First Look: Orphan Black

Okay, so the first series has aired completely on BBCAmerica and a second one is in the pipeline but for UK viewers, Orphan Black is going to be pretty new when BBC3 start airing it during the summer months.

The 10 episode series starring Tatiana Maslany sees the actress playing a number of clones all born in 1984 to various women through IVF. The main focus however seems to be on Sarah Manning, a con woman who comes to the startling discovery that they are various clones out there with all different names and lives. Clones that include a policewoman named Beth Childs, a soccer mom named Alison Hendrix, a biologist named Cosima Niehaus , as well as an unknown in the mysterious Helena and the Russian clone, Katja Obinger who figures out Sarah pretty early in the run of episodes. It's quite a feat for Maslany as an actress but given the bits I've seen, she does an excellent job in seperating each of the characters she has to play in the series.

The show features quite a supporting crew as well with The Commitments actress Maria Doyle Kennedy appearing in the series as Mrs S, the woman looking after Sarah's daughter, Kira but other main players in the series include Beth's boyfriend, Paul who seems to be suspicious of his girlfriend's change in attitude (seems that Sarah has a thing for changing her identity) and then there's also supporting character such as Cosima's mentor/lover, Delphine (Evelyne Brochu) and Alison's neighbour, Aynsley (Natalie Lisinska) to watch out for as well during the first ten episodes of the season.

Of course the main supporting character I think will interest most people though will be Jordan Gavaris's Felix - Sarah's foster brother, confidant and all round quipping machine and dubious moral compass for the main clone of the show. The show itself raises some interesting discussion on the nature of cloning and personal identity and given that the main arc itself seems to be involving Sarah bringing down the very company that are responsible for multiple versions of her (the Neolutionists), it's certainly got enough going for it to make for gripping viewing.

Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_BCA-vR9E

Orphan Black will be airing soon on BBC3.