My Top 10 Characters of 2014

Digital Spy did their Top 10 list yesterday and I've decided to do my Top 10 list of favourite characters from this year as well.

1: Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) - Gotham

If The Dark Knight blew people's minds with Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker, then Robin Lord Taylor has managed to do the same with his take on the Penguin in the space of ten episodes in Gotham's debut year. Playing a younger version of the character, it's been fun watching Oswald slowly but surely working his way to the top.

2: Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) - Doctor Who

The key to any good character is to be one that can provoke a strong reaction, whether it's love or hate. In Series 8 and Peter Capaldi's debut year as the 12th Doctor, Clara did exactly that as the school teacher proved to be a far more fleshed out character compared to her previous year. Whether or not Last Christmas will see the end of her remains to be seen, but it's hard to deny the impact Clara has had this year.

3: Dr Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) - The Flash

The one thing we can get clear is that not only is The Flash every bit as good as Arrow but it's almost arguably better than it's parent show. Not only do we have an exceptionally likeable leading man with Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash but amongst the superb cast we've also got Cavanagh's mysterious Wells, a man so delightfully unpredictable week in and week out.

4: Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee) - How To Get Away With Murder

I know most of these sort of lists would actually feature Annalise and while her character continues to fascinate me, I have to admit it's Connor who really fascinates me that bit more. He's not the nicest of guys at times but he's certainly one of the most amusing, most interesting gay male characters we've had in a while with a tiny bit of an edge too for good measure.

5: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) - Game Of Thrones

It was nearly Oberyn for this list but much as I loved Pedro Pascal's performance, the fourth season of HBO's best show was easily the best for both Tyrion as a character and Dinklage as an actor with some genuinely sublime moments in the wake of Joffrey's much welcomed demise. Especially in the sixth episode and that unforgettable finale. Where the writers will go with Tyrion when the show returns in 2015, I cannot wait to see.

6: Melody 'Mellie' Grant (Bellamy Young) - Scandal

Truthfully, I'm more a recent convert to this show and having spent most of the last few months watching the third season on SkyLiving, Scandal is a show with almost too many interesting characters (Olivia, Cyrus, Quinn, Huck, Eli etc) but Mellie certainly managed to catch my attention that extra bit more. The fact that this show is able to make us sympathetic with her, Olivia and Fitz in equal measures is actually a good thing, especially considering what we learned about the character during the third year.

7: Cosima Niehaus (Tatiana Maslany) - Orphan Black

Ah, Orphan Black the series I don't think you're allowed to dislike, even if you want to. Just kidding. Seriously though, the second season managed to be as good as the first one and Maslany was on fine form again. When she wasn't handling new characters like Rachel and (briefly) Tony, she was perfecting her main four clones - Sarah, Allison, Helena and of course my personal favourite here, Cosima. Best actress on television at the moment.

8: Sara Lance/The Canary (Caity Lotz) - Arrow

Arrow has had it's fair share of brilliant female characters and while I was tempted to add Felicity to this list, Sara edged her out just a tiny bit though. As the Canary, she not only proved to be a good a hero as the Arrow but actually an even better one. It's a shame that the writers killed her off in the opening episode for the third season but at least the character's legacy will live on in Laurel. Yes, I don't hate Laurel, people.

9: Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) - Orange Is The New Black

This show has way too many great characters to pick from I could probably do a Top 10 list from it alone, but and maybe I'm being slightly controversial here, I decided to pick Piper as my favourite character, even if her role was a little smaller (though not by a lot) during the second season. Still however a fantastic, engaging, flawed protagonist as her relationships with Larry and Alex took decent turns as did her time in Litchfield.

10: Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) - Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD

It might have taken Agents Of SHIELD two thirds of it's first season to show audiences what it really could do as a series but when it got good, it really got good and even watching the second season, all of the main characters have improved for the better. Then there's May, who was just fantastic from the start and continues to be. Don't challenge her on that. It won't end well.

That's my list folks. So, what's yours?

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.

Jack's Back

This will be a two part blog with the second part to be posted tomorrow after I've caught up with the final episode of a certain show.

24: Live Another Day: The show that was probably responsible for the boxset binge watching that most of us indulge in nowadays has returned after a four year absence and with a slightly altered format (12 episodes instead of 24 of them) and the action taking place in London, this has been something of a return to form while at the same time feeling all familiar in spite of it's new location, characters and the different shifts with familiar ones like Jack, Chloe, President Heller and Audrey. So far, it's been a fun ride and Margot has been a decent antagonist if not wholly original but on the plus side, I am glad to see the show back and that wasn't something I'd expect to feel again.

Devious Maids: Yeah this was something of a guilty pleasure series last year and while it still has that Desperate Housewives feel to it, it's still a lot of fun to watch. The opening episode for Season 2 did a time jump, set up another mystery that Marisol will be central in solving, had it's fair share of personal drama amongst the maids while at the same time showed that the Powells were still delightfully bonkers to watch and that Peri will do anything to keep her husband and Rosie apart. Overall, it's the bonkers soapy show you might not be watching because it's on TLC.

Glee: Something of a mixed bag here. I enjoyed the penultimate episode written by Chris Colfer more than the actual finale itself. Probably because the former still had Santana and seemed to make a little more sense. The finale just decided to give Rachel her own TV, while having an annoying parody of Lena Dunham shadowing Rachel for most of the episode as well as Sam being given Finn's original Lima intended plot and some minor dramas with Sam/Mercedes and Kurt/Blaine. In retrospect, while there have been some good episodes, I do think this season has been the weakest so far and it's probably a good thing that the sixth season will be the last one.

In The Flesh: If you're not watching this show on BBC3, can I just ask - why? It's probably one of the best things on television right now and like The Walking Dead and The Returned has offered something pretty interesting to the zombie genre at the moment. The first three episode alone have added more to the series with the arrivals of both Simon and Maxine and the ongoing battle between the redeemed and Victus has made for some gripping television along with Kieren's friendships with Amy and Simon and Jem being pulled back into her former hunting ways. A genuinely gripping series that certainly should be watched by more than it currently is at the moment.

Orphan Black: Having watched the second and third episodes of Season 2 for now (watching at BBC3 pace), this show has gotten that tiny bit more messed up than usual. Whether it's seeing Siobhan wield a shotgun and take some folk out or poor Helena being terrorised and forcibly married into a bizarre cult, this season has been pulling out all the stops. On top of that, there was also the introduction of Sarah's baby daddy, Rachel being a right bitch to Cosimo as well as the brief introduction of another clone and Allison losing it, this season has certainly reeled me in. It might be still a little early but I think this season could be even better than it's impressive debut year but the one thing that is abundantly clear is that Tatiana Maslany continues to impress each and every episode. The woman is a revelation. Easily the best actress on television at the moment.

- Hayley Atwell's Agent Carter will air for eight episodes between episodes of Agents Of SHIELD.
- Glee's sixth and final season will not air until early 2015.
- How I Met Your Dad was not picked up by CBS but is being shopped around.
- Adrienne C. Moore will be a regular in Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black. The second season premieres on Netflix from June 6th.
- T.R Knight and Mena Suvari will be joining Amazon pilot, Hysteria.
- John Barrowman will be a regular in the third season of Arrow.
- Marin Ireland has signed up for the fourth season of Girls.
- Heroes: Reborn will likely feature some of the original stars after all, according to NBC executive chairman Robert Greenblatt.

You Don't Own Us

And a look at some of the show I've recently caught up with.

Arrow: The last couple of episodes have been great but I'll admit that the Roy plot is dragging a bit and I do think it's a bit convenient that Oliver might have a secret child out there but between setting up stuff for the upcoming Flash spin-off and Slade showing his hand by killing Moira, it's hard to deny that the second season has continued to push the show into interesting directions. I just hope that within the last three episodes Oliver is able to take out his former friend before there are more casualties.

Game Of Thrones: And the last two episodes of this show have seen the ratings shoot up and draw controversy. That scene with Jaime and Cersei in the sept was one the show could've done without but on the plus side, at least we know who to thank for Joffrey's death, Dany's got Meereen's loyalty, the White Walkers were shown to be doing something unique with the babies they take and the road trips with Brienne and Pod could be fun as well, even if they don't find Sansa anytime soon. Plus more sexiness with Oberyn and Tyrion at least having one family member on his side while Margaery gets in with Tommen and this season continues to be as impressive as it's previous ones.

Glee: First of all, I would personally pay Ryan Murphy if I never have to hear a song by One Direction ever again on the show. Secondly, having Santana/Mercedes belt out Lauryn Hill's Doo Woo That Thing was actually pretty inspired as the recent episodes have been a little better, even if they most contained Rachel achieving Broadway success and nearly losing it as well by getting ahead of herself. The TV deal thing is a bit trite and could've been left for next season but props to the show for getting Shirley MacLaine for a multi episode arc though.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: Ward is a traitor, Ward is a traitor. I'm gonna let that settle in for a bit. While you could argue that Boyd being a baddie in Dollhouse might have been more shocking, the not exactly dazzling with a personality Ward being revealed as a baddie of sorts at the end of Turn, Turn, Turn (poor Victoria Hand) was the first genuinely shocking moment the show has produced so far and it was well overdue. Nice to see the show turning itself around and getting to be that little bit more interesting.

Once Upon A Time: Much as I am loving Zelena, her whole plot about changing her past just looks obviously doomed to fail but on the plus sideat least her antics have cooled Hook and Emma for a tiny bit. I also like the fact that the writers took something more of a gutsy gamble about the actual cause of the second curse and the introduction of Glinda (who has to be in Narnia by the looks of it) and everyone's memories being restored was certainly needed as well. I'm still not entirely sold on Regina and Robin though as a pairing but their scenes are getting a little better though.

Orphan Black: One of the most hyped about shows in the last year made it's BBCAmerica and BBC3 return and sticking to watching it on the latter, I have to admit that the opening episode was brilliant. I'm not sure who are worse between the DYAD and the religious fanatics that have Kira but Sarah/Allison/Cosima need to band together and annihilate both factions and pretty much within this season as well. As for the other Clones - I was surprised to see that Helena actually survived and Rachel's coldness might not make her sympathetic but it's certainly intriguing to see her act as though she's above the other Clones. A great start to what looks like will be another terrific series. Also the less said about Felix in assless chaps, perhaps the better, yeah?

- Teen Wolf's fourth season will air on MTV from June 23rd at 10pm with a new villain named the Benefactor also revealed.
- Scandal has been dropped by More4 but UK viewers can still see it as SkyLiving have picked up the series.
- Bryan Fuller is confident that Hannibal will be picked up for a third season, while the second season airs on SkyLiving from May 6th.
- The Simpsons are planning a Yellow Wedding episode.
- Michael McKean is joining Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul as a powerful attorney.
- Yvonne Strahovski will appear in an episode of Louie.
- Despite recently being cast in the Star Wars movies, Adam Driver will still be a part of the fourth season of Girls.
- Another version of The Saint is in works despite last year's attempt not getting picked up by ABC.
- Almost Human has been cancelled by FOX, though Watch will air it for UK viewers from May 6th.
- Bates Motel has been picked up for a third season.

Orphan Black - Season 2 First Look

It was one of the shows from 2013 that caught a lot of people's imagination and now the second season of Orphan Black is only five weeks upon us.

BBCAmerica have released a cast picture featuring Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Cosima, Allison and of course the rather treacherous, Rachel, who was introduced in the first season finale. Also in the cast shot are Jordan Gavaris as Felix, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mrs S, Evelyn Brochu as Delphine, Dylan Bruce as Paul as well as new cast members such as Michiel Huisman (Treme, Nashville) as rugged woodsman, Cal Morrison who gets involved with the on the run Sarah in the upcoming season. It also seems from the latest trailer to be released that there are nine clones as well.

Also cementing the show's impact, Maslany has appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as Sarah, Cosima and Allison respectively. Like the cover of the magazine nicely pointed out, I think anyone who has yet to see the show really will become obsessed upon viewing it and with a month to go and only ten episodes from the first season, it's definitely worth catching up on, especially given that the upcoming second season looks like it's going to be a similarly adventurous ride.

Season 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfUxpTSnq4o

Season 2 of Orphan Black will air Saturdays at 9pm on BBCAmerica from April 19th and will air on BBC3 for UK viewers later in 2014.

Learning Is Easier When You Don't Ask Any Questions

And here's a catch up on some of the stuff I've been watching just of late ...

Bad Education: I sort of misjudged Jack Whitehall's comedy series when it aired last year. Like Him And Her, I wasn't initially impressed with the first series of this show but the first two episodes of the second run have actually been enjoyable to watch. Alfie Wickers might be a terrible teacher (because competent ones are not allowed to exist on TV) but he's actually become an enjoyable character this year, especially with his rivalry with Michelle Gomez's insane Head Teacher and the student characters are being better written this series as well. Definitely an improvement from the first run.

Bates Motel: I literally caught this last night by accident and I am certainly glad I did. I've heard some great things about this modern take on Norman Bates and his possessive mother taking over a certain motel and if the quality of the first episode is anything to go by, I'll definitely be watching the rest of the season. A gripping opening episode, drawing some sympathy for both Norma and her disturbed son as their descent in darkness began with bumping off a rather nasty piece of work and disposing of his body. You know, the sort of thing that bonds the average family nowadays.

Orange Is The New Black: I'm nearly at the end of this series but the last few episodes have been a blast to watch. So much that I kind of want to prolong watching the final three just a little longer. As for the episodes I've seen, it's nice to see more of a connection with Piper and Alex (especially considering that Larry is hardly excitement central), the Thanksgiving episode was by far the best we've had, we've lost at least two different prisoners and both Healey and Mendez have shown their nastier sides. On the flip side, the pregnancy plot with Bennett and Daya seemed a little too predictable but it's a minor quibble in an overall fantastic run of episodes.

Orphan Black: It might be starting up on BBC3 this Friday at 9pm but I've done all my viewing of the first season and again, some impressive episodes. It was nice learning more about the origins of the Clones, Sarah's family, the ups and downs of Cosima and Delphine's relationship (plus the former being ill), the identity of Alison's handler and the introduction of pre Clone Rachel. All of which are excellent material for the second season as well in terms of development.

Under The Dome: A few weeks ago, this debuted on Channel 5 and last week, Irish viewers got it as well. Having watched the first two episodes again, I can say that it's a decent show. As an adaptation of a Stephen King novel goes, we've had better and we've certainly had worse. It's got a likeable enough cast and most of the characters are interesting enough but I'm not sure if it's something I'll watch week in and week out and while it's been picked up for a second run, I'm also not that sure if it's a premise that can be sustained for too long either. Still, it's a diverting enough show.

- Breaking Bad will be giving viewers a spin-off with Better Call Saul, focusing on one of the show's popular characters. It will also be set before the events of the parent show too.
- Penny Dreadful will air on SkyAtlantic for UK viewers in 2014. Harry Treadaway has been cast as Frankenstein and Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray.
- Bob Newhart will be appearing again in the upcoming season of The Big Bang Theory.
- Eliza Coupe has bagged a recurring role on Showtime series, House Of Lies.
- Expect a Homeland spoof in an upcoming episode of The Simpsons.
- Erinn Westbrook will be playing a new Cheerio named Bree in the fifth season of Glee.
- Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air on Channel 4 from September 27th.
- The Originals will air on SyFy for UK viewers.
- Paul Adelstein will be appearing in an upcoming episode of Scandal.
- Cynthia Nixon will be playing an FBI agent in the second season of Hannibal.