New York Calling Again

As usual, it's been a while since I've done this but a brief look into some of the shows I've been watching over the last few weeks.

And Just Like That: I often wonder why I keep watching this show because even with certain character exits and guests like Rosie O'Donnell and Patti Lupone, this show has remained a train wreck. Carrie and Aidan haven't progressed as a couple, Charlotte's story with Harry should've been taken more seriously and it's early days with Miranda and Joy. The subplots that other characters have had are a mixed bag but overall, it's been another uneven season so far.

Dexter: Resurrection: It was only a few months ago this franchise was getting back on track with prequel show Dexter: Original Sin. The first two episodes of this sequel series certainly glossed some obstacles from Dexter: New Blood while also setting up a whole new playground for both Dexter and Harrison. There was a lot fan pleasing cameos in the first episode, Angel's now in the same boat that Doakes/LaGuerta once were, Dexter's made a new friend with Blessing and his family, Harrison's developing his own code and Uma Thurman's Charley is involved with other serial killers. It's off to a strong start tbh.

Ironheart: I had such mixed feelings about this show. I didn't particularly care for the title character in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and I did think it was a MCU show that we didn't need. Saying that, it's mostly an okay show that served as a good place to have Riri Williams get her own suit, work through the grief of losing her best friend while also introducing Sacha Baron Cohen's Mephisto in the finale. The stories with both The Hood and Ezekiel Stane were a bit uneven but in general, it's not a bad show.

Poker Face: I have loved this second season and it's done a great job with its guest cast. It's also done a great job in setting up the seemingly sweet and innocent Alex into Charlie's intellectual nemesis. It's only taken the show two seasons to give Charlie her own Moriarty but they did it and perfectly with this particular character. We also got a cliffhanger ending for Alex or did we? Oh we're definitely getting that character if the show returns for a third season.

Sirens: Netflix and Greek mythology themed shows again. Less than a year after the short-lived Kaos, there's this five part series, centred on sisters Simone and Devon and the former's enigmatic boss, Mikaela. It's a show that revelled in it's opulence, was more subtle in the actual sirens part and had some solid performances from Milly Alcock, Meghann Fahy and Julianne Moore. Oh and Kevin Bacon certainly had his moments too. Not the best Netflix series this year but with five episodes, it certainly didn't outstay it's welcome.

The Bear: I watched the fourth season in two days and mostly, I did like it. Not as much as the first two seasons but more than the previous one. The fourth and seventh episodes in particular were highlights. The former focused on Sydney spending time with her cousin and the latter's daughter. The latter episode being a big wedding one with the most amount of guest stars, including Brie Larson as Francine, the much hated rival of Sugar's. Carmy got some interesting scenes with Claire, Donna, Sydney, Richie and Sugar this season but there's a repetitiveness with the restaurant being in trouble that I wish the show would move past.

• Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden and Marcia Gay Harden will be regulars for upcoming Netflix series, Trinity.
• Murderbot has been renewed for a second season by AppleTV+
• ABC have commissioned a new series of Scrubs for the Fall schedule. 
• HBO Max have cancelled Duster after one season.
• Stranger Things fifth season will be released on Netflix November 26th, December 25th and 31st respectively.
• HBO Max have ordered to series Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, the latest spin off from The Big Bang Theory.
• Queer Eye will end with it's upcoming tenth season on Netflix.
• Virgin River has been renewed for an eighth season on Netflix.
• Filming for The Boys final season has wrapped. Amazon will release it in 2026.
• Filming for third season of Interview With The Vampire has started. It'll air on AMC in 2026.
• Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy will be released on Peacock from October 16th.
• Slow Horses has been renewed for a seventh season by AppleTV+
• Season 4 of Monster will focus on Lizzie Borden. The Ed Gein season will be released on Netflix later this year.

No I Won't Cry

And this week, I'll be doing two TV jumble blogs, so here's the first one ....

Camelot: Okay, these last two episodes I have absolutely loved to bits. Morgan as Igraine for an entire episode made me reassess Claire Forlani's acting performances but even after the chaos she caused, I still had to admire how Morgan managed to turn the situation to her advantage. Even though I've had no issue with Arthur personally, his recklessness does seem to be biting him in the backside, doesn't it? The situation with Guinevere and Leontes couldn't have come at a worse time and even Merlin can't seem to outsmart Morgan, can he? Looking forward to seeing how this short lived series actually ends on Saturday.

Mildred Pierce: Am I the only one disappointed with this series? It started so well but I think it ended up running for two episodes too long and funnily enough, the last two weren't that thrilling. Did I really need to know that as an adult that Veda would still be an unbearable anti-christ? Probably not but at least Mildred tried to strangle her at one point and the bitch fecked off to New York. Mildred, count your blessing if you really do never see the brat again.

Sirens: Good set of last few episodes. I really hope this show is picked up for a second run. It's not exactly a series that reinvents the wheels but it's thankfully nowhere near as juvenile as it could've been. And the characters have developed a little - Stuart confronting his father issues, Ashley his issues with relationships and Rachid's own issues with the job itself. Even Maxine has progressed some since the first episode. Please Channel 4, another run?

The Hour: I caught up with the first two episodes and I think I'm in love with it. The Mad Men comparisons aren't totally justified but I do understand where they come from but controversially enough, I'm finding this show more enjoyable than the antics of Don Draper and company. The running of a topical programme, the characters of Freddie, Bel and Hector, the social and political elements and the murder mystery with the creepy Kish. If you're not watching this show, you should catch it.

- Justin Breuning has been cast as a love interest for Bridget in Ringer.
- Felicity Huffman has revealed that the opening episode of the new season of Desperate Housewives will revolve around the women getting rid of Alejandro's body.
- Tom Everett Scott has joined the cast of Good Christian Belles in a recurring role of a former high school nerd turned millionaire.
- Alan Ball will be returning to work on the fifth season of True Blood. It hasn't been decided what the next season big bad will be though.
- Sean Hayes will be starring in a new sitcom for NBC, scheduled to air on the station in 2012.
- Grey's Anatomy's new season will pick up five days after the seventh season finale.
- Jack Coleman will be appearing in the third season of The Vampire Diaries.

A Bit Of Werewolf Slaying

I was meant to do this on Saturday but I got distracted, but here it is ...

Angry Boys: I am loving this series more and more. I don't know if we'll get a second series but I wouldn't mind seeing more of Gran Sims after last week's episode revealed that she had Alzheimer's, proving that Chris Lilley can add some poignancy to these characters as well. Even in last night's episode, I felt a little sympathetic towards the Blake character, despite him being the weakest character of the bunch. And fair play to Tim for finally getting his own back on that evil bitch of a mother he has. Only three more episodes left to watch.

Camelot: It's a shame this has had to come to an end because it's really been an interesting series. In the last two weeks, Morgan has upped her game as a character - first by being forced into making an example of her pet nun (thank you for that, Merlin) and then by holding Igraine captive and posing as her. However in spite of her desire to undermine/usurp her brother at every turn, I still get the feeling that Morgan cares something for Arthur, even if she's not willing to admit it. As for the Arthur/Guinevere/Leontes triangle - it's not bad but could be a little better though.
Mildred Pierce: I need to catch up with the last two episodes but the second and third instalments were pretty decent stuff though. Okay, I'm at the point where I'd ship Veda off to military school and Mildred's romance with Monty is about as interesting as paint drying but the main actors have definitely earned their 21 Emmy nominations with the powerhouse performances though.

Sirens: I've caught up with the last three episodes of this series and it's definitely been worth watching. From dealing with Stuart and Maxine's push/pull dynamic, Rachid's fear of dying alone and even Ashley's family antics, this show has been one of the best things Channel 4 has produced for a while. Here's hoping there's a second series around the corner.

Smallville: Finally Lois and Clark are on the same page. No more hiding in plain sight, no more lame excuse - they finally have honesty with each other and it's about damn time. Too bad the last two episodes have been in cliche land though - Lois possessed by an Egyptian goddess in one and nearly sacrificed by a creepy set of villagers. Better though is the current storyline with Tess and Alexander's rapid aging - he's becoming Lex and it's working well, plot wise. And I kinda like the idea of her working in Watchtower while Chloe is still gone.

The Vampire Diaries: How do you solve a problem like Mason Lockwood? If you're Caroline, you kiss his ass for threatening your friend but if you're Damon, you kidnap him, tie him up, torture him and kill him. Damon is nothing if no predictable to be honest. I felt a little bad that Mason was killed off so speedily but that only means that Katherine will just get poor Matt to cause Tyler to turn into a werewolf. I am loving Katherine in this show - her threats to keep Stefan/Elena apart, manipulating Caroline/Jenna/Matt, resistance to Vervain - the woman is unstoppable, isn't she? And the personal stuff with Caroline and her mother in the last two episodes also worked well.

- Idina Menzel will be reprising her role as Shelby for a multi-episode story in the third season of Glee.
- Jamie Murray has been cast as Andrew's business partner, Olivia in the new series of Ringer.
- Michelle Forbes has admitted that she doesn't know if she'll be appearing in the second season of The Killing.
- Jason Ritter will be reprising his role as Mark in the third season of Parenthood.
- Liam Cunningham is the latest actor to be cast in the second season of Game Of Thrones as Davos while Stephen Dillane will be playing Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre will be played by Carice Van Houten.
- Ricky Gervais and Clyde Philips are working on a series called Afterlife, a series about an atheist who ends up in Heaven.
- B.D Wong has confirmed that he will not be appearing in the upcoming season of Law And Order: SVU.
- Michael C. Hall has said that the upcoming season of Dexter will have a lightness to it.

Hitting The Nostalgia Button

And here's a jumble of some of the stuff I've been watching over the last fortnight ...

Angry Boys: I'm still enjoying this series immensely. It's nice that BBC3 have laid off the double bills and are airing single episodes, which means I can enjoy the series longer. That Japanese mother forcing her son into pretending to be gay though is a scary concept. Even for pushy stage mothers, she's a step too far, isn't she? My favourite character is still the jailer gran though and my least favourite is the failed surfer guy but half way through the series, I can happily say this is a fun show to watch.

Camelot: Another show I'm at the halfway point with and my expectations have been confounded. This isn't the best series or take on the Arthurian legend but it has improved a lot. I love the takes we've seen with Gwaine, the lady of the lake and even Morgan has come leaps and bounds as a character. Give her an ally in Sybil has definitely been a lot better for her than her deal with Lot. As for Merlin, still have trouble connecting with the character and Igraine is by far, the weakest of the lot. Liking the Arthur/Guinevere stuff for some reason as well.

Mildred Pierce: I swear in the last two months, you couldn't move from the TV or the internet without hearing something about this miniseries. Having seen the first part on SkyAtlantic, I have to admit it's pretty decent so far. Kate Winslet is certainly solid stuff as the eponymous character but the first part was merely just setting up Mildred's drab life, so here's hoping the remaining four parts are more compelling stuff.

Sirens: I had no intention of watching the latest comedy from Channel 4 (why is it an hour show?) but I caught the first episode out of boredom and I have to admit it was decent. Stuart, Ashley and Rachid might not be the most interesting of ambulance guys but they're played by likeable actors and their attempts of dealing with a trauma by being up, horny and down was far less crass than I expected it to be. With five more episodes to go, I might just stick with this one.

Smallville: I am loving this last series. Okay so the episode where Kara returned and Lois got into a BDSM situation with the baddie of the week wasn't exactly riveting stuff but the homecoming episode was just shameless nostalgia at it's best. For all the varying quality the series has had over the years, it's great to see it celebrated it's history and some of the flashbacks to the characters past made it a wonderful episode to watch. Also wonderful were the show directly facing up to the consequences of Oliver outing himself as the Green Arrow to the general public. This is what I want to remember the series for.

The Vampire Diaries: Good set of episodes here. I have to recommend the series for not using Katherine too much and focusing their efforts on Elena doing some digging on her past, Caroline adjusting to being a vampire and Tyler learning that his uncle Mason is a werewolf. And Elena deserves a medal for not forgiving Damon so easily for trying to kill her brother. That being said, it does look like Katherine is about to step into fore now.

- Chord Overstreet will not be a regular during the third season of Glee but both Harry Shum Jr and Darren Criss will be.
- True Blood has apparently been renewed for a fifth season, following the ratings for the fourth season premiere.
- Russell Tovey will be playing Henry Baskerville in an upcoming episode of Sherlock.
- Channel 4 will be airing The Killing, Thursdays at 9pm from July 7th.
- Neil Gaiman has said that the TV version of American Gods will be faithful to the book version.
- Camelot has been axed after one season. Damn, I was getting into it.
- Dichen Lachman will be playing a vampire named Izumi in the second season of Being Human US.
- Joe Manganiello will be guest starring in an upcoming episode of White Collar.