SDCC 2017 - Highlights Part 1

It was that time of year again. Last week, San Diego Comic Con was all over the press and here are some of the highlights of the events, spread out on two blog entries.

Doctor Who: In the past, this would've been given a blog to itself but I don't think I had enough to justify that this time around. The panel this year comprised of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss along with outgoing stars Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas and Michelle Gomez and it was certainly an emotional panel as the focus was rightly on the 12th Doctor's era, resulting in Peter himself getting a much deserved round of applause from the audience. While there was some brief discussion from various Whoverse people surrounding Jodie Whittaker's casting as the 13th Doctor, the focus was primarily on the current era. A minute long trailer was released for the Christmas special, now titled Twice Upon A Time, which sees both the 12th and 1st Doctors (latter played by David Bradley) dealing with time being wrecked once again. The special will also see the return of Pearl Mackie's Bill Potts for the last time on the show as well as Lily Travers taking on the role of 60's companion, Polly Wright (the role played by Anneke Wills) previous while Mark Gatiss will be playing a character named the Captain along with Toby Whithouse as a German soldier during the WW1 setting. Unlike last year's entry, this one does look a little more Christmassy by comparison. You can watch the trailer for it here ....

Christmas 2017 Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCkDXegqjR0

American Horror Story: The show is back yet again, for a seventh season, which now has the subtitle of Cult and with it, at least two scary-ish promos involving sinister looking clowns to boot. Over the last few days, it was confirmed that the show would be moving to Tuesdays and airing from September 5th. On top of that, we also learned that this season will now have eleven episodes and that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters characters are named Ally and Kai, who have "a love story for the ages" while both Mare Winningham and France Conroy will be back this season along with Lena Dunham guest starring in an episode. Oh and Twisty the Clown from Freak Show too.

AHS: Cult Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v0ISjTugh4

Star Trek: Discovery: Another show given quite the push over the weekend with Netflix and CBS releasing another trailer for the prequel series. I've seen a lot of debate surrounding the fact that this is a prequel (that and the new looking Klingons) and while I'll admit that it feels unnecessary after Enterprise, the second trailer sold me more to the series than the first one did (and I quite liked the first one). It's also come to my attention that Anthony Rapp's character, Lt Stamets will also be in a relationship with Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber, the Starship Discovery's medical officer. US viewers will be able to see the show on Sundays from September 24th with UK viewers getting it the very next day on Netflix.

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnYtyNKPsA

- Once Upon A Time's seventh season will see Dania Ramirez playing a new version of Cinderella/the mother of Henry's daughter, Lucy. Also joining the cast this season are Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine, Adelaide Kane as Drizella, Rose Reynolds as Alice and Mekia Cox as Tiana. Emma, Henry and Belle will return for an episode each and there will be a gay character introduced this season as well.
- The Originals fifth season will be it's last season.
- Michelle Pfeiffer will play Janet van Dyne in Ant Man And The Wasp. Laurence Fishburne will also be a part of the movie.
- Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will also be appearing in Captain Marvel.
- Iron Fist has been renewed for a second season and Misty Knight will be joining the series.
- Game Of Thrones released another trailer for the remaining episodes of it's seventh season and more chaos is come for all concerned.
- Supernatural's female led spin-off, Wayward Sisters has it's cast with Briana Buckmaster, Kathryn Newton and Katherine Ramdeen heading up the series.
- Vanessa Morgan will be joining the Riverdale cast for it's second season. The show will also introduce a bisexual character too.
- Charlize Theron will guest star in The Orville.
- Jonathan Tucker and Neil Jackson will guest star in Westworld's second season.
- Isaiah Washington will return for the fifth season of The 100.
- Wynonna Earp has been renewed for a third season.

That's it for Part 1. Part 2 will be up and it'll be a DC related one. 

2017-2018 TV Season: Shows To Watch

It's that time of year again. Amid the news of shows being cancelled and renewed, we also have a current selection of TV series waiting in the wings for the upcoming 2017-2018 television season.

1: 9-1-1 (FOX, mid-season)

Following the expected cancellation of Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy hasn't let go his association with FOX as both himself and Angela Bassett have teamed up for a mid-season show on the channel. The series will be a fast-paced exploration into the lives and careers of first responders – cops, paramedics, firefighters – the people who put their lives on the line to save others with Bassett herself taking on a leading role in the series. Whether or not this series will rule her out for the upcoming seventh season of American Horror Story, I'm not sure but here's hoping we'll see Angela in both shows.

Press Release: http://www.spoilertv.com/2017/05/fox-announces-2017-18-primetime-schedule.html

2: Black Lightning (CW, mid-season)

Adding to the CW's already packed DC TV roster, Black Lightning will also be making it's debut in early 2018. Starring Cress Williams in the title role, the series will focus on Jefferson Pierce, who retired from his superhero persona Black Lightning nine years ago, is forced to return when his daughter Jennifer (China Anne McClain), who is hellbent on justice and a star student, gets recruited by a local gang. Despite having the same producers and showrunners, the series will not be connected to the current Arrow universe, which is a pity as the trailer certainly impressed.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZpJeuXo2CY

3: Dynasty (CW, Wednesdays 9pm)

Another year, another reboot and following the likes of 90210 and Melrose Place, the CW are probably hoping their version of popular 80's soap Dynasty will be as successful as the former rather than the one and done of the latter (which I suspect is a fate that will befall this show). The trailer was a little better than expected, mainly due to wayward brother Steven Carrington (James Mackay) copping up with Sam Flores (Rafael De La Fuente) - a gay male version of the character Sammy Jo from the original series. The rest of the trailer sees a marriage between patriarch Blake Carrington (Grant Snow) and the scheming Cristal Flores (Nathalie Kelley) as well as a rivalry between the latter and daughter,  Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies). It looks okay but it feels like it should be on something like ABC rather than the CW if I'm being honest.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxacuu_vg8Y

4: Inhumans (ABC, Fridays 9pm)

Oh dear. This one really could be a non starter, couldn't it? First of all, like Once Upon A Time and Quantico, it's being dumped in the Friday night death slot as a precursor to Agent Of Shield's fifth season and there are only eight episodes. The trailer so far has only been a cryptic voice over of doom but at least the cast look with Anson Mount as Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa and Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon: to name a few. The first two episodes will get an IMAX cinema airing before their television debut in September.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEVDBBaH6wM

5: Krypton (Syfy, mid-season)

Um, is this really a prequel anyone wanted? I know both Gotham and Smallville have shown that prequels can work for a good amount seasons and be pretty compelling in their own right but seeing as both shows had characters we generally knew and cared about, it made watching them a little easier at times. Krypton on the other will mainly focus on Superman's grandfather, Seg El (Cameron Cuffe) and Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell) in the early days of the planet's life. Produced by David S. Goyer, there was rumours that the series was meant to have a link to the current DCEU but it seems that this will be a standalone series. It looks decent from the trailer but I kind of feel that Supergirl has us covered at the moment.

Trailer Description: http://tvline.com/2017/04/18/krypton-trailer-superman-prequel-series-syfy/

6: Roseanne (ABC, mid-season)

You didn't think Will & Grace was going to be the only sitcom to get revived this season, right? Well, there's also Arrested Development getting a fifth season on Netflix but it seems that ABC will also be bringing back 90's sitcom Roseanne in 2018 with nearly all of the original cast returning to the series. Sarah Chalke will play a different character and Johnny Galecki hasn't been confirmed yet.

Press Release: http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/roseanne-barr-reviving-roseanne-for-new-season-in-2018-w482626

7: Star Trek: Discovery (CBS/CBS All Access, tbc)

I know I highlighted this one last year when there were no cast members announced but with all the main players announced, Bryan Fuller stepping down and an increase from thirteen to fifteen episodes, it finally seems like we're on track here. Former The Walking Dead actress Sonequa Martin-Green takes on the role of USS Discovery officer Michael Burnham, the protagonist of the series along with Michelle Yeoh, Jason Isaacs and Rainn Wilson to name a few. It seems now that the series will be set ten years prior to Star Trek: The Original Series. The trailer certainly impressed and here's hoping it fares a lot better than Enterprise did at times. UK viewers will be able to see the show courtesy of Netflix.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rj4inzcAKk

8: The Gifted (FOX, Mondays 9pm)

And now we've got another X-Men linked series here. Following Legion on FX, Fox will be airing The Gifted, starring Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker as a couple - Reed and Caitlin Strucker with two mutant children, Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lynd) and Andy (Percy Hynes White) whom they will do anything to protect from the government. The pilot episode is also directed by Bryan Singer, who serves as an executive producer to the series.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTzW9rMcbzk

9: The Orville (FOX, Thursdays 9pm)

When he's not lagging with both Family Guy and American Dad, Seth Mcfarlane is back on the live action front with this Star Trek (more like Galaxy Quest) inspired space series, this is a one-hour science fiction series set 400 years in the future that follows the adventures of the U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory vessel. Its crew, both human and alien, faces the wonders and dangers of outer space, while also dealing with the familiar, often humorous problems of regular people in a workplace…even though some of those people are from other planets, and the workplace is a faster-than-light spaceship. I have to admit it looks funny enough.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy9sKeCE8V0

10: The X Files (FOX, mid-season)

Let's be honest - this one wasn't a shocker. While the tenth season wasn't the best (albeit an improvement on previous seasons) and a little too short for it's own good, it was however a success and proof that audiences still hungered for the truth and in particular, Mulder and Scully. With the 25th anniversary of the show looming in 2018, the show will return for an eleventh season of ten episodes and hopefully a strong resolution for that dicey cliffhanger we were left with last season.

Press Release: http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-x-files/257640/x-files-season-11-set-for-midseason

11: Will & Grace (NBC, Thursdays 8pm)

Following it's successful Election special scene from last year, the show is back once again for twelve new episodes and even in it's own original-ish timeslot as well. To really get things into motion, NBC have released a musical themed trailer as Will, Jack and Karen all do their best to persuade Grace to embrace the return. While I felt the show had ended well enough back in 2006, I am actually looking forward to seeing the gang once again.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaZS9_69KF0

12: Young Sheldon (CBS, Mondays 8.30pm)

Did we really need a spin-off on a younger Sheldon Cooper of all characters? I mean, I like the character enough on The Big Bang Theory but I wasn't clamouring for a spin-off with him and I imagine others weren't either. The trailer for this prequel series sees the young genius, played by Iain Armitage as a nine year old in Texas dealing with his religious family and the pressures of school as well. The trailer was a little better than expected but again, it feels a little unnecessary as a series though. The show along with it's parent show will move to Thursdays during November though. Jim Parsons will also be involved with the series.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11zpOOYAXD4

There's a list of the potential big hitters for the next television season. Now we just have to wait for some UK transmissions and see how they fare.

Star Trek: Discovery - First Three Castmembers Announced

You wait ages for Star Trek: Discovery news and then all of a sudden, a fair chunk of it finally surfaces. First off all, it seems that Bryan Fuller himself will be taking a backseat from things as Akiva Goldsman takes over the show and then there's also the casting news we've gotten in the last few days.

First of all, Michelle Yeoh. The actress whose credits include Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will be playing the role of Captain Georgiou, who will be manning the USS Shenzhou. This isn't the first time that the franchise has had a female captain and following Fuller's previous comments about having a female captain, it's nice to have confirmation and Yeoh is terrific casting.

Meanwhile Doug Jones, whose credits include Batman Returns, Hocus Pocus and Buffy The Vampire Slayer to name a few has been cast in the role of Saru. The press release has confirmed that the character is a Science Officer serving as an lieutenant aboard the Discovery as well as the reveal that Saru is a member of a new alien race for the franchise. Given the actor's history of being behind makeup and prosthetic, it'll be interesting what the series has him look like.

Last for now (as more will be cast, including the mysterious Number One character) is Anthony Rapp. The Rent star will be taking on the role of Lieutenant Stamets, a Science Officer specializing in astromycology (the study of fungi in space) and it's also been confirmed that he will be the TV franchise's first gay character, following Star Trek Beyond revealing that John Cho's Sulu had a husband and daughter during the summer.

The upcoming series, set a decade before the events of the original Star Trek television series will feature a new ship, new characters, and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. I'll discuss more casting as it's announced.

Press Release: http://deadline.com/2016/11/star-trek-discovery-cast-doub-none-s-1201861221/

Star Trek: Discovery starts filming next month with the series set to premiere on CBS and CBS AllAccess from May 2017.

Comic-Con 2016 - Highlights

In the past I've done more individual trailers and stuff for some of the panels but this year I decided to do more of a rundown of stuff we've learned from various shows and movies over the last few days at Comic Con. Without further ado ....

Castings Alert

- Rihanna has been cast as Marion Crane for the fifth and final season of Bates Motel.
- Once Upon A Time's sixth season will be adding Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz), Jasmine (Karen David), Jafar (Oded Fehr replacing Naveen Andrews), Morpheus (Giles Matthay) and the Count of Monte Cristo (Craig Horner)
- Kristin Chenowith has been cast as Easter for American Gods.
- Agents Of SHIELD have added Ghost Rider into the mix with Gabriel Luna taking on the role, Lili Birdsell will also recur in the new season.
- Neil Jackson has joined the cast of The Originals while Nathalie Kelly will be playing evil herself in The Vampire Diaries.
- Brie Larson has been cast as Captain Marvel.

Time To Say Goodbye And Hello

- Over the weekend, it was confirmed that the upcoming seasons of Bates Motel, The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf will be their final seasons.
- Game Of Thrones seventh season will only be seven episodes and will air in Summer 2017. I assume then it's inevitable eighth season will only be six episodes then.
- Legion will be coming next year for US viewers as will BBCAmerica's version of Dirk Gently with Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood.
- Viewers will be meeting Penny's mother and brother in the tenth season of The Big Bang Theory as played by Katey Sagal and Jack McBrayer respectively.
- Colton Haynes will be playing a mysterious role in the second season of Scream Queens.
- David Tennant will also be playing the Doctor again, this time on Family Guy during a spoof.

Star Trek: Discovery

With Star Trek Beyond currently in the cinemas, here is a stark reminder that next year we will have a television series once again. While Bryan Fuller sadly didn't confirm the cast at Comic Con (something of an oversight there), he did confirm the proper title for the show and you know what? I like it! We also got an image of the ship as well, which looks okay so far. It's also been confirmed that UK viewers will be able to see the series on Netflix next year.

Sherlock: Series 4 Trailer

Between Benedict Cumberbatch appearing at San Diego as part of the promotion for Doctor Strange (still not too fussed on that to be honest), a trailer for the fourth series of Sherlock was also released and it certainly piqued interest. It looked dark and brooding and even contained the delightful moment where Mrs Hudson likened Mycroft to a reptile. We're also been teased as to whether or not Moriarty (Andrew Scott) is still alive, seeing Mary (Amanda Abbington) in gun toting action and getting a nice look at Toby Jones playing the baddie too. Overall, it looks like a promising season ahead. You can have a look at it here ,... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlcWFoNqZHc

That's a round up wrap for this year's Comic Con. This time next year, yeah?

Star Trek Beyond - The Sulu Debate

Last week, it was revealed that John Cho's Hiraku Sulu in the upcoming movie Star Trek Beyond would have a husband and daughter and it's certainly generated an interesting debate.

Thought as a tribute to the original actor, George Takei who played the role in the original Star Trek television series and the first few movies, Takei's comments on the matter have certainly been interesting. The openly gay actor himself expressed some disappointment in the decision by the movie's co-writer Simon Pegg and while a part of me can empathise a little with his stance, I have to admit that even without the staunch of the upcoming movie's co-stars such as out actor Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, I'm seeing this development with Sulu as a good thing.

In the movie we briefly see Sulu's partner Ben (Doug Jung, co-writer of the movie), so it doesn't feel like it's something that the movie is trying to sensationalise. Sulu's sexuality and considering that these movies since 2009 have been set in some kind of alternative universe, is it really that big a deal? Despite having a daughter, Sulu has never been presented as an overly heterosexual character to begin with and it's certainly high time that we had a  prominent LGBT character in the Star Trek universe (aside from Terry Farrell's Dax in Deep Space Nine who's bisexual) and with movies still being behind on LGBT characters compared to television these days, having a character like Sulu be out and proud while at the same time not having his sexuality wholly define him can only be a good thing in my opinion. Not to mention the fact that John Cho is an exceptional actor and handsome man. Personally I think it's a commendable decision.

It's also making me curious though for CBS/CBS All Access's upcoming Star Trek series as well. When asked last month if the series (whose cast has yet to be confirmed) would have any LGBT characters, Fuller did state that fans "would be happy" but didn't directly confirm anything concrete. In light of Sulu now being an out man with a husband and daughter, I do hope that one of the main characters in Fuller's reimagining is an openly LGBT character. It's certainly more than due now. Thoughts anyone on both the upcoming and television series and LGBT characters in general?

More Discussion: http://www.newnownext.com/mr-sulu-revealed-to-be-gay-in-star-trek-beyond/07/2016/

Star Trek Beyond will be in cinemas from July 22.

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?

Star Trek Revival: Bryan Fuller Named As Co-Showrunner

Although it won't hit screens until another year and we're probably a bit off from casting yet, CBS did announce more details about their upcoming Star Trek reboot.

Along with Alex Kurtzman, it's now been revealed that Bryan Fuller will be serving a co-showrunner for the upcoming series. Fuller's credits include Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, Hannibal and the upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods for Starz will be running the show. Fuller of course is both a fan of the franchise and has also written for previous spin-offs Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

I have to admit (and you can probably tell) that I do find Fuller's appointment to the series to be an interesting enough one. He's got some good ideas for shows but his writing has been rather niche in parts and with something like Star Trek, he might need to be a little more mainstream minded but his clear enthusiasm for the franchise and prior experience actually writing for it should definitely work in his favour.

As for casting, it's going to be interesting to see who will captain this version of the enterprise, what the subtitle for the show will be and whether or not it'll fare better than the last show Star Trek: Enterprise, which ran for four seasons on the now defunct UPN between 2001-2005 or even the current movie franchise since 2009.

One potential problem ahead of the series is the method that CBS intend to air the series. I'm not sure if relegating it to the online service such as All Access is the wisest of ideas, even if we do live in a culture where Netflix and Amazon are growing in popularity for television shows.

Press Release: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/09/star-trek-bryan-fuller

The upcoming Star Trek series is slated to air on CBS All Access from early 2017.