Green With Envy, Purple With Death

Be prepared - there will be eight shows covered here and some major spoilers for one of them.

Arrow: I really have enjoyed this season immensely and while I'm two episodes behind with US viewers (still watching it at UK pace), the last few episodes have been great. It's been nice to see Slade out in the open in his vendetta with Oliver, the formation of the Suicide Squad and of course, the welcome return of Helena with her and Sara predictably butting heads as well. It's also been nice to see Diggle get some much needed attention as well too.

Game Of Thrones: The first two episodes of the fourth season have been two of the most talked about and trended episodes going and for good reason. In those episodes alone, we were introduced to the brilliant Oberyn Martell and his paramour Ellaria, we saw Arya getting her Needle back as she coldly bumped off Polliver and of course, there was also the Purple Wedding, which saw the much anticipated demise of Joffrey. And there's still eight episodes to go. Welcome back, show.

Girls: I actually enjoyed the last two episodes of this show, weirdly enough. The finale itself saw Hannah actually behave like a mature adult and seize on an opportunity for her career while Adam's opening night was a minor disaster for him and Shoshanna found out about Marnie and Ray (seriously, why would you care?). Jessa's plot with the elderly artist was a bit nuts and Elijah is still pretty okayish as a character but overall, a decent end to a decent enough run of episodes.

Glee: I hate to admit it but the last three episodes have been somewhat dull to watch. I mean, it's nice that we've seen some proper tension with Kurt and Blaine and I guess Sam and Mercedes are nice together as well but the topics of gay bashing and STDS (in seperate episodes) just weren't handled that well and there's that element of coasting as well that's becoming all too noticeable at this point. Plus for some odd reason, Rachel was a bit underused in this week's episode, though I do like her renewed friendship with Mercedes.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: This show is definitely getting a little better. While I'm aware of a certain character reveal, keeping with UK pace, I am still intrigued to learn more about well, the Clairvoyant and yet again, any scenes with Coulson and May usually tend to be the best as well. The crossover episode with The Winter Soldier however was pretty great and having Bill Paxton join the show was another way of showing that this show can attract a pretty great guest cast as well.

Once Upon A Time: I've got to admit that while a lot of Zelena's plotting has generally been a bit too predictable, she has managed to be a rather enjoyable villain to watch. Her own centre piece episode certainly had an interesting spin on the usual stuff we'd expect from Oz and her present day battle with Regina has been entertaining enough. I'm still intrigued though as to what she exactly wants with Snow and Charming's baby and her fixation with the captive Gold is a bit off putting but overall, she's certainly a contributing factor into the second half of Season 3 being far more enjoyable than the first half.

The Musketeers: I haven't been greatly impressed with this show. Like Atlantis before, it's been entertaining but seriously lacking and the finale itself, whilst good, didn't exactly blow me away either. It had a chance to dispose of both Milady and Richelieu and oddly enough, chose not to. Hopefully the upcoming second season (which has started filming) will be a lot better.

True Detective: After eight episodes and knowing that next season will be a whole new story and cast, I have to admit that while this has been an engaging series, I'm just not entirely sure I would be quick to declare it as the best show ever as some critics have done (then again, I don't even feel that way about Breaking Bad or The Wire). The finale for this episode was solid and I will miss both Rust and Marty as a team but it was a great ending for an interesting series. I'll be intrigued to see what the hell HBO devise for the second season though.

Positively Wicked

It's been a while but here are some of the shows I've been watching lately ...

Arrow: A brilliant set of episodes. Of course, I'm on Sky1 pace but the last two I've watched had Robert Knepper as an impressive Clock King, introduced Nyssa al Ghul (a character so interesting I want her to return soon), made Sara's existence known to both Dinah and Laurel, gave Felicity something to do and set Oliver and Moira at odds, along with Slade making himself known as well. This show has certainly become rather addictive viewing with this season alone and the next batch of episodes look even better too.

Girls: On a list of things I wasn't clamouring for with this show, an episode where Hannah and Adam engaged in a little roleplay would be high on that list. The last two episodes of this show aside from that have been fun. It was actually nice to see some of Hannah's extended family (her grandmother was a hoot) and having Shoshanna actually break up Jessa and Jasper's toxic relationship was probably the most productive thing the character has ever done either. Marnie seems a little lost at sea though with the songwriting plot but aside from that, I am finding myself almost warming to these characters a tiny bit more.

Looking: Eight episodes in and HBO's newest dramady has ended in a way that felt as lowkey as it's beginnings. It's not entirely a criticism mind as it does look like Dom might have both his restaurant and his man, Patrick will juggle both Richie and Kevin and Agustin will probably just mope and feel bad for himself instead of trying to win Frank back. The last two episodes were pretty solid but not spectacular but I am hoping with a second season now confirmed, the show will pick up the pace a little.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: It's back on Channel 4 after a three month break and having watched the first two episodes of 2014, I have to admit the show is improving. The focusing on both Coulson and Skye's past certainly helped matters, the cliffhangers have become a little better but more to the point, the gang seem to have gelled together a little better as well between breaks. It's because of these little things that I really do hope now this show doesn't suffer the same fates as Firefly and Dollhouse right now.

Once Upon A Time: The first half of Season 3 dealt with Pan and the needlessness of him being related to Rumple. This second half now is focusing on Zelena (the Wicked Witch Of The West) and guess what? She's only Regina's half-sister. While I do wish the show would knock it off with having every main antagonist related to a regular character, I have to admit that I am finding Zelena a lot of fun to watch and I'm intrigued by why there's another curse and what exactly she seems to want with Snow's baby as well. Overall, there's a good sense of fun here with Emma back into the mix as well as some old favourites too.

The Musketeers: This show still isn't really doing it for me but the last two episodes have been alright I suppose. I have to admit I don't really care too much about D'Artagnan and Constance but I do like that Richelieu has gotten a bit more to do over the last two episodes. As glad as I am that Peter Capaldi will be the Doctor for the foreseeable future, I do think this show is going to lose something with his inevitable absence in two episodes time.

True Detective: I think the hype surrounding this show just proves that Breaking Bad might not be the greatest show of all time. Critics are quick to move on to one brilliant show and focus their attention on another. Episodes three and four of this show certainly have maintained a great pace with both Marty and Rust playing off each other as well and with the shock ending of the latter episode, it's really become a lot of fun trying to predict where the show is actually going with the characters and the ongoing mystery at the moment.

- It will be Arrow's 19th episode of Season 2 that will introduce characters from The Flash series into it.
- Chris Colfer will be writing an upcoming episode of Glee.
- Caterina Scorsone will reprise her role as Amelia in an upcoming episode of Grey's Anatomy.
- Supernatural's spin-off now has the title of Bloodlines. The main show itself has been dropped by SkyLiving.
- Desmond Harrington will be playing Alan Shephard in Astronaut Wives Club.
- Chicago Fire and Grimm have been renewed for further seasons by NBC.
- Patton Oswald will be appearing in Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD as agent Eric Koenig.
- White Collar will return for a sixth and final season comprising of six episodes.
- Zoe Saldana will be playing Rosemary in a new version of Rosemary's Baby for NBC.
- Another character will be killed off in the third season finale of Revenge.

Come To My Beach House

And a rundown of some of the recent programmes I've been catching up on ...

Arrow: I'll admit the first two episodes that have aired in 2014 seemed a little on the filler side with Slade mostly skulking around in the background and Sebastian discrediting Laurel in an extreme way but they've still been good fun to watch though. However last night's Sky1 aired episode did finally move things along with Sara returning to Starling City and Roy (finally) becoming privy as to whom the Arrow really is. Even with slightly lesser interesting episodes, this show is still miles ahead than Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the moment.

Broadchurch: TV3 in Ireland have finally aired the finale to this show and I have to say, it's been an incredible eight weeks. I wish I had caved in earlier and watched this show properly on ITV transmission but better late than never. Having Ellie's husband as Danny's murderer was certainly a shocker and as brilliant as David Tennant has been as the abrasive Alec Hardy, this really was Olivia Colman's baby with her sublime performance as Ellie Miller throughout the eight weeks, though part of this show's success was showing the effect one single death can have on a whole community and a slew of characters. While I'm still a little iffy on it's imminent American counterpart, Gracepoint, I am intrigued to see what creator Chris Chibnall will devise next though.

Girls: I'm sure there was a time when this show was a bit on the headwrecking side of things but with recent episodes, I've started to soften to it. The beach house episode was probably the best one of the bunch with Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna and Jessa all taking each other to task in a pretty amusing way and Elijah is a decent enough recurring character while Adam continues to improve and is actually a rather likeable character nowadays. Still, Jessa's relapse at the hands of Jasper felt a little too random and Ray is so dull beyond belief that I am struggling to figure out why he's still on the show. Even his 'friends with benefits' thing with Marnie came to a swift end.

Glee: The first two episodes of 2014 for this show have been the definition of coasting. Aside from an amusing-ish feud with Rachel and Santana that at least thematically tied into their high school issues, virtually every other plot has sucked beyond belief. I'm at a point now where I'm convinced the writers hate Tina because her plots are getting more and more grating to watch. I just hope that post 100th episode, the rest of the season gets it's groove back.

Looking: The more I watch this show, the less addicted I am to it. Don't get me wrong, it's still enjoyable but it's really not gripping though. The episode focusing on Patrick and Richie connecting with each other was nice but then quickly marred with Agustin's snide dismissal of the relationship and Patrick's barely concealed lust for Kevin as well. Speaking of Agustin, it's amazing how he's gone from being likeable to an annoying git in six whole episodes but at least Dom's pursuit of Lynn is a little more interesting to watch. It's still not a bad show but it could with picking up the pace a bit now.

The Musketeers: Another show that's falling into the 'good but not great' category. It's six episodes and my investment in the show continues to wane a bit. I guess, it's down to the timing as well. While the last few episodes have explored more on Porthos and Aramis, I just don't think this show works in a Sunday 9pm timeslot and as excellent as Peter Capaldi is to watch, he's just wasted in this show as the Cardinal. Perhaps the final four episodes will inject something into this show but I'm starting to doubt it though.

True Detective: Every now and then, something comes along and makes you reassess a certain actor. I've never been a massive fan of Matthew McConaughey but his take here as the rather strange detective Rust Cohle and his rapport with Woody Harrelson's more straitlaced Martin Hart has made me see the guy in a different light. I've only seen the first two episodes of this show so far but it's a pretty absorbing series and the anthology format that the show is aiming will probably help sustain it as well. Why should American Horror Story be the show to have that advantage, right? Definitely worth watching and it certainly succeeds in making for uncomfortable viewing in a way that most detective dramas nowadays don't quite manage.

- David Morrissey's pilot for AMC has not been picked up for a series.
- Matthew McConaughey has also confirmed that he will not be returning to True Detective should it be picked up for a second season.
- An upcoming episode of Glee will focus on gay bashing in New York.
- Isaiah Washington will be returning to Grey's Anatomy as part of Cristina's exit for the series.
- Mary Louise Parker has been cast in upcoming NBC comedy, Feed Me.
- Patricia Arquette will be the lead in the upcoming CSI spin-off. Do we really need another one?
- Mila Kunis will play a love interest for Ashton Kutcher's character in Two And A Half Men.
- Lost Girl has been renewed for a fifth season.
- Riley Smith will play a rock and roll vampire named Keith in the final season of True Blood.
- Danielle Savre has been cast in Supernatural: Tribes along with Lucien Laviscount and Nathaniel Buzolic

A Violent Night In

And here's a rundown of some of the programmes I've been watching over the last few weeks.

Broadchurch: Continuing to watch this at TV3's pace, I've only two more episodes to go, even if I already know who the killer is and their motives. This still hasn't stopped me from enjoying the show and getting more and more engaged with the characters. The whole conversation in relation to Paul's faith and Hardy's weary cynicism was a delightful moment and although Susan continues to give me the creeps, she didn't deserve to lose her poor dog as a result though. Is it wrong that the dog's death bothered me more than most of the anguish/secrets from most of the characters?

Girls: I'm still sticking with the third season of this risible show for the time being (having it paired with Looking factors into it) and apart from Marnie and Adam, the characters are still horrible-ish people (except Ray, he's mostly boring). Of course it would take Hannah to make her editor's death about her (even if she has a right to worry about her book's future) and Jessa being flattered that someone would go to the trouble of faking their own death just so they wouldn't have to spend time with her is rather disturbing. Then there's Shoshanna, who just seems to spout inane lines nowadays but at least Adam's psychotic sister was given the boot in one of the rare moments where Hannah did something right for a change.

Inside No 9: Sometimes it really does feel like you're never too far away from another bonkers series from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. It wasn't that long ago we had Psychoville and with Inside No 9, they've certainly delivered something great. The first episode felt pretty basic but the second episode - a silent episode with the cheeky title of A Quiet Night In, featuring the likes of Oona Chaplin and Kayvan Novak was something else altogether. Probably one of the most genius pieces of comedy the BBC have done in the longest of whiles, I can't wait to see where the remaining four episodes (and commissioned second series) will go. Definitely worth a watch.

Ja'mie: Private School Girl: You know the drill with Chris Lilley by now - he does a show, it lasts a series and then it's onto the next creation of colourful characters. Except this time around, he decided to reprise his role of spoiled antichrist, Ja'mie and give her a series for herself, centering on her exploits at Hillford High and trying her best to out mean Mean Girls too in the process. Ja'mie's even got her own set of Plastics (I mean prefects) at her beck and call and her torrent of abuse is casually tossed at her family and rivals, the borders with little effort as well. It's a fun enough series but the second episode did lack some of the bite that the first one had in spades and it does make me wonder if Ja'mie and her bitchy antics are enough to sustain the remaining episodes. Other than that, pretty quiche. I'll stop now.

Line Of Duty: I didn't watch the first series of this and I'm not sure if I'll watch more than the opening episode but then again, I just might given the wealth of acting talent in this series. Keeley Hawes alone is pretty great as the surviving/possibly bad cop Lindsay Denton and it does genuinely seem to be hard to predict where she'll go in the next few weeks. Also this show's rather casual way of bumping off seemingly prominent characters like Jessica Raine's Georgia also means that no-one is safe. Yeah, I can see myself watching more of this alright.

Looking: Three episodes in and I think this show is getting it's groove. It helps that three main characters are still more likeable than the ladies from Girls but more to the point, it's also nice to see Russell Tovey make his US television debut and not play an overly stereotyped British character as well. That being said, I can't imagine that it will be too long before Patrick and Kevin actually do go beyond their working relationship though. On the flip side and maybe it's because of the general structure, it does often feel like not a great deal actually happens as well. That could also be a consequence of me perhaps watching far more fast paced shows too.

The Musketeers: Four episodes in and I'm still in that phase where I'm enjoying the show but I'm not overly in love with it either. I mean, it's hard to deny that the writing for this show is somewhat better than Atlantis (though not by a huge margin) and the last few episodes alone have actually fleshed out our leading men pretty well. Still a few more ongoing arcs (aside from the Cardinal's scheming) might actually help proceedings a bit more though.

- There are rumours that White Collar's sixth season will be it's final one.
- The CW have renewed Supernatural, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Reign for further seasons.
- Sarah Jane Potts has joined the cast of Gracepoint as hotelier Gemma.
- Michelle Fairley will replace Judy Davis in 24: Live Another Day.
- John Wesley Shipp will appear in The Flash pilot episode in a mysterious role.
- Sunny Mabrey has been cast as Glinda for the third season of Once Upon A Time and will debut later in the year.
- Both Anna Chancellor and Richard E.Grant will appear in the fifth series of Downton Abbey.
- Juliette Lewis and Ryan Philippe will appear in upcoming ABC drama, Secrets & Lies.
- Alyson Hannigan has joined new comedy More Time With Family for CBS, which will be produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
- Channel 4 will be airing the second series of Utopia from June.

Looking For The Right Show

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

Broadchurch: It might seem unusual talking about this show, nearly a year since it's original transmission but it's recently aired on Irish television and I thought I'd see what the fuss was really about. Three episodes in and it's not bad. It's not hard to feel for the Latimers, given that their son has been murdered and the double act with the more straitlaced Ellie Millers and the abrasive Alec Hardy works well enough with both Olivia Colman and David Tennant on fine form and there's a good mix of characters within the community as well to add to things. That being said, it's not particularly original and it's influences (The Killing, anyone?) are a bit too obvious at times. I will watch the remaining five episodes, despite already know who the killer actually is.

Devious Maids: I caught the final two episodes a while ago and forgot to mention them in my previous TV jumble blog. Overall, I've enjoyed this series as much as I did Desperate Housewives not so long ago. The reveal and wrap up of Flora's murder mystery, coupled with Rosie winding up into some legal bother thanks to a vengeful Peri means the show at least has some good plotlines for the second season but I do hope that like it's predecessor, Lifetime doesn't try to extend this show beyond it's natural life.

Girls: If there was an award for polarising show with often awful female characters, this show would always win it. Lena Dunham's baby is back for a third season and while I've mostly liked the first three episodes, not a whole lot has really changed. Hannah's still self absorbed as ever, Marnie is still a whinger (lovely singing voice aside), Shoshanna's still terminally annoying in her female Sheldon style way and Jessa's still a raging sociopath. Business as usual, along with Ray being a background character (minus a piss poor fight scene with Hannah's editor) and Adam being slightly less crazy than in previous seasons. On the plus side, the show can still attract decent guest stars with both Richard E.Grant and Rita Wilson popping up in the first two episodes and being somewhat more interesting than the main characters.

Looking: I've been somewhat unfairly comparing this show to Girls more than Queer As Folk and after watching the first episode, I probably should knock that right off. For one thing - all three main characters - lovelorn Patrick and his friends Agustin and Dom are a hell of a lot more likeable than Hannah and company and while this series isn't particularly groundbreaking, it was something of a breath of fresh air to watch as well. Patrick's quest for love is certainly a nice draw and Jonathan Groff makes for a likeable leading man but while Patrick is instantly likeable, I do think both Agustin and Dom might arguably overshadow him as the series progresses though. Definitely one I'll be watching for the remainder of the season.

The Musketeers: Anyone else think it's a bit weird this show is airing in a Sunday 9pm timeslot? Despite the fact that it's doing well there, rating wise, it seems more like it should be in the same Saturday slot previously occupied by Doctor Who/Robin Hood/Merlin/Atlantis etc. Having watched the first two episodes, so far it's pretty decent if not spectacular stuff. The four leads are likeable and engaging enough as the Musketeers in question and Peter Capaldi makes for a decent antagonist with his take on Cardinal Richelieu. Watchable stuff but not mind blowing. At least not yet anyways.

The Spoils of Babylon: I watched the first two episodes of this miniseries and I've got to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I really want to continue beyond that. I don't mind the spoofy nature of the show but there are times when it's a a bit jarring and I'm not sure if I want to care about the 'love' story between 'siblings' Devon and Cynthia Morehouse, despite some great performances from Toby Maguire and Kristen Wiig. Maybe the next few episodes will keep me glued but somehow I doubt it.

- John Simm, James Fraim and Mira Sorvino will be starring in the upcoming BBCAmerica drama, Intruders.
- Rose McGowen will reprise the role of Cora for the 18th episode of Once Upon A Time's third season.
- Danielle Panabaker and Rick Cosnett have signed on for The Flash.
- Starz have ordered ballet drama, Flesh And Bone, starring Sarah Hay in the lead role of Claire.
- J. August Richards's Mike will be transformed into Deathlok in an upcoming episode of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Family Tree and Hello Ladies have been axed by HBO.
- PBS will not move Downton Abbey's transmission closer to the UK's.
- Episode 20 of Supernatural's ninth season will serve as a backdoor for a spin-off series. Jared Padalecki has described it as a reward for the show's more passionate fans.

The Musketeers - First Cast Pictures

It won't be airing until next year but already at least two cast shots and a new press release has been released in relation to upcoming BBC1 drama, The Musketeers ...

Our Musketeers - Santiago Cabrera as Aramis, Tom Burke as Athos, Luke Pasqualino as D’Artagnan and Howard Charles as Porthos. Here they are a band of soldiers operating in 17th century Paris in the show created by Primeval's Adrian Hodge. As mentioned before other cast members include Hugo Speer, Peter Capaldi and Tamla Kari.

The BBC1 drama is a co-production with BBCAmerica and BBC Worldwide and will run for 10 hour long episodes to be aired in the next year. Filming for the show is still underway but as a first image, it certainly looks promising, doesn't it?

Press Release: http://www.spoilertv.com/2013/04/the-musketeers-season-1-press-release.html

The Musketeers will air in 2014 on BBC1.

The Musketeers - Cast Announced

Although The Musketeers will not be airing until 2014, it seems that the BBC finally announced who the main cast for this 10 part series will be and it's a familiar bunch of actors.

Former Skins actor Luke Pasqualino will be playing the role of D'Artagnan. The 23 year old who has also appeared in a Battlestar Galactica prequel and guest starred in The Borgias has bagged the one of the leading role in the upcoming BBC series created by former Primeval runner Adrian Hodges. Of course, he's not the only familiar actor in the mix.

Santiago Cabrera, best known for his roles in Heroes and Merlin as well as a recent guest appearance on Dexter will be playing the role of Aramis, which hopefully for the actor will not be as short lived as some of the roles he's done in the past but it's nice to see him attached to another BBC show.

Tom Burke meanwhile has been cast in the role of Athos. The actor is mainly for the recent cancelled BBC2 drama, The Hour but I'm sure by this time next year he'll be more known for this upcoming role and then there's the casting of ...

Howard Charles in the role of Porthos. I think this might be the actor's first television role as his credits mainly seem to be theatre based but again by this time next year, he'll definitely be a well known face to the UK public and I trust all four of these actors together are going to be an interesting bunch of Musketeers.

Last but definitely by no means least, The Thick Of It's Peter Capaldi has been cast as the shadowy Cardinal Richlieu in the "fresh and contemporary take" on Alexandre Dumas's classic novel. Other cast members announced include Tamla Kari (Cuckoo), Maimie McCoy (Wallander), and Hugo Speer (Bedlam). With both this and the upcoming Atlantis, it really does look like the BBC are doing their best to maintain their current interest in genre television. I definitely will be watching this show when it airs next year.

Press Release: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a461386/skins-merlin-stars-to-lead-bbc-ones-the-musketeers.html

The Musketeers will air on BBC1 in 2014.

BBC Commission More Saturday Night Fantasy Drama

It seems that with Doctor Who being moved about in the schedules at times and Merlin coming to an end at the end of last year, BBC1 have commissioned two new fantasy themed dramas that they're hoping to be worthy successors.

Announced this week was Atlantis, a thirteen episode series created by Merlin and Misfits writer/creator, Howard Overman and executive produced by Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, the series will focus on the legendary underwater world, bringing to life the Greek myths as a young Jason heads for this world and finds himself doing battle with snake haired goddesses in a world built by drama. Filming for this series will begin in April with Morocco and Wales confirmed as locations for shooting. The series will air in the Autumn this year. Casting has yet to be confirmed but if this show is anything like Merlin, the guy playing Jason will probably spend most of the series without his shirt on.

The other series commissioned by BBC has been revealed as The Musketeers and will be co-produced with BBCAmerica. The series, based on the infamous book will run for ten episodes and is being spearheaded by Primeval creator, Adrian Hodge and will filming for the series has already begun, casting has yet to be announced and the show itself will not air on BBC1 until 2014. There's also some rumours that this show might be taking a note out of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's version of Sherlock with a modern version of the characters but this has yet to be confirmed.

So which one of these new shows appeals to you most - both, one or the other or neither? I am hoping that the writing is a lot tighter in both of these shows and that both manage to avoid some of the narrative pitfalls both Merlin and Primeval could have at times. Either way, following the wake of Merlin and  Being Human's recent cancellations, it's nice to see that genre television isn't completely dying on BBC nowadays.

Atlantis News: http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/02/11/misfits-and-merlin-creators-combine-forces-for-the-bbcs-atlantis/
The Musketeers News: http://screenrant.com/three-musketeers-tv-series-bbc-america/

Atlantis will air on BBC1 from Autumn 2013 and The Musketeers will air in 2014.