executive producers Grant Mansfield, Natalka Znack, and Claire O'Donohue, revolves around "a group of job applicants who must invite their prospective employer to their home and throw a dinner party. After the boss meets with the candidates, he or she makes a final hiring decision." (Variety)

The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that Anderson Cooper is in talks with Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to host a syndicated daytime talk show. "The talk show deal is complex because its being coordinated between Warner Bros., Cooper and Cooper's employers at CNN -- who have an exclusive contract with the newsman," writes Hibberd. "The deal, which has been in talks for more than a month and may close by the end of the week, calls for Cooper to continue hosting 360. With a lot of moving parts at play, however, sources caution the deal is not yet a sure thing." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that FOX is considering ordering Lawyers for Less, described as "a light legal drama franchise" from creator/star Danny Comden and Sony Pictures Television that will be executive produced and directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. Project, written by Comden and Josh Pate, is said to be "a workplace comedic drama about two best friends - a white-shoe lawyer (Comden) coming back from disbarment for mixing business and pleasure and an enterprising black lawyer who takes him in as partner - who run a small storefront law firm specializing in ambulance chasing and defending the defenseless." (Deadline)

CSI creator Anthony Zuiker will bring the villain from his "Level 26" novel series--Sqweegel, described as a "forensic proof" serial killer--into an episode of CSI set to air on October 14th. He'll be played by Daniel Browning Smith, the world's most flexible man. (Variety)

Nickelodeon has ordered 26 episodes of live-action comedy Supah Ninjas from executive producer Brian Robbins. Series, which stars Ryan Potter, revolves around "a high schooler who discovers that he actually descends from a line of ninjas" and "forms a secret team of ninja crime fighters -- the 'Supah Ninjas' -- with his friends (Carlos Knight and Gracie Dzienny)." (Variety)

Sony Pictures Television has signed a blind script deal with Leah Rachel (CSI: NY), which would be executive produced by Jamie Tarses. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "Nine Shows to Watch, Six Shows to Shun"

My fall TV preview--or at least part of it, anyway--is finally up.

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest feature, "Nine Shows to Watch, Six Shows to Shun," where I offer up nine new series to watch this fall and six shows to avoid like the plague.

Just which ended up on which list? Hint, The Event ended up on my worst-of list, while things like Boardwalk Empire, Terriers, Nikita, Sherlock, Luther, Undercovers and others ended up on my watch list. (While The Walking Dead is on there, I still--like every other critic--have not seen a full episode, so there's that to consider.)

But while this is my list, I'm also extremely curious to find out what you're looking forward to this autumn. What are you most excited about watching this fall? Head to the comments section to discuss, debate, and tear into my list.

Telly News From Blighty: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Luther, Case Histories

Yes, I'm back from my holiday-slash-birthday-weekend-extravaganza and catching up on what I missed while I was gone, including news about three of my favorite series, all of which happen to hail from the other side of the pond, and a fourth that is likely to become a new favorite when it launches next year. (Hint: it involves the creators of Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes and novelist Kate Atkinson.)

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has indicated that Season Six of the time-travel drama series will be split into two separate segments, with seven episodes to air in the first half of 2011 and six episodes to air in fall 2011.

What comes between? Well, a "game-changing cliffhanger," according to Moffat, speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. (You can watch video of the session over at The Guardian as well.)

"Looking at the next series I thought what this show needs is a big event in the middle," said Moffat. "I kept referring to a mid-season finale. So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything. The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series."

"What I love about this idea is that when kids see Doctor Who go off the air, they will be noticeably taller when it comes back," he continued. "It's an age for children. With an Easter series, an autumn series and a Christmas special, you are never going to be more than few months from the new series of Doctor Who. Tart that I am, we will now have two first nights and two finales, twice as many event episodes as we had before."

Let the guessing games begin about just what the cliffhanger might be...

Sherlock.Moffat, meanwhile, might have his hands full already with Doctor Who but that hasn't stopped Auntie Beeb from rightly commissioning a second season of the truly fantastic mystery series Sherlock, created by Moffat and Mark Gatiss.

(It's not a surprise as the first season of Sherlock--which consisted of three feature-length mysteries--lured approximately 9 million viewers in the U.K. It launches Stateside next month on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.)

BBC One has ordered another three feature-length cases for Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman), set to launch in fall 2011. The creators have promised "baffling new puzzles, old friends and new enemies" when the series returns. (Holmesians will be happy to note that I put in a request for Irene Adler when I met with Moffat and Gatiss a few weeks back.)

Luther.BBC One has ordered two hour-long specials for psychological crime drama Luther, which wrapped up its sixth episode run earlier this year in the UK and which will launch this fall on BBC America. A co-production between BBC One and BBC America, Luther stars Idris Elba; the two specials will air in 2011.

Case Histories. Elsewhere, Monastic Production's Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah--the creators of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes--have announced their new project: an adaptation of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels, beginning with "Case Histories." I'm a huge fan of Atkinson's novels and Graham and Pharoah, so I can't wait to see how they tackle her books and adapt them for television.

The duo will adapt all three novels--"Case Histories," "One Good Turn," "When Will There Be Good News," for the first season of Case Histories, with Pharoah set to adapt the first, Graham to adapt the second, and an as-yet-unnamed writer to tackle the third. Project, which will be produced by Ruby Television with Monastic, is set to air in 2011, with production slated to begin in Edinburgh this autumn.

But the best bit is who the guys have got to play Jackson Brodie: none other than Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood) himself. Isaacs was attached to play the lead in FOX drama pilot Pleading Guilty (an adaptation of Scott Turow's novel), which was overseen by Bones creator Hart Hanson, but the project was not ordered to series.

FOX's loss is Case Histories' gain. Congrats to Ash and Matt for the commission and for landing Isaacs. Can't wait to see him as Jackson!

What do you make of the news? What's behind the splitting up of the next season of Doctor Who? Anxious for more Sherlock? Ready to have Luther put you on the edge of your seat again? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Supernatural Stars of Being Human Tease Season Three, US Version, Barry Island

Last year's Comic-Con featured a huge crowd for BBC America's supernatural drama series Being Human, which hadn't even premiered in the US yet when the stars of the BBC Three series made their way to San Diego. A year later and the enthusiasm for the series--part Gothic horror, part soap, part buddy comedy--hasn't diminished.

Televisionary special correspondent Lissette Lira attended the press room for Being Human and spoke to the cast about illegal downloading, the US version of Being Human that Syfy is developing, what's coming up on Season Three of the UK version, and Barry Island.

Wait, Barry Island? Yes, you read that correctly. Just why are Mitchell, George, and Annie headed to the pleasure park? Read on in Lissette Lira's full report on just what went down behind the press room's closed doors at the Marriott Marina last weekend:

After a warm reception at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the Being Human cast--Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, and Aidan Tuner--returned this year, along with first-timer Sinead Keenan. The cast first appeared on Thursday night, when they introduced the premiere episode of Season Two to an enthusiastic Comic-Con audience.

The following day, Russell Tovey recounted for the press room how on the previous night, Sinead had warned him, “No one’s seen it yet, darling, it comes out Saturday.” To which Tovey replied, “I promise you everyone there will have illegally taken it.”

Aidan Turner also chimed in, lamenting how much content the US audience loses because of the ad breaks. “That kind of sucks really,” Turner complained. “We shoot 55 to 57 minutes and you lose a lot here [in the US broadcasts].” This then led Tovey to voice his support for the illegal downloading movement. [Editor: Televisionary does not condone illegal downloading in any form, but does appreciate Tovey’s candor on the matter.]

What else did the oh-so-charming cast have to say? Read on as our in-depth press room report continues, complete with video of Being Human's Turner, Tovey, Crichlow, and Keenan.

VIDEO: The cast discusses illegal downloading

As the discussion shifted to the topic of Season Two, Tovey teased, “You start seeing cracks in relationships/friendships. Everyone seems to go off on their own adventure and journey. Annie has been caught in a bubble and thinks that everything is blissful, we’re all safe and life’s great and she’s blinkered to the fact that Mitchell and George are suffering terribly. George is filled with testosterone and has manned up more than he’s ever had to be a man before because of the wolf that’s taken over him and he used the wolf to kill Herrick. And Mitchell’s abstinence from blood is getting harder for him, but we all kind of miss each others' issues. Everyone is in denial.”

Lenora Crichlow echoed this sentiment, describing her character Annie--the group's resident ghost--as being “on a bit of a personal journey again trying to deepen her understanding of what it means to be where she is and who she is."

"There’s lots of things that come up that kind of snap her into reality," said Crichlow. "She has to confront death several times again and the way she died again so it’s bleak getting hammered home. Whatever happened to her she has to face it, she has to get real about it in order to kind of move on at all.”

As some viewers have noted in the past, the “supernatural rules” on Being Human can be somewhat vague at times. In response to the criticism, Turner argued, “Toby created his own rules which I think is very cool. We can’t really afford CGI to let Mitchell run really fast along the streets. I think Being Human is about engrossing these characters in the reality of making things believable and a lot of these rules wouldn’t have worked."

"With Toby making his own rules about vampires and different supernaturals, it just makes it more real and more unique to our show, which is what it’s kind of about," he continued. "At the beginning when we started shooting the first series I thought God, people are gonna go mad, they want form, they want what they know in the structure of these supernaturals but I think it’s refreshing for a lot of the fans to see this and to see it work and how it works. I think it’s cooler that Mitchell can cook with garlic or that he eats a lot of foods. Breaking tradition, I think, is refreshing.”

Keenan likewise observed, “All the afflictions, like being a vampire, a werewolf, or a ghost, it’s incidental almost. The beauty of the show is that it centers around everyone’s relationships and their struggles.”

VIDEO: The cast discusses the lack of rules about the supernatural

As for the American version of Being Human currently being developed by the Syfy Channel, the cast was generally positive and supportive in their remarks. “I think they’ll be radically different,” Turner said of the two versions. “What works for the British show is that it is low-budget and it’s cooky and it’s a bit weird. It has it’s own thing going on. I think it’ll (the US version) look glossy and very high production values and it’ll have it’s own energy and it’s own vibe going on. I mean it’s great, it’s a huge testament to the show that somebody wants to make it. They did the same to The Office and that’s been a massive success, so it’s a huge compliment and I think we’re all very proud of that.”

Tovey was similarly upbeat, pointing out, “We’re lucky that we’ve been on American TV. It’d be depressing if we hadn’t been and trying to get it out here and they made that and no one knew we existed. But people can make a comparison now and that’s great for our show.”

Sinead Keenan then offered, “It’s great that somebody somewhere likes the idea so much to make their own version. I wish them luck, I think it’s great and hopefully then people might go, oh, I wonder what the original was and come back.”

Being Human is currently in the midst of shooting Season Three of the series in Cardiff, after relocating from Bristol where the first two seasons had been filmed. Regarding the change in locale, Turner said, “It’s going really well. The move from Bristol has been pretty flawless. It’s been fine, it’s great. They built a new set for us in Cardiff so we have this gigantic set that we never had in Bristol. This year it’s a whole lot bigger. It progresses with the story and with the characters’ relationships with each other and everything it’s just a natural progression so it’s gone good.”

Tovey noted Cardiff’s role as the home of such successful BBC series as Doctor Who and Torchwood, adding, “It’s pretty cool to be somewhere that has sci-fi folklore like Cardiff because of everything that has been there and it’s quite cool that we’re now part of that click of sci-fi.”

In addition, the cast revealed that Season Three will be set on Barry Island, prompting Crichlow to promise, “We’re going to put it on the map. Now everyone will be wanting to go to Barry Island! It’s a very cool place.” [Editor: longtime fans of Gavin & Stacey already know Barry Island is aces. Tidy.]

As with Season Two (currently airing on BBC America), the forthcoming Season Three will contain eight episodes and introduce a new threat with which the characters must contend. “Season 1, the threat was vampires,” Crichlow explained. “Season Two the threat is human, Season Three the threat is from within.”

And as for fans hoping to see a favorite character or two return to the series, Keenan hinted, “The good thing about this show is that death means nothing. Anything is possible so you never know.”

Being Human airs Saturdays at 9pm on BBC America.

Being Human Creator Toby Whithouse Discusses Syfy's US Adaptation

Appearing on SFX's SFX presents The British Invasion panel, Toby Whithouse, the creator of the BBC Three supernatural drama Being Human, responded to a question about his feelings surrounding the American adaptation of Being Human, which is currently being cast and which will air on Syfy.

"It will be a wrench, but I will console myself with the money," joked Whithouse when asked by moderator Dave Bradley about how it would feel to see his series adapted for American audiences.

Whithouse's full answer to to the question can be found below, courtesy of Televisionary special correspondent Mark DiFruscio, who was on hand to film Whithouse's response.



Season Two of Being Human launches tomorrow night on BBC America.

Channel Surfing: Laura Vandervoort to Return to Smallville, Terra Nova Comic-Con Confusion, Nikki Finke on Tilda, Doctor Who and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

They have... returned? V star Laura Vandervoort will reprise her role as Kara on the CW's Smallville for the series' tenth and final season, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. But don't get too excited, Supergirl fans: Vandervoort is only expected to appear in one installment of the Warner Bros. Television-produced superhero drama, scheduled to air in October. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Just what is going on with FOX's Terra Nova at Comic-Con? After the official San Diego Comic-Con 2010 schedule was announced over the last few days, 20th Century Fox Television opted to pull the panel for its upcoming prehistoric/time-travel drama starring Jason O'Mara from the convention. "Since production on the Jason O’Mara starrer isn’t expected to start until September, the producers don’t have any footage to show the fans in San Diego," writes Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice. "Plus, the writers don’t want to reveal too much about the high-concept series, which Fury promises will have an 'ongoing mythology.'" [Editor: I get that there is no footage but that was always going to be the case and no one expected a screening of the pilot or, indeed, anything.] “There are a lot of surprises, a lot of reveals that come out throughout the course of season,” Fury told Entertainment Weekly. “If we talk about the more interesting aspects of the show now, we’re afraid we’ll ruin the surprise for the audience. In this case, everything is moving along steadily, the script has been well-received. We just don’t have anything to wow anyone with. It’s still in the preliminary stage, It’s a huge undertaking." Complicating things further is the fact that the panel appears to be back on the schedule, leading several to wonder whether 20th balked at the bad publicity such a move would engender among the fanbase... or it's just an error on the Comic-Con lineup. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider, Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nikki Finke has offered her "first and last statement" about HBO's comedy pilot Tilda, which revolves around a Finke-like blogger who has Hollywood trembling. Writing on her own site, Finke attempted to set the record straight about her involvement with the Diane Keaton-led project, offering the following statement after closing an agreement between herself, MMC, and Watski Prods:

"I had no prior knowledge that this show was being created or put into development. I have never written about the show. I have never encouraged Deadline.com journalists to write about the show. I had no prior agreement with HBO or anyone regarding the show. I had no creative or consulting involvement with the show... I still have no creative or consulting involvement with the show nor wanted any. I still won't write about the show. And Deadline.com journalists can still write whatever they want about the show. As for all of you who've asked for a quote from me about Tilda, here it is: 'It should have been called Toldja!' (Deadline)

Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat has joined Twitter, where he has begun to tease details about the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. "Oh, he's back behind the bow tie - and better than ever," wrote Moffat about Matt Smith returning to the set. (via Digital Spy)

Looks like Larry King's successor at CNN will be Piers Morgan, after all. The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd writes that Morgan is thisclose to a deal that would see him take over Larry King's timeslot on the 24-hour news cabler. "Sources caution that Morgan is still under contract and that CNN may be unable to directly negotiate with the TV personality directly," writes Hibberd. "But if a deal could be struck between CNN and NBC, that allows Morgan to take over the position. Sources say the proposed deal allows for Morgan to remain as a judge on [America's] Got Talent, with the CNN talk show in second position for his schedule." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Josh Stewart (Dirt) has been cast in ABC's upcoming family superhero drama No Ordinary Family in a recurring capacity as the mentor for Michael Chiklis' character. Series launches September 28th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC Two's reality series The Restaurant, which aired Stateside on BBC America as Last Restaurant Standing, will not be returning for a fourth season, according to the BBC. "The time is right for The Restaurant to close its doors after three successful series." Raymond Blanc is said to be in talks with Auntie about a new season of Kitchen Secrets and other potential projects. (BBC)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting several series are looking for new characters, including FOX's Glee, which is going to add a jock named Sam to the mix (who *could* be a potential love interest for Kurt), Starz's Torchwood is looking to add a series regular and two recurring characters, including the following: "Rex Matheson is a white, twenty-something CIA agent who sounds sort of like... [FX's] animated Archer spy: a fearless, cocky thrill seeker. Recurring characters include Esther Katusi, a newbie Watch Analyst in the CIA who is deeply (and secretly) in love with Rex. And Oswald Jones is the dangerous psychotic villain. He's a forty-something murderer and pedophile who gets sprung from the slammer into the spotlight." (TV Guide Magazine)

Fox Television Studios has signed a rare overall deal with White Collar creator Jeff Eastin which will keep him aboard White Collar and allow for future development of new projects for the studio. (Deal is similar to that held between FTVS and Burn Notice creator Matt Nix.) "Once the dust settles, I'll dig out the ideas book and see if something else lends itself to a TV show," Eastin told Variety. "It's about finding something else I'm passionate about. I appreciate Fox TV Studios for having faith in me to make a deal. Especially as they're few and far between these days." (Variety)

MTV is shoring up the writing staff for the upcoming US adaptation of UK teen drama Skins, hiring Mark Hammer, Matt Pelfrey, and Monica Padrick, who will join the writing staff of the series, expected to launch early next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Studios has signed a one-year overall deal with Ghost Whisperer executive producers Kim Moses and Ian Sander. The duo currently have to supernatural-themed projects in development at ABC, including reality series Ghost Town and drama Ghost World, from writer Dana Stevens, about "a ghost on the other side who helps an ambitious young female homicide detective solve crimes in the hopes of uncovering clues to his own life and death and centers on the mysterious, intense and sometimes infuriating connection the two feel toward each other." (Deadline)

Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice), Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks), Natalie Dormer (The Tudors), Tom Hughes (Sex, Drugs And Rock And Roll) and Neil Stuke (Reggie Perrin) have been cast in legal drama series Silk, from writer Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice), which will revolve around "lives, loves and hard cases facing barristers on the front line of criminal law." (Silk, of course, referring to the robes worn by Queen's Counsel members, the highest-level barristers in the UK.) "Bafta-winning writer Peter Moffat marks his return to BBC One with a brilliant new legal drama series, which takes a modern look at the genre," said BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson. "Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones lead an incredible cast and star as ambitious barristers competing for much coveted Silk." (BBC)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of an untitled docusoap that will follow Mario Lopez and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza as they await the birth of their child. Project, executive produced by Cris Abrego, Mark Schulman, Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, and Lopez, is expected to launch this fall. (Hollywood Reporter)

Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) has been cast as the lead of an upcoming Lifetime telepic Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story, in which she'll play a woman who underwent a daring rescue mission to locate and free her seven-year-old son Kobe, who was seized by her ex-husband during a custody battle and taken to South Korea. (Deadline)

From weird to weirder: former Monkees star Mickey Dolenz has signed on to star opposite Debbie Gibson and Tiffany in Syfy's upcoming telepic Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. [Editor: I did warn you it would be weird.] (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Alan Ball Brings Charlie Huston to HBO, Wire Star Heads to Fringe, Glee Circles Britney, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

True Blood's Alan Ball is furthering his relationship with HBO. Ball, who created the pay cabler's vampire drama (based on the novels by Charlaine Harris), has signed on to direct and executive producer noir drama pilot All Signs of Death, which is based on Charlie Huston's novel "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death." Huston himself will pen the pilot script, with production set to begin next month in Los Angeles... though there are no current cast attachments on the project, which will revolve around "a knockaround twentysomething who discovers he has a knack for being a crime scene cleaner, and his life gets messy from there." (Variety)

Bubs Alert! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Andre Royo (The Wire) has been cast as a guest star in the third season premiere of FOX's Fringe, citing unnamed sources. Royo will reportedly play Henry, described as "a soulful taxi driver who is unexpectedly forced into a tense situation with Olivia (Anna Torv)." Will Henry be the one to put the red hat on the alternate universe interloper posing as our Olivia Dunham? [Editor: yes, I love Wire-based humor.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Let's take a look at the current state of Glee rumors: we now know for certain that Javier Bardem won't be appearing on the FOX musical comedy... and neither will Britney Spears either, despite a campaign launched by her manager to bring the scandal-prone singer to the set of the Ryan Murphy-executive produced series. However, Ryan Murphy has confirmed that there will be a Britney tribute episode next season. "We are writing a Britney Spears episode," Ryan told Entertainment Tonight late last week. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin, Hollywood Reporter)

[Editor: in other Glee-related news, actress Amber Riley will sing the national anthem at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.]

SPOILER! Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat has teased details about this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, which will feature Michael Gambon and singer Katherine Jenkins, appearing alongside Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill. "Oh, we're going for broke with this one," said Moffat. "It's all your favorite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And The Doctor. And a honeymoon. And... oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbors loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically." (BBC)

In a move that will surprise no one, Peter Serafinowicz has been promoted to series regular on FOX's upcoming comedy series Running Wilde, reports Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Serafinowicz, who appeared in the pilot as wealthy scion Fa'ad Shaoulin (the nemesis of Will Arnett's Wilde), will now serve as a regular on the Lionsgate-produced series, which launches this fall. He'll join Will Arnett, Keri Russell, Stefania Owen, and Jayne Houdyshell, while the role of Migo Salazar is currently being recast. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Taylor Kinney (Trauma) will join the cast of the CW's Vampire Diaries in a recurring capacity. Kinney will play Mason Lockwood, the younger brother of the late Mayor Lockwood, according to unnamed sources. He's slated to make his first appearance on the second season opener of Vampire Diaries, airing September 9th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Mark your calendars now: HBO will launch its new Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire--from executive producers Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter--on Sunday, September 19th. [Editor: while the announcement is all over the place, this story links to an older piece that offers a look at Boardwalk's set.] (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

Looks like now is not a good time to be an AT&T U-Verse subscriber. The cable provider is in the midst of a carriage dispute with Rainbow Media Holdings... which means that subscribers are in danger of not being able to watch the Season Four launch of AMC's Mad Men, which premieres in less than two weeks. The two sides have been locked in negotiations that have lasted more than six months without any indications of reaching a conclusion and now U-Verse has threatened to drop AMC, IFC, and We from its lineup. (Vulture)

Despite the fact that the actor options have expired, the CW's medical drama pilot HMS is said to still be in contention for a series order. "There is still no final word from the CW but I hear producer Warner Bros. TV is not giving up and is still hoping for a series order for the project, written/executive produced by Amy Holden Jones, co-executive produced by Hayden Panettiere and directed by Mark Piznarski," writes Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "The actors are aware of the studio's efforts and appear willing to return if there is a pickup soon." (Deadline)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich talks to The Closer's Jon Tenney about Season Six of the TNT drama series as well as the relationship between Fritz and Kyra Sedgwick's Brenda. "In the very first episode, there’s a scene I love where they’re ostensibly discussing a case that she has, and we’re talking about having affairs," said Tenney. "But we’re play-acting, so we’re also sort of feeling each other out a bit… There’s this Nick and Nora sort of banter about the issues of work and personal life and commitment to both of those. That comes to the forefront this season for Brenda and Fritz." (Fancast)

Disney Channel has renewed comedy Good Luck Charlie for a second season as well as greenlighting an original telepic based on the series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with former Scrubs executive producer Tad Quill, under which he will develop projects for the studio as well as come on board NBC's comedy Perfect Couples. (Deadline)

Former TNT executive Susan Oman Gross has been hired by GK-TV as EVP of television, where she will report to Craig Cegielski and oversee all business and legal affairs for the company. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Is BBC America's The Choir The Anti-Glee?

It's a provocative question, really. Is BBC America's newest British reality import, The Choir, the exact opposite of FOX's musical-comedy Glee, despite the similar choral trappings?

It is, in every conceivable way and that's a very good thing indeed. The Choir, which launches tonight at 10 pm ET/PT, finds plucky choirmaster Gareth Malone attempting to create a competitive choir out of a group of musical novices at a run-down comprehensive school where music isn't an important element of their education. (You can take a look at some clips from The Choir here.)

With a spot at the World Choir Olympics in China on the line, Malone attempts to fashion these teens into world-class singers and teach them the joys of performing in a group. It's no small task, given that many of these teens are at-risk to begin with and none of them have any formal training.

The result ends up being paradoxically gritty and uplifting, as the cameras not only follow Malone as he attempts to awaken their slumbering musical abilities but also follows the teens home as well, focusing on their own adversities: anger problems, an absent father, a general inability to commit or to attempt to overcome a challenge.

Unlike Glee, these issues raised aren't wrapped up by the time the credits roll at the end of the episode; rather, they spill over from week to week as Gareth butts heads with his teenage choir members and attempts to rein in egos, attitudes, and expectations.

There are no showy daydream numbers here, no auto-tune, no anvil-heavy thematic storytelling. Just a rough docu-style approach that captures the small moments between rehearsals: a gathering of Gareth's opera friends and his search for sheet music is juxtaposed against the travails of modern life: a family awaits word whether their pater familias will be granted a visa to return to the United Kingdom, a mother frets about her daughter's tardiness, a young girl sees the consequences of her actions as she is barred from participating in the choir.

But it's not all doom and gloom, either. Gareth's drive and determination to pull off the seemingly impossible task of shaping these young singers into a single and competitive unit is refreshing in an age of cynicism; his efforts to give these kids a creative outlet and open their minds to something other than pop music is admirable, even as his efforts to get them to sing some Vivaldi is, er, met with some resistance.

Likewise, the series captures the joys and heartbreak of adolescence as well: the excitement that comes from landing a spot on the choir after open auditions to the despair of those who don't. (And those who, to their later chagrin, discover that not all of them may be heading to China to compete.)

The result is uplifting and entertaining in equal measure, not to mention genuinely emotional. Be prepared for the tears, though not the melodramatic kind. There, after all, are no fake pregnancies going on here.

The Choir launches tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Televisionary's Newest Culinary TV Obsession: BBC America's Come Dine With Me

It's rare that I encounter a new reality television series that is so fantastic and which doesn't take itself seriously to the point of being almost absurd that I instantly fall head over heels in love with it.

Yet that's just what happened with BBC America's culinary competition series Come Dine With Me, which launches next week. (A US version is in the works as well for 2011.) Any resistance I had melted away within seconds as I found myself engrossed in this hysterical and winsome series, which originally aired on Channel 4 in the UK.

It's hard to capture the magic of Come Dine With Me if you haven't seen it for yourself. The basic premise is this: four strangers come together for four nights of dinner parties at one another's homes, with each of them playing host on a particular night. These aren't professional chefs, but rather amateur home cooks who pride themselves on being refined hosts and hostesses and who are each eager to walk away not only with the bragging rights but also the cash prize that awaits the winner.

They'll pour wine, offer canapes, and devise a three-course menu that they'll serve their guests--assembled from a collection of eccentrics, ego-trippers, and gourmets, each of whom views themselves as the end-all-be-all in fine home dining--and attempt to negotiate the dangerous battlefield of dinner party conversation. The winner will be determined by the total highest score as the guests offer numbered ratings (from 1-10) for the evening. Look for frayed nerves, disastrous desserts, and bruised feelings before the week is out.

While the premise alone could be fun (imagine being a fly on the wall at a series of dinner parties attended by absolute strangers), but the true joy of watching Come Dine With Me comes from the wink, wink, nudge, nudge narration provided by veteran Dave Lamb, who not only fills in the gaps in exposition but also manages to say just what we're thinking at home.

It's Lamb--who also narrated British reality series How Clean Is Your House?-- who makes Come Dine With Me a delicious repast from start to finish, poking fun at the contestants and their quirks and deflating their rapidly ballooning egos by issuing a series of skewering comments.

Yes, this is a culinary series with bite and once you're hooked, it's impossible not to come back for a second helping. I hungrily devoured the five episodes that BBC America sent me for review and I'm already ravenous for more. (Luckily, there are, I believe, 22 episodes on tap for this season.)

Given the fact that I'm currently on the outs with Bravo's own culinary competition series, Top Chef, I can't help but notice that Come Dine With Me airs in the same timeslot as the granddaddy of cooking shows. If you're looking for a culinary competition series with a different flavor, I'd advise you to set your TiVos now for Come Dine With Me, which either makes the perfect appetizer for Top Chef or a sinfully delicious dessert. Just make sure you get yourself a taste.

Come Dine With Me Episode One: Bath



Come Dine With Me Episode Two: Swindon



Come Dine With Me launches Wednesday evening at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Preaching to The Choir: Inside BBC America's Musical Reality Series

Have a song in your heart but missing Glee? Why not tune in next Wednesday evening for BBC America's latest British import, reality series The Choir?

The series follows boyish-looking choirmaster Gareth Malone as he recruits a choir from some rather unlikely places and launches next Wednesday evening here in the US. The thirteen episodes are broken down into three story pods--Northholt High School, Boys Don't Sing, and Unsung Town--each of which recounts Gareth's latest challenge in a new location. (Just think of them as three distinct mini-seasons of the same series.) Watch as Gareth tackles an average high school, an all-boys school, and a small town that's anything but a unified community. Can Gareth get these people to sing and to coalesce into a choir? Find out this summer.

Not won over yet? Here's what the British press had to say about this inspirational and uplifting series:

The Independent: "As profoundly a moving piece of television as has ever been made"

The Times: "One of the most enthralling, informative and uplifting reality series yet made"

The Express: “Gareth’s determination and belief has paid huge dividends, bringing together the community and transforming lives”

The Daily Mail: “This is another astonishing, inspiring and moving success story for the amazing Gareth Malone”

The Evening Standard: "Jamie Oliver might have changed school dinners with his TV series but Gareth Malone showed that we are more, much more than we eat."

The Daily Telegraph: "[A] compelling sociological experiment... Oh Gareth, how much more love can we give you? None for you have it all."

But just don't take their word for it. Check out two inside looks at The Choir, along with a three-plus-minute sneak peek at the series, below.

The Choir: Inside Look #1



The Choir: Inside Look #2



Sneak Peek: The Choir



The Choir premieres Wednesday, July 7th at 10 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

TARDIS in Orbital: Doctor Who's Matt Smith Heads to Glastonbury

How cool is this?

Doctor Who star Matt Smith took to the stage at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts to perform the theme song to Doctor Who, appearing on stage alongside Orbital this week.

Yes, the Doctor himself was on hand to partake in a performance at Glasto, and it's worth noting that the version of the Doctor Who theme that he performed was the iconic 1970s/1980s version of the Doctor Who opening credits music, rather than the more recent versions arranged for the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors.

And, yes, I wish I was there...

The full video of Doctor Who's Matt Smith appearing on stage at Glastonbury can be found below.



Doctor Who airs Saturday evenings on BBC America.

Talk Back: What Are You Watching This Summer?

As the Summer Solstice has come and gone now, the hot months of summer are officially in full swing as the broadcast and cable networks bring out their slate of originals and burn-offs during the sweltering season.

While I'm sinking my teeth into quite a bit of programming this summer (including HBO's True Blood, Bravo's Top Chef, and my latest obsession, BBC America's upcoming Come Dine With Me) and catching up on some others (cough, Friday Night Lights, cough), I'm curious to know just what you are watching right now... and what you intend to watch this summer. Are you hooked on USA's dramedies? Can't wait for the return of Entourage? Trembling at the thought of more True Blood? Intrigued by Work of Art? Spooked by the thought of Syfy's Haven?

Head to the comments section to discuss what's on your season pass this summer, what's failed to click with you so far, and what new and returning television series you are most looking forward to over the next few months.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: BBC Announces Lineup, No Doctor Who Panel

Where is the Doctor when you need him?

BBC Worldwide America has announced their lineup for next month's San Diego Comic-Con International, bringing back supernatural drama Being Human to the convention, along with cult comedy Look Around You, newly available on DVD Stateside this summer.

The big news, however, is that Doctor Who won't be returning to the convention this year, which means no fanfare and audience of thousands for new cast members Matt Smith and Karen Gillan and newly installed head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat.

"While the [Doctor Who] team is currently filming and unable to attend Comic-Con, that doesn’t mean the Doctor’s presence won’t be felt in San Diego," writes the production entity in an official statement. "BBC America will host an exclusive U.S. premiere fan screening of this season’s two-part finale, along with the all-new season opener of Being Human."

(For their part, the Doctor Who team will be hosting Doctor Who at the Proms in London on Saturday, July 24th and Sunday, July 25th with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and London Philharmonic Choir and are therefore unavailable.)

Being Human, meanwhile, will present a panel on Friday evening at 6 pm, while Look Around You presents Thursday at 5 pm. Both will take place in Ballroom 6A.

Are you bummed that Smith and Co. won't be turning up at Comic-Con this year? Head to the comments to discuss.

The full press release from BBC Worldwide America/BBC America, announcing their Comic-Con programming slate (along with times and locations), can be found below.

BBC BRINGS BEING HUMAN AND LOOK AROUND YOU TO COMIC-CON
-Exclusive screenings, panels, signings and Doctor Who exclusive merchandise-
New York, NY – June 23, 2010 – BBC returns to Comic-Con with a full line-up of panels, screenings, signings and exclusive merchandise at the BBC AMERICA booth (#3629).

BBC AMERICA’s hit sci-fi show Being Human, which follows three twenty-somethings living double lives as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost, returns for an all-new U.S. premiere season the same weekend as Comic-Con. The Los Angeles Times declared, “Buffy fans - come out of the Twilight and sink your teeth into this import.” Creator/writer Toby Whithouse will join cast members Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner and Sinead Keenan on stage for a fan Q&A and signing at the BBC AMERICA booth (#3629). Being Human premieres on BBC AMERICA Saturday, July 24, directly following the Doctor Who season finale. Being Human: Season 1 DVD (DVD/Blu-ray) hits stores on July 20.

Matt Groening calls it “one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen.” The BAFTA-nominated Look Around You is a spoof comedy based on the unforgettable educational programs of the ‘70s. Created by and starring Robert Popper (Peep Show, Hot Fuzz) and Peter Serafinowicz (Couples Retreat, Shaun of the Dead), presenters Jack Morgan (Popper) and Peter Packard (Serafinowicz) bring the nonsensical wonders of science and a series of gloriously deadpan experiments to life as the show comes to BBC DVD. Peter and Robert will take fan Q&As at their panel as well as signing at the BBC AMERICA booth (#3629). Look Around You: Season 1 DVD goes on sale July 20.

Doctor Who, which delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA, wraps on air the weekend of Comic-Con. While the team is currently filming and unable to attend Comic-Con, that doesn’t mean the Doctor’s presence won’t be felt in San Diego. BBC AMERICA will host an exclusive U.S. premiere fan screening of this season’s two-part finale, along with the all-new season opener of Being Human.

This year marks the first time contemporary Doctor Who exclusives have been available for sale at Comic-Con. Fans can purchase the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) figurine in burgundy shirt and suspenders and an Orange Dalek Scientist figurine as well as two show exclusive t-shirts designed especially for the event. Being Human t-shirts will also be available at the BBC AMERICA booth.

PANEL AND SIGNING SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 22
2:30-3:30pm: Look Around You signing at the BBC AMERICA booth (#3629)

5:00–6:00pm Look Around You panel: As their BAFTA-nominated show comes to BBC DVD, creators-stars Robert Popper (Peep Show, Hot Fuzz) and Peter Serafinowicz (Couples Retreat, Shaun of the Dead), are on stage to take questions from the fans. Room 6A

8:00–11:00pm BBC AMERICA U.S. Premiere Screenings of Doctor Who and Being Human: Catch the all-new season opener of Being Human, written by Toby Whithouse and starring Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner and Sinead Keenan and the two-part finale of Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat and starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Room 6DE

Friday, July 23
2:00–3:00pm Being Human signing at the BBC AMERICA booth (#3629)

6:00–7:00pm Being Human panel: Creator/writer Toby Whithouse with cast members Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner and Sinead Keenan are on stage for a fan Q&A and exclusive inside peek to the new U.S. premiere season launching the same weekend as Comic-Con. Don’t miss the chance to get the inside secrets on the double-lives of a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost, joined this season by George’s friend Nina who has a mysterious secret of her own. Room 6A

About BBC Worldwide, America:
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK public broadcaster, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, Rhode Island. The business brings together the seven core BBC Worldwide divisions: Channels, Content & Production, Sales & Distribution, Global Brands, Digital Media, Home Entertainment & Magazines. The highly acclaimed cable channel BBC America, now available in 67 million homes, and the smash hit Dancing with the Stars, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions are among the key brands in the region.

Channel Surfing: Leigh and Morissette Return to Weeds, Jamie Foxx Preps TV Pilot, Sarah Drew Talks Grey's, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alanis Morissette will return to Weeds for the Showtime dark comedy's sixth season, set to launch August 16th. Leigh will reprise her role as Nancy's sister Jill in one episode, with Morissette due to appear in two episodes as Andy's girlfriend Audra Kitson, who also happened to be Nancy's doctor. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jamie Foxx has shot a trailer for a potential television project entitled Tommy's Little Girl, which features Paul Sorvino, Selma Blair, James Russo, and Tony Sirico. Project would revolve around the relationship between a mobster (Sorvino) and his daughter (Blair) and will be pitched to cable networks. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has an interview with newly promoted Grey's Anatomy series regular Sarah Drew, in which they discuss her "polarizing alter ego" April, among other topics. " I definitely had that feeling," said Drew when asked if the season finale pushed April together with the rest of the Seattle Grace crew. "April has been kind of annoying this past season. [Laughs] Just neurotic and really insecure, and this was the first time she was able to band together — both with Cristina and Meredith — to help solve a [crisis]. Most of my stuff before was with Patrick [Dempsey] and fawning over him awkwardly. So this was the first opportunity to actually bond in a positive way with them. They say tragedy brings people together, so I guess that’s what happened." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MAJOR SPOILERS! UK paper The Daily Mirror has an interview with Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat about the season finale of Doctor Who, which brings an end to the first season under new Doctor, Matt Smith, and finds the Time Lord in a bit of a bind. "The doctor is trapped inside a prison from which even he can't escape," said Moffat. "Amy Pond is dead. Rory is plastic. River Song has been blown up in the Tardis, which has been blown up and destroyed every sun in the universe. I think any other hero would be in a pickle but I think the Doctor can take it... I really do think episode 13, the episode we'll see on Saturday, is a story only Doctor Who can do - no other show could have come close to a story like this." The finale will air Saturday night in the UK on BBC One and in two weeks on BBC America in the US. (via Digital Spy)

Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that FOX will not go ahead with its unscripted Glee spinoff, which would have depicted the search for actors to play three new roles on the musical-comedy. "Though they collected the tryout videos, Murphy and Fox execs have since quietly agreed to kill the on-air competition after it became clear that working on the reality show would mean less time for planning season two (and the recently announced season three)," writes Adalian. "As it is, Murphy and his team have already had their schedules crowded by such extracurricular events as the brief Glee live tour, multiple hit soundtrack albums, a trip to the White House, and, of course, Oprah." (Vulture)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno talks to Tom Colicchio about Season Seven of Bravo's Top Chef and weighs in on the change at the judges' table, where master chef Eric Ripert has taken over for Toby Young. "For me, I like having him there," Colicchio told DiNunno. "I liked working with Toby [Young], but he didn't have the most authoritative voice when it came to the food. Toby is more of a scene critic when it comes to restaurants — or at least that's my understanding of it. He did know a good amount about food though. Having Eric judging the food has a little bit more weight than Toby judging your food. But you're not going to get the one-line zingers that we got out of Toby. [Laughs]" (TVGuide.com)

[Editor: elsewhere, The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd has an interview with Top Chef executive producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, in which they talk about why this season is Obama-less, the reason behind the name Magical Elves, how they pick the cities for Top Chef, and the status of other projects in development, including spinoff Top Chef Jr.)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jon Cassar (24) has come board FOX's upcoming adventure series Terra Nova as an executive producer/director. He joins a staff that includes former 24 executive producers Brannon Braga and David Fury and will direct multiple episodes of the series. (Alex Graves is set to direct the pilot episode.) (Deadline)

The Futon Critic is reporting that Project Runway will return to Lifetime on Thursday, July 29th at 9 pm ET/PT, right before half-hour spinoff series On the Road With Austin & Santino. (Futon Critic)

V star Elizabeth Mitchell has indicated that she's open for a possible romance between her character on the ABC sci-fi series, Erica Evans, and Charles Mesure's Kyle Hobbes. “He’s awesome, isn’t he? When he first came on, I said to [exec producer Scott] Rosenbaum, 'You need to make this guy a deal, now,'" Mitchell told Fancast's Matt Mitovich, though she added that Erica could fall for either Hobbes or Joel Gretsch's Father Jack. "Maybe it’s just because I’m a woman, but I’m up for a little romance!" (Fancast's The Big Tease)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has the dish on the upcoming two-parter on USA's Royal Pains, in which Mark Feuerstein's Hank heads to Cuba. The two-episode arc will feature guest stars Tony Plana (Ugly Betty) and Ana de la Reguera (Cop Out), the latter of which will be a potential love interest for Hank. The actress will also appear on Season Two of HBO's Eastbound and Down, where she is set to recur all season as the new love interest for Danny McBride's Kenny Powers. (TV Guide Magazine)

ABC's reality series Shark Tank will return to the lineup this summer... for one episode (a shelved installment from last season) on July 15th at 8 pm ET/PT, while ABC will repeat several other episodes during July and August. There's been no official word on the fate of the Sony Pictures Television-produced series. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer will produce the 83rd Academy Awards telecast, which is slated to air Sunday, February 27th on ABC. Mischer will also serve as the director for the awards telecast. (via press release)

In other Oscar-related news, Deadline's Nikki Finke is reporting that Board of Governor members have discussed moving the annual awards telecast to January, which could lead to conflicts with NBC's Golden Globes. "The awards season is too long currently. This will shorten and reduce the amount of campaigning," an unnamed studio head told Finke. "Also, it will make the Oscars the definitive awards show again. The Globes can't move a lot earlier as all the movies wouldn't be released yet. The only potential downside is how do people see all the films in time to vote for nominations?" (Deadline)

Lifetime has hired Discovery executive Gena McCarthy as SVP of reality and alternative programming at the cabler. She will report to JoAnn Alfano. (Variety)

Tyra Banks' production company Bankable has hired former Warner Music International chairman/CEO Patrick Vien as president/COO, effective immediately. He'll be based in New York and will report to Banks. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

The Chasm Widens: Cold Blood on Doctor Who

What do we have when even memories fade? When our own past is brutally ripped away from us, when time itself is so malleable that it can be rewritten to erase the memory of a loved one from existence itself?

The Doctor has traveled throughout time and space, arriving at fixed points in time and others that are far more changeable. He's witnessed beautiful and terrible things but likely none more heartbreaking than being forced to remember it all, even when those around you forget, waking up to a false dream that's far too real and far too tragic.

On this week's episode of Doctor Who ("Cold Blood"), the second half of the installment established in last week's "The Hungry Earth," the Doctor attempted to launch a desperate rescue mission under the surface of the Earth to recover those taken by the Silurians to their civilization down below--including Amy Pond herself--while on the surface, Rory and a ragrag group attempted to gain information from their Silurian prisoner.

Would there be any hope of a peaceful resolution to this inadvertent conflict? Or were the two races doomed to start a war that would destroy the entire planet?

"Cold Blood," written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Ashley Way, arrives at a very precise time in our own relationship with the planet, a time when an oil spill threatens an entire ecosystem and continues to rage unabated. The notion that Chibnall and showrunner Steven Moffat would be quite so prescient in their use of a drill in this two-parter is haunting and the tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico only makes this adventure all the more gripping and depressing.

But while the real-life oil drilling might expose our own greed and hubris, "Cold Blood" serves a different purpose: to show the similarities and differences between two species who inhabit the same planet, two species that might look extremely different but whose exteriors belie the same mistrust, fear, and aggression... and also the potential for co-existence in the face of those issues.

There was a real beauty to the fact that the Doctor stayed true to himself and to his mission: finding a peaceful solution to dangerous situations. It's in keeping with his distaste for guns or violence (though, as has been proved throughout the series, he's not above acts of genocide to protect the universe): the peaceful solution is always the best one. So it's fitting that he would create a negotiating session between the Silurian regent Eldane (Stephen Moore)--who was in fact narrating this installment--and humans Amy and Nasreen (Meera Syal) as they attempt to find some common ground, finally agreeing to share the Earth's surface (particularly those areas unsuitable for human habitation) in exchange for Silurian technologies: irrigation methods, energy sources, etc. "Be extraordinary," the Doctor tells Nasreen and he believes it. It might be why he loves the human race so.

It would have worked, had each side not fallen prey to fear and anger. On the surface, Ambrose is taunted into attacking Alaya with a taser, electrocuting the prisoner to death. Is she at the end of her rope? Yes. Is she terrified that she'll never see her husband or son again? You bet. Scared that her father Tony will succumb to the venom and die? Sure. But she gives in to the very reaction that Alaya sought: anger. Unable to break the prisoner, Ambrose gives in to her basest desires, looking to punish this creature for others' actions... and she convinces Tony to set the drill to burrow again and breach the Silurians' oxygen pockets.

(The Doctor's anger at Ambrose is palpable: "You were so much less than the best of humanity," he tells her scornfully.)

Below, Restac herself falls prey to her own rage. She hates "the apes" and wants her race to reclaim the surface which they see as rightfully theirs. She doesn't want negotiations or research; she wants results. She murders kindly scientist Malohkeh and attempts a coup d'etat to remove Eldane from power and launch a full-out war against the surface.

The Doctor of course saves the day but it's not without a major loss on his own side. Activating the Silurian failsafe--a toxic fumigation that will force the soldiers back into hibernation--Eldane attempts to save both races, reseting their hibernation for 1000 years, when he hopes that another peace effort can be brokered between the humans and the Silurians. Tony agrees to stay in order to survive Alaya's toxins and Nasreen wants to stay with him; they'll go to sleep with the other underworld dreamers for a millennium.

But Restac isn't going without a fight and, just as the group reach the TARDIS, she shows up and shoots Rory as he, the Doctor, and Amy notice another crack in the skin of the universe. Just why does this phenomenon seem to be following them? What is it, really? The Doctor believes that it's a space-time catastrophe, a massive explosion that has torn rips in the fabric of the universe. He reaches into the chasm and pulls out... something.

But the Doctor doesn't get a chance to examine it as Restac mortally wounds Rory just then... and his body begins to be absorbed into the light. What follows is utterly heartbreaking. We began this adventure by having Amy and Rory see their future selves across the valley, waving at one another. But not every point in time is fixed; some are more malleable than others and this is one of them. We witness not just the death of Amy's fiance but the erasing of his entire existence.

"I don't understand," he says. "We were on the hill. I can't die here. You're so beautiful... I'm sorry."

And with that, Rory, one-time companion of the Doctor, doomed fiance of Amy Pond, is wiped from the collective consciousness. The Doctor attempts to help Amy hold onto Rory's memory, to keep him alive in her mind, to not forget. But it's not enough. The memory slips away as Rory is pulled out of her memory altogether, a little red box containing her engagement ring is just another piece of detritus within the TARDIS.

Amy Pond is single once more and doesn't remembered that she was ever loved.

We revisit that scene on the hill once more but this time it's just Amy waving back, though our Amy has a moment of frisson where she nearly sees someone else across the valley. It's a shadow, a whisper, and it's gone too quickly.

I'm going to miss Rory terribly but I'm also intrigued by just where this storyline is going. The Doctor sadly remembers Rory while Amy doesn't. Is there any chance of Rory returning to her life? Or at least her memories of him? What of that little red box and the ring within? Can it reawaken that spark within Amy? And will the Doctor ever be able to tell her just what she lost that day?

What did you think of the episode? Surprised that they killed off Rory in such a brutal and heartrending manner? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on Doctor Who ("Vincent and the Doctor"), the Doctor and Amy travel to 19th century Provence, where they encounter the legendary painter Vincent van Gogh but it's not all sunflowers and starry nights as terror lurks in the cornfields of Provence, but only the sad and lonely painter can see its menace.