Anti Valentine's Day

It's a week later and a certain episode of one of the show I'm covering here might have inspired that title.

24 Legacy: In the UK and Ireland, we're a bit behind on this 12 part event series but so far, it's not really that gripping. I mean, it's a bit better than some of the trailers promoted it to be and Corey Hawkins agent Eric Carter is likeable enough but after nine seasons of seeing Jack Bauer being put into some impossible scrapes (one of which is now currently unresolved), it doesn't feel quite as dynamic as it could be. Then again, the show is only starting so it might need a little more time to naturally bed itself in but so far, it's only makes for okay viewing.

Arrow: I think the show really did it this time. How do you solve a problem like not having a Black Canary? Do you admit defeat, revive Laurel and put her back in the suit or do you take her Earth 2 doppelganger and give her a redemptive arc? In this show's case, neither were the desired option so instead a new Canary by the name of Dinah Drake was roped into fill the void, not just left by Laurel but also by Thea and Evelyn too and so far, the character is likeable enough. Also on the likeable front have been the flashbacks involving Talia Al Ghul but the less said about the recent 'guns are bad' episode, the better to be honest.

Santa Clarita Diet: Netflix, there are still shows you've got that I need to catch up with (Luke Cage, I'll see you soon) but having watched the absolutely bonkers promos for this half hour comedy, I just had to watch the first two episodes. The results seem to be a mash up of Weeds, Desperate Housewives, Dexter and Hannibal with realtor/zombie mom, Sheila (Drew Barrymore) getting used to her new diet of human flesh while husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) is somewhat exasperated by his wife's new eating habits. It's an amusing little series with both Barrymore and Olyphant at their comedic best. There's a decent amount of gore too but generally this is a show that's being played for laugh in it's suburban setting.

Supergirl: Five episodes have aired since the last time I covered this show on my blog and they've been somewhat hit and miss. We've had returns galore - Dominators, Roulette, Livewire, Parasite,  Cyborg Superman, Metallo and so on and there's been the forming of Kara/Mon El's relationship as well as the continuing developing of Alex and Maggie's. Of course, we had the blossoming of J'onn and M'Gann but that was cut short while Winn's hooking up with Lyre. Of course the show does need more of the lovely Lena and her evil mother, Lillian but at least Mxyzptlk made for a fun antagonist on Valentine's Day though.

The Flash: When I last watched the show, it seemed that Iris West's days were numbered, courtesy of Savitar. The last few episodes since it's return has focused on a few things (introducing Gypsy, testing Wally's speeding ability, Julian becoming part of the team etc) but the focus has also been on trying to alter Iris's imminent fate too. Speaking of which, there has been an actual lack of Savitar onscreen since Christmas but we've had some decent guest baddies like Plunder though to keep things ticking along for a bit.

- Darren Criss aside from playing Music Meister in the upcoming Supergirl/The Flash crossover episodes will also be playing killer Andrew Cunanan in the Vesrace series of American Crime Story. Edgar Ramirez will play the title role for that particular series.
- Teri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo will be appearing as a villainous couple in Supergirl soon.
- American Horror Story's seventh season will focus on the US Election.
- Nina Dobrev will reprise her role as Elena Gilbert for the series finale of The Vampire Diaries.
- Once Upon A Time will also be doing a musical episode this season.
- Eva Longoria will be guesting in Empire.
- Chris Colfer is currently developing a sci-fi series.
- E! are doing their own version of 90's movie Jawbreakers as a television series.
- The Big Bang Theory is being lined up for a two season renewal at CBS.
- Outlander's third season will air on Starz from September.

2016-2017 TV Season: Shows To Watch

Over the last several days, we've gotten the upfronts from the upcoming 2016-2017 television season and here are some of the shows that have piqued the most interest.

1: 24: Legacy (FOX, Mondays 9pm, mid-season)

With Kiefer Sutherland retiring as Jack Bauer and playing president on ABC's Designated Survivor, the mantle of top CTU guy now falls into the hands of Corey Hawkins, who takes on the role of Eric Carter in this 12 episode series, which also includes the likes of Jimmy Smits, Miranda Otto and Teddy Sears. The trailer suggests nothing too new that we haven't seen Bauer deal with in nine previous seasons but whether or not this show can work without Bauer will remain to be seen.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOWpUB_Xdqs

2: Conviction (ABC, Mondays 10pm)

This last week has been a mixed fortune for the lovely Hayley Atwell. On one hand, Agent Carter was axed after two seasons by ABC but on the other hand, the network also commissioned this legal drama where Atwell will take on the role former First Daughter and all round party girl, Hayes Morrison, who now finds herself working for a New York law firm to make up for her misdeeds. While we're not exactly short on legal dramas, this could be ABC's answer to the now ended CBS rival, The Good Wife though and certainly looks slick and polished.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJqg6J4JeLg

3: Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesdays 10pm)

He may not be Jack Bauer anymore but Kiefer Sutherland thankfully has not abandoned television and this time around, he gets to play the President. When the current one is killed, it's up to Sutherland's character, Tom Kirkman to assume the role but with his own reluctance and a staff that seem openly sceptical of his abilities in the role, it looks like it's going to be a tough one for the guy. I'm not sure it'll be something I'll stick with but at the same time, it's still nice to have Kiefer back on the small screen.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_f1v0Nx5Sw

4: MacGyver (CBS, Fridays 8pm)

Another television season, another reboot of a cheesy show with a slightly gritty-ish but not really remix to it. Can this version of MacGyver succeed where the likes of Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider failed in previous years? Oddly, I doubt it but I found the trailer actually fun and whether or not Lucas Till can truly capture the role like Richard Dean Anderson did back in the day remains to be seen. There's some decent support from former CSI actor George Eads as well.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt8E6X6-744

5: Midnight Texas (NBC, mid-season, TBC)

From Charlaine Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse books in which HBO were able to get seven seasons out of, courtesy of True Blood, NBC have roped in the writer from Alias and Charmed (Monica Owusa Breen) for this supernatural series set in the titular town, harbouring vampires, witches and the occassional hitman or so. The cast for this show includes François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Arielle Kebbel, Sarah Ramos, Peter Mensah, Yul Vazquez and Sean Bridgers. In terms of supernatural shows, aside from Grimm (currently entering a sixth season), NBC haven't had too many long lasters. Hopefully this show can break the trend. It also might help if the station released a trailer for it too. The series will run for 13 episodes.

Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/NBCMidnightTX/with_replies?lang=en

6: Powerless (NBC, mid-season, TBC)

One of the strangest new shows to be debuting within the next year, this one is set within the DC comics universe but it's a comedy that seems to be more focused on the damage caused by superheroes more than anything else. Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi and Alan Tudyk, this will air during mid-season. Again, accessing the trailer seems to be a difficult task here as NBC have taken it down. A 13 episode order has been made for the show. It does look funny enough as a series but if this does better than Constantine, I'll be shocked.

Trailer Breakdown/Easter Eggs: http://moviepilot.com/p/easter-egg/3923782

7: Prison Break (FOX, Thursdays 9pm, mid season)

And they're back. If you enjoyed seeing Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell during their recent stints on both The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow, you can now enjoy them all over again as they reprise their most famous roles as Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield for this revival series. I have to admit to being sceptical about this particular show being brought back but after seeing the trailer and most of the old gang (Sara, T-Bag etc), I guess maybe there is room again to see the brothers breaking each other out of prison yet again.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9T-9fZn_oA

8: Riverdale (CW, mid-season, TBC)

Based on the long running Archie comics and produced by Arrow verse master, Greg Berlanti, the CW have the perfect mid-season show here. From the leaked/quickly deleted trailer, Riverdale, starring KJ Apa as Archie seems to have a creepy blend of Twin Peaks meets Pretty Little Liars as the titular town harbours many secrets and lies, the majority of which are threatening to surface. Also in the cast are Luke Perry, Madchem Amick, Marisol Nicholls and Cole Sprouse while Casey Cott will be playing the role of openly gay teenager, Kevin in this series.

Trailer Description: http://ie.ign.com/articles/2016/05/19/cw-riverdale-trailer-description-plus-frequency-and-no-tomorrow-trailers

9: Shots Fired (FOX, Wednesdays 8pm, Spring 2017)

And for something more topical. With ABC generating mass acclaim for American Crime, this upcoming events series will tackle the aftermath of a racially motivated crime. Starring Helen Hunt, Sanaa Lathan, Stephen James, Richard Dreyfuss and Stephen Moyer, this certainly looks like it could be the jewel in FOX's crown and pairing it with Empire as well could be a very smart move too. It certainly looks harrowing and I can see the Emmys tripping over themselves next year to nominate it for all the awards.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RmkAihHeJg

10: Star (FOX, Wednesdays 9pm , mid-season)

Now this one I am most looking forward to. Created by Lee Daniels and Tom Donaughy, this series will inevitably draw many comparisons to Empire and far as I'm concerned, it might as well be set in the same universe where the Lyon family exit. Not only will it be taking the show's timeslot for a few months but the premise sounds like they took the Mirage a Trois plot from the second season and did something a bit more compelling with it. The show will focus on Star (Jude Demorest), her sister Simone (Brittany O’Grady) and  and her Instagram bestie, Alexandra (Ryan Destiny), and together, the trio journey to Atlanta to become music superstars. Rounding off the cast includes Queen Latifah as the girls manager/godmother Miss Carlotta and Benjamin Bratt as washed up agent Jahil with Lenny Kravitz also guesting in the show.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2snL9QUIZI

11: Star Trek (CBS/CBS All Access, mid-season)

One of the most anticipated new shows going and we're still months away from both the casting being announced and filming to begin. With Star Trek: Beyond due to make it's way into the cinemas pretty soon as well, former Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller will certainly have to make sure the television can truly enter the 21st century and learn from the mistakes of previous spin-off series, Enterprise. CBS released the logo during the upfronts this week and it looks rather traditional but great though. Can't wait to see it in January when it properly launches.

Logo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXpPweAooeE

12: Time After Time (ABC, mid-season, TBC)

Now this one is unusual. A series with HG Wells (Freddie Stroma, Game Of Thrones) versus Jack the Ripper (Josh Bowman, Revenge) from the creator of Dawson's Creek and The Vampire Diaries? Throw in some present day chaos as the former friends turned enemies then rock up in present day New York and this could be a show that could be truly inspired or an absolute mess? The trailer showed elements of both (beautiful steam punk, gorgeous costuming, brilliant battle of wits between Stroma and Bowman but some moments of generic-ness as well). An interesting addition, although the television schedule seems to have a fair amount of time travel themed shows this upcoming season.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN4C4Ar5BLo

Those are my picks for the upcoming US television season, what are yours?

FOX News

Yeah, I'm doing a blog discussing some of the recent new items in relation to a few shows that air on FOX. Some of it good, some of it a bit odd. Anyways, here goes nothing ....

It was rumoured a couple of months and thanks to the Television Critics Association last week, we know that FOX want more of 24. The snag however is that the proposed series, titled 24: Legacy will be the first series not to feature Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer and will instead focus on a brand new cast. I have to say, I don't love this idea one bit. For a lot of people (myself included), 24 is Jack Bauer and this just smacks of desperation. If they were desperate for more, they should've tried harder to get Kiefer back on board.

In the least surprising recommissioning news ever, Empire has been given a third season. While the first half of it's second season did divide viewers and dip a little rating wise, it's still one of television's highest rated network dramas and easily one of it's most talked about online as well. The remaining eight episode of Season 2 will air from March 30th. Meanwhile a spin-off formerly titled Star is also in the works with most of the main players for it cast, including Queen Latifah.

In other confirmed news, FOX have announced that Prison Break is indeed being revived with both Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller reprising their roles as Lincoln Burrows and Michael Schofield as soon as both actors finish up on CW series, Legends Of Tomorrow. The series will also feature other familiar faces (yet to be confirmed) and will begin production possibly as soon as late March with maybe nine episodes to boot. Personally, I'm not sure we really need the show back and if Heroes: Reborn is anything to go by, maybe some things are better left the way they were.

For a mixed response, FOX have also decided to take a chance and give Scream Queens a second season. Rumoured to be returning so far for the show's sophomore year are Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lea Michele with the setting this time around being in a hospital. I know Murphy doesn't always take note of criticisms to his work but considering how tonally the first season could be a mess at times, I'm hoping he calms things down a bit for Season 2. A part of me also hopes that he actually does go the American Horror Story route and literally bring back his cast as different characters along with some new blood as well. It could give the show a bit of boost as well.

Last but not least, The X Files. We're less than a week until the premiere of Season 10 (that's what it is, isn't it?) and for Irish viewers, you'll be able to see the series on RTE2 from January 26th while UK viewers can watch it on Channel 5 soon enough. The trailers have certainly ramped up the excitement as David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their iconic roles for six episodes. Creator Chris Carter has recently admitted that while FOX haven't asked for more of the series, he has written a third movie though. Either way, it's time to get to know Mulder and Scully all over again.

More Information: http://www.spoilertv.com/

I'll be doing a TV jumble blog again shortly.

Back For Janus

And a look at some of the shows I've recently been watching ...

24: Live Another Day: It's been a great half-season return for Kiefer Sutherland's career defining series and while nearly all the baddies were taken out rather quickly, the finale shocker of Audrey being killed off packed something of a punch and with the ending we got for Live Another Day, there's no way FOX can't bring it back for another twelve episode run. The show definitely cannot end on that cliffhanger after all. Plus, it has been some kind of a rating success again for the station and no doubt the DVD set for this will sell immensely.

Devious Maids: The last few episodes have been pretty interesting. It's nice to see that Rosie managed to get Reggie out of Kenny' house and reunited that family, Zoila's love life and friendship with Genevieve continuing to be a highlight and I can certainly sympathise with Carmen not being a kid person but the stuff with Marisol/Nick/Opal, even with the latter blowing her brains out has still dragged out a bit too long and I'm at a point now where I want to see Spence's annoying nephew go away now. Thankfully there's only one more episode to go now.

Orange Is The New Black: This show literally became this year's Breaking Bad, didn't it? It's a good job I was watching it this year because the hype/ads for it was inescapable. As for the remaining six episodes of the second season - some of the best television I've seen with Red and Vee's fight for supremacy intensifying with every episode, some great flashbacks for characters like Rosa and Sister Ingalls (along with the ones for Piper, Alex, Red and Vee), the downfall of Natalie, some great moments with Pennsatucky/Healey, Morello turning a corner, Nicky being awesome, Taystee wising up, the pregnancy plot with Pornstache/Daya/Bennett getting messier, Caputo improving as a character. The only bore of the second half of the season was the Larry/Polly scenes but we might be getting less of them next season if we're lucky.

The Vampire Diaries: I've watched a lot of episodes since my last TV jumble in relation to this series. Because of that, I've seen the fallout of the whole Tessa/Silas/Amara triangle, Bonnie becoming a link to two world, Katherine having to suck up to the fact that she's dying (though she has been a help to Stefan and his PTSD) as well as Damon filling Elena in on his past with the Augustine crowd and the introduction of the seemingly interesting, Enzo for good measure. It's certainly been a busy bunch of episodes. I think I'm enjoying this season a little more than the previous one though Caroline needs a little more to do given that her relationship with Jesse went nowhere and Tyler can't be arsed to even attend college.

Utopia: Possibly one of the craziest things to air on UK television at the moment is back for it's second run of episodes and while two thirds of it's second series has run, it's been interesting yet again. Okay, I still find Ian, Becky and Grant somewhat tedious at times as characters but the 1970s flashback opening episode with Rose Leslie playing a younger version of Millner has been one of the best episodes of television this year and in the current day, Millner has still been her delightfully ruthless self, corrupting Wilson all the more as she pushes for the virus to be released. Of course, Jessica similarly has been a delight too with her escape from captivity and her standoff with Millner in the latest episode. With ratings being terrible though, it'll be a miracle if this show gets a third run of episodes but here's hoping Channel 4 are feeling generous though.

- Claire Holt has joined the cast of NBC mini-series, Aquarius as a series regular. She'll play Officer Charmaine Tully.
- Elena Satine will play the slightly unhinged Louise in the upcoming fourth season of Revenge.
- Simon Kassianides will play right hand Bakshi, Reed Diamond will play Daniel Whitehall, Nick Blood will play Lance Hunter while Lucy Lawless will be playing Isabel Hartley in Agents Of SHIELD.
- Kyra Sedgwick will be appearing in the second season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Deputy Chief Madeline Wuntch.
- Kelly Frye will play Plastique in The Flash while JR Ramirez will be playing Ted 'Wildcat' Grant in parent series, Arrow.
- John Rhys-Davies and Tyler Jacob Moore will be appearing in Once Upon A Time, taking on the roles of Pabbie and Prince Hans respectively.
- Blair Brown will be appearing in the third season of Orange Is The New Black. Her role has not yet been disclosed.
- Lea Michele will be appearing in the final season of Sons Of Anarchy. Her character will be a single mother/waitress named Gertie.
- Fargo's second season will air for UK viewers again on Channel 4 in 2015.
- Gillian Anderson may become a regular for Hannibal's third season. A contract is rumoured to be negotiated for the actress.

Total & Unconditional Surrender

And a look at some of the shows I have been watching recently ....

24: Live Another Day: I can't be the only one disappointed that the whole Heller thing turned out to be faked after all? I mean, I guess it was a clever way of signalling Margot's downfall (quite literal in her case) but it also felt like something of a cop out as well not following through with killing off the character, though the seeds for a Jack/Audrey reunion were sown though. On the plus side, at least Navarro and Chloe's boss have made themselves known as the baddies while Kate finally realised her husband wasn't corrupt after all. I really hope she makes it out of the next two episodes alive.

Devious Maids: On the plus side, the whole Dahlia mystery got slightly more interesting when crazy Opal decided to mow down her employer, the fact is it's the other storylines that have had more impact though. Namely Adrian trying to catch out Evelyn and Tony, Zoila's relationship with the famous chef, the Reggie/Rosie/Spencer triangle and Spencer's nephew getting more into Carmen as the episodes have progressed. With Irish viewers due to catch up on the show's first season fairly soon, the second season has been fun enough but only slightly less than it's first year.

Orange Is The New Black: Again, the second season of this show has not been as great as the first year but it's coming close to edging it out. While Piper has had marginally less screentime, she's still gotten plotlines with her grandmother's illness, visits from Larry/a journalist and the newsletter plotline as well. On the otherhand we've also gotten flashbacks for Gloria, Poussey and Black Cindy, a crazy Valentine's Day episode, a touching subplot with an elderly inmate as well as Red trying to regain her role with the women and Vee slowly but surely orchestrating a divide between prisoners. In short, there certainly hasn't been a dull moment aside from the Caputo and Larry/Polly bits.

Orphan Black: I caught up with the last two episodes on BBC3 and right now, I really am hoping that BBCAmerica intend to renew this show and fast. Without a doubt, it's their best offering and the finale itself set so much up - the series of Mark clones, Charlotte the younger clone being looked after by the not so bad Marion, Rachel getting her just desserts, Siobhan and Paul working together, Helena being shipped off and of course, Cosima's current fate needing resolving. Oh and that sequence where Sarah, Helena, Allison and Cosima were dancing - clearly one of the most inspired moments from the series yet. A brilliant ending to an engaging second season. Let there be a third run, BBCAmerica.

The Vampire Diaries: Not a bad set of episodes. For a moment, we briefly got to see Tyler again, had a slew of new characters introduced, dealt with Bonnie's passing and also got a delightful confrontation between Tessa and Silas for good measure along with the usual Stefan/Elena/Damon angst for good measure. Personally, I'm just enjoying Caroline's snarky comments and Tessa actually being a sympathetic, rounded semi-antagonist a lot more though.

- Contrary to Twitter reports/hacking, Chris Colfer will be in the final season of Glee. Co-star Matthew Morrison has also confirmed that it will be 13 episodes.
- Peter Stormare has joined the third season of Arrow, cast in the role of villain, Vertigo while Karl Yune has been cast as Oliver's mentor, Maseo Yamashiro while Devon Aoki will play Katana.
- The pilot episodes for both The Flash and Constantine have leaked.
- Georgina Haig will be playing the role of Elsa for the fourth season of Once Upon A Time while Scott Michael Foster and Elizabeth Lail have been cast as Kristoff and Anna respectively.
- Community has been saved by Yahoo and will now get a sixth season.
- Spain has been added to the list of location that Game Of Thrones will be filming it's upcoming fifth season in.
- Jamie Bamber has joined Rizzoli & Isles.
- Jennifer Love Hewitt will be a regular in the tenth season of Criminal Minds.
- Better Call Saul will have a flexible time, which will make it exist before, during and after the events of parent series, Breaking Bad.
- UK viewers can see the third season of Scandal on SkyLiving from July 31st.

Over A Thousand Years Of Scorn

And here's a look at some of the recent shows I've been watching ...

24: Live Another Day: This show really stepped up a gear now. With Simone getting whacked by a bus and Jordan becoming a casualty too due to Navarro's underhanded tactics, the real shocker was Heller's sacrifice at Wembley stadium in order to get Margot to call off her terrorist plot. It's a shame to lose the character and a bigger shame that both Jack and Audrey (and even Mark) couldn't talk Heller out of his sacrifice but it certainly will be up there with some of the show's best and poignant deaths. Chloe and Kate were a little underused in the impressive episode but with four more to go, I'm sure they'll get some great moments.

Devious Maids: Entering the halfway point of this season and the whole Dahlia mystery is beginning to lose my interest. I'm getting close to the point of not really caring why she killed herself and the creepy hold that Opal seems to have on Nicholas, which is a shame because it should be interesting but it's not holding my attention. Thankfully some of the more interpersonal stuff is working better - like Rosie's plotline with Kenny and Lucinda, Carmen's involvement with Spencer's nephew and the whole Valentina/Remy/Ethan triangle a lot better now that we know a bit more about the latter and his antics earlier in the season and Zoila's new love interest seems decent enough. Marisol needs better material though.

Game Of Thrones: What a brilliant bunch of episodes. The attack on the Wall (complete with a mammoth) was a superb hour with the small cast going and even Ygritte's death managed to pack in a solid punch but the finale ended up being one of the best we've had. The mass body count, a general shift in gears with certain arcs all added to an incredible end for a season that certainly hasn't been lacking in discussion worthy moments. While it's a shame that a certain book plot wasn't used to end the final episode, I did like that instead of a Daenerys scene for once that we got an Arya one. Only another 10 months for the fifth season.

Orange Is The New Black: The problem with this being a Netflix series is that you have 13 episodes available to watch so I've had to control myself and only watch a certain amount of episodes per week in order to space this series out/savour it. So far I've watched four episodes of the second season of this addictive prison drama and they've all been great. The flashbacks alone gave us insight into Piper's issues with telling the truth, Taystee's relationship with Vee (who seems to be the main antagonist this season), Suzanne's need for acceptance and Morello's stalking of a man. It's been a joy to watch and while it's a shame that Alex has a reduced role and the Larry/Polly scenes aren't interesting, pretty much everything else has been. Some of the new characters have been a little so-so (Brook, I'm looking at you) but focusing more on the other regulars has done wonders with the new season though.

Orphan Black: Okay, hats off to this show. In two seasons we've had Sarah, Cosima, Allison, Rachel, Helena and to a lesser extent the likes of Beth, Katya and Jennifer but introducing a trans clone with Tony was something both unexpected and quite an interesting move as well. For the most part, it also worked really well, though I'm not sure I want to see Felix/Tony hook up as they're technically related and while the latter does seem a little too similar to Sarah, I am going to hope that Tony will reappear next season as well. As for the rest of the episodes - it was interesting to see Rachel realise why she cannot bear children along with Donnie getting rid of Leekie, Michelle Forbes debuting as the rather sinister Marion, Paul buggering off and Ethan Duncan being delightfully off-kilter as well as Kira's growing resourcefulness as a character as well as any scene with Art and Mrs S of course.

The Vampire Diaries: Has there been a meme passed where actors jump from one supernatural show to the other? I ask because we know Jackson from The Originals will be on True Blood this season and Luna from the latter show now is on this one as scorned witch Qetsiyah/Tessa and I have to admit that her appearance has done some wonders in improving the Silas storyline, though I was a little disappointed to realise that Silas/Amara were just another Stefan/Elena and that Damon and Qetsiyah are just destined to be true love's occasional obstacles in the process. On the plus side though, this season so far has been fairly entertaining, though I'd like to know what Nadia's interest in Katherine is and fairly soon too.

- Gethin Anthony will play Charles Manson in upcoming NBC event series, Aquarius, also starring David Duchovny as an undercover police officer in Manson's cult.
- Mary Steenburgen has been cast as the mother of Pornstache for the third season of Orange Is The New Black while Laura Prepon will be back full time.
- Both Rosario Dawson and Vincent D'Onofrio have been cast in upcoming Netflix series, Daredevil as a Hell's Kitchen advocate and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin respectively.
- Louise Brealey will be appearing in the upcoming third season of Ripper Street.
- Zachary Quinto will be appearing in an episode of Girls fourth season.
- Sarah Paulson has revealed on Twitter that she will be playing a two headed characters Bette and Dot in American Horror Story: Freak Show.
- Meryl Streep will be playing Maria Callis for a biopic movie on HBO.
- Boardwalk Empire's fifth season will have a seven year jump when it returns later in the year.
- Jack Coleman will reprise his role as Noah Bennett in the upcoming Heroes: Reborn.
- Expect a time jump in an upcoming episode of 24: Live Another Day.

Dont Be Baby, I Only Sprain

And a look at some of the shows I've been recently catching up with ....

24: Live Another Day: We're halfway through this mini-series/ninth season and I have to admit while some of the most recent episodes have lagged a little compared to the impressive opening two parter, at least some progress was made though. It's nice that Audrey is aware of the fact that Jack is alive and it's also nice that Kate has proven her resourcefulness yet again. She literally has become a female version of Jack Bauer but things like Margot's ongoing machinations and Navarro's reveal aren't as impacting as they should be. Still there's at least six episodes left to rectify that.

Devious Maids: Yes, it's still Desperate Housewives 2.0 and while most of the plots are fairly predictable (Evelyn copping off with hunky Tony, Marisol's fiancee and his creepy maid being suspicious), it still makes for some fairly lightweight and enjoyable television nonetheless. The dynamics with various characters like Zoila/Genevieve continues to be a delight and when Evelyn isn't cheating on her husband, the various back and forth with Adrian is actually quite fun, along with Carmen securing other work now that Alejandro is dead. Even Rosie's plot with the new family is a lot more entertaining than last season. It's only Valentina's storyline and the general mystery with Opal and Nicholas that's a bit at sea at the moment.

Game Of Thrones: It went away for a few weeks and while I have to watch the penultimate episode to the fourth season tonight on SkyAtlantic, the previous episode wasn't exactly a walk in the park, was it? I already about the grisly details of Oberyn's demise with the Mountain but even seeing it onscreen didn't prepare me for it though. I really enjoyed Pedro Pascal's performance and it's a shame the character wasn't kept on but despite appearing in seven episodes, he made quite an impression on the show and got a very memorable exit to boot. As for the rest of the episode - Arya's reaction to Lysa's death and Sansa finally learning to play the game were the other two obvious highlights from another memorable instalment of the series.

In The Flesh: The second half of this series certainly didn't pull any punches, did it? I've really enjoyed Dominic Mitchell's rural zombie drama and the last three episodes proved the depth of storytelling he's capable of with this series. Whether it's both Simon and Maxine's misguided beliefs over the Rising, Kieren's ability to combat the Blue Oblivion pills or even Amy's transformation (was she really becoming human again and how?) and Philip's fall from public council office into a happier person, BBC3 would be utterly insane not to renew this show for a third series. Especially given that we have a mysterious duo digging up a certain grave as well. Come on, BBC3 - you know you want to commission this brilliant show for another run of episodes. We need moregeous times in Roarton.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: A solid finale. Though not as spectacular as the Arrow one (I know I compare these show a lot but it's kind of hard not to at times), I do think this was a solid way of ending the first season and setting up some interesting stuff concerning Skye for the second season as well. More to the point when we didn't have Nick Fury reappear (which wasn't too shocking), there was also the glorious delight in seeing May kicking the crap out of Ward. Speaking of Ward, I'm a bit conflicted about him - can the show really sustain him as a recurring enemy or will they try to redeem him in the long run? Either option could be a bit risky though.

Orphan Black: I might be two episodes behind but this show continues to be bloody addictive. The idea of a road trip episode with Sarah and Helena clearly turned out to be the best idea the writers had this season and easily made for the best episode so far this season. Helena might be dangerous but she's also rather adorable and seeing her make a genuine connection with a bloke before a bar fight started was pretty sweet actually. The ongoing stuff with Project Leda and Rachel's family background isn't quite as compelling and Paul continues to be a lifelessly dull character to watch that scenes with Cosima/Delphine, Allison/Victor, Sarah/Siobhan and anything involving Felix and Art working together are a blessed relief. Basically in another wise fantastic series, Paul is the weak link of the bunch.

The Vampire Diaries: I might have missed this on ITV2 earlier in the year (though I did watch most of The Originals - a blog on that show will appear later in the summer), but thankfully TG4 have finally started airing the fifth season (despite the terrible timeslot). The opening episode alone seemed a bit similar to Buffy (Elena and Caroline's college antics) and Angel (Stefan's current watery whereabouts) but at the same time was still enjoyable with an interesting slew of new mysteries. Plus we had Katherine proving that she's still deadly even as a human and Silas has managed to become a far more interesting villain now than he was last season or Klaus during the previous two and a bit seasons he was on the show. That being said - the usual dynamic of the lead characters lying to each other and withholding information continues to be a downer for the series.

- Pedro Pascal will be appearing in the upcoming Netflix series, Narcos, playing the role of Mexican DEA, Javier Pena.
- Yaya DaCosta will play Whitney Houston in an upcoming biopic for Lifetime. Angela Bassett will also direct the project.
- Dominic Cooper will reprise his role as Howard Stark for Marvel's Agent Carter.
- Suraj Sharma has joined the cast of Homeland for it's upcoming fourth season, playing recurring medical student, Aayan Ibrahim.
- Jeremy Sisto is the latest addition to the US version of The Returned. He will be portraying psychiatrist.
- Penny Dreadful has been picked up for a second season.
- Rachel McAdams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kelsey Grammer and Lauren Graham are among the celebrities lined up for the next series of  the US version of Who Do You Think You Are? 
- Matthew Goode will remain on The Good Wife for the time being.
- Jason Ritter will appear in the sixth episode of the fourth season of Girls.
- Sonja Sohn has joined the second season of The Originals as powerful witch, Lenore.