The Night Is Full Of Terrors

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

Desperate Housewives: Okay, the show is still operating on a nice consistency level over the last few weeks but with Julie and Porter becoming parents and having different viewpoints on it, it does seem to be something of a distraction from the main plot. I mean, should Susan/Lynette/Gabby be aware of the fact that Orson is trying to drive a wedge between them and Bree? And how much longer is Carlos going to be in rehab and why can't Renee get a better storyline than trying to solve Ben's money woes? Even Karen has gotten a rather poignant storyline now.

Game Of Thrones: The North may remember but apparently so does the rest of America too, given that the opening episode for Season 2 clocked in an impressive 6 million viewers for HBO. As openers go, this one felt more like a set up piece but an extremely well executed one with Joffrey embracing his reign, Sansa trying to tow the line, Littlefinger/Tyrion/Cersei all trying to outsmart each other, Rob and Cat dealing with practicalities of making allies and Daenerys trying to find help for her disillusioned tribe. The likes of Arya, Jon and company did feel a little left out but with the introduction of Stannis and that creepy as hell priestess, Melisandre, I have a feeling this series could be even better than the first one.

Homeland: Seven episodes in and I'm still pulled into watching this beauty of a show. It's been interesting to see both Carrie and Brody actually engage in a sexual tryst before things quickly soured between them but I can't help thinking it could've been extended a little longer. Carrie does seem to be unravelling a little over the last few episodes, which is obviously setting up a fall of sorts in time for the finale. Either way, this show is continuously gripping to watch.

Skins: The last two episodes of Series 6 have been interesting enough. Maybe there was a bit of overkill with Frankie's parental issues but at least the tedious love triangle between her, Matty and Nick is finally out of the way (she ditched them both) and Mini/Alo have become parents while Alex left Bristol as well. As a finale went, it's the best one we've had since the second series and a welcome antidote to the horrible way the fourth series ended things. I do hope the next series/specials are a good way of sending the show off in style because this was a good way of doing it.

The Vampire Diaries: This show is still excellent to watch. The last few episodes have pushed Stefan and Elena further apart, made Damon less annoying, given Alaric a mysterious new girlfriend in Meredith, have created a triangle of sorts between Klaus/Caroline/Tyler, debuted Bonnie's estranged mother, Abby and more importantly has seen the welcomed return of Elijah as well. Now if the latter can beat seven shades of crap out of Klaus, it really will be the best series ever.

Titanic: I really wanted to like this mini-series but two out of the four episodes have somewhat proven hard work. I mean, Julian Fellowes is a great writer and there's a good cast here, but on further inspection, you can't help thinking that this would've been more engaging if it had actually been commissioned as a 90 minute one-off instead of a four parter. It certainly would've helped with the pacing and despite some of the talent here, a lot of the dialogue is horribly cliched to the point where it borders on parody. Instead of dreading the ship sinking, you're almost looking forward to it, if only certain characters will meet their demise. Here's hoping the remaining two episodes are better paced.

Upstairs Downstairs: It's times like this where I was glad I caught this show on repeat rather than actually watching it on premiere. The last few episodes injected some life into proceedings with another appearance from Rose, Beryl and Harry's relationship taking off, Hallam and Agnes's marriage falling apart and Persephone's true colours being revealed but by then it was a case of 'too little, too late' for me. Even Alex Kingston as Blanche hasn't really made this series worth watching. If it gets a third run, it's unlikely I'll be watching it.

- Despite his lack of acting profile, Adam Levine has been cast in a role in the second season of American Horror Story.
- A major character will die in the third series of Downton Abbey while another couple will be starting a family as well.
- True Blood's fifth season will premiere on HBO from June 10th at 9pm.
- Supernatural is rumoured to be returning for an eighth season with a new showrunner as Sera Gamble is stepping down.
- The Fades has been axed after one series by BBC3.
- Breaking Bad's final season will be split in two, according to series star Bryan Cranston.
- Both Whoopi Goldberg and Lindsay Lohan will be appearing in upcoming episodes of Glee.

Going Underground

It may be St Patrick's Day but here's a TV blog for you ...

Desperate Housewives: Why is it when Susan has good intentions she seems to make matters worse? Of course it would take her to go and visit Alejandro's family and draw more suspicion on the girls. Still, Bree's method of dealing with things doesn't seem to be much better either, thanks to Renee's advice being taken the wrong way. At least Lynette and Gabby actually acknowledged some of their shortcomings and it seems we're finally getting close to meeting the person who has been sending Bree the mystery letters.

Grey's Anatomy: My love/hate relationship with this show is still pretty prominent and the most recent 'what if' episode cemented that. Granted it was one of the show's better episodes and the idea of a world with Meredith/Alex and Callie/Owen as couples is interestingly bizarre but usually these type of episodes have some kind of a point to them but the only thing I got from this is that Meredith's mother is irritating in any reality and no-one wants to see a meek and timid version of Bailey. Still, nice that Addison made her annual visit though she was wasted in this one.
Homeland: I am loving this show. Maybe not on the same level as Obama apparently but it's certainly delivering on the hype it's generated with Carrie's methods for trying to find out if Brody has been turned taking some interesting steps. Now that there's an interaction between the pair of them, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Shameless: Ever since Mickey and Carl's respective exits from the show, I've become a little less interested in this but I did catch the finale where most of the cast were stuck underground and it was a decent episode. That being said, it still feels like this show is just going through the motions nowadays and while characters like Ruby, Gloria and Dominic have been decent additions, I still think it's time for this show to come to it's natural end.

Skins: Okay, talk about an improvement. Even with Alo's episode having the plot of him being charged with sleeping with a minor was better than what we've had in previous weeks. However, Liv's episode hit an all time high in terms of quality that even the plot where she imagined being seriously ill made some narrative sense. On the flipside, Franky is becoming increasingly detestable and the return of Matty isn't helping matters. It'd also be nice if Mini told Alo that he's going to be a father as well. Here's hoping the last two episodes are a belter.

The Vampire Diaries: Again, this season is packing in some of the best moments of television. I loved the backstory for the Originals and while I predicted that even Michael wouldn't be enough to take Klaus out during homecoming, I did massively enjoy the turnaround with Stefan getting his own back on Klaus for using him as a puppet for the last few months. If Klaus still has to be on this show, it's nice to see him get outsmarted every now and then. As for the growing bond with Damon and Elena - eh, not a shipper but it's not bothering me as much as the growing distance between Tyler and Caroline.

Upstairs Downstairs: I'm struggling with this show to be honest. The characters aren't strong enough, storylines like Blanche/Portia's affair petered out too quickly and the war backdrop doesn't seem to work here as well as it did in Downton Abbey and I couldn't care less if either Hallam or Agnes cheat on each other because it's so bloody hard to care for them as a couple. I'll watch the last two episodes but if this gets a third run, I don't think I'll be watching.

- Revenge has finally snagged a UK broadcaster. E4 will air the series later in the year.
- Grimm has been renewed for a second season, while Luck has been cancelled due to the death of three horses.
- Desperate Housewives have revealed that it's Mike who was the unfortunate casualty.
- Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell will play a spy couple in The Americans, an FX program based during the Cold War.
- Once Upon A Time will premiere on Channel 5 from April 1st at 9pm.
- Freema Agyeman has been cast as Larissa, the mentor of Carrie Bradshaw in the upcoming series, The Carrie Diaries.

Monsters And Ghosts

It's been nearly three weeks since my last TV jumble, so here's a rather big one for you.

Desperate Housewives: It's been a rather interesting set of episodes with the housewives at odds with each other over the handling and disappearance of Alejandro's body, Susan stupidly painting evidence of their crime and Chuck's constant harassment of them all but I think the scenes where Bree saw a familiar face and contemplated the act that an old friend once committed just shows how much this season has returned to form. It's saddening at this point that it's being ignored but perhaps that is the consequence of being on the air too long. It's a shame because the quality of the last few weeks has been sublime.

Glee: This show seems to be forever caught in a loop of being damned whether it does or doesn't. The handling of Valentine's Day/Brittany and Santana finally acting like a couple was a mixed bag but some fans weren't too thrilled with Sebastian's sudden turnaround, Karofsky's suicide attempt or even that pesky little cliff hanger moment with Quinn. It's going to be a rather interesting few weeks until the show returns in April but at least UK viewers can finally catch up with the 2012 episodes aired so far now that Sky1 is finally airing them.

Grimm: I wasn't really going to give this show a go but after catching up with the first three episodes on Watch, I have to admit, it's not that bad. Actually, apart from it being a standard cop show with a fairytale mixture, it's actually a lot of fun. Okay, Nick seems like a standard leading man/ordinary cop dragged into a supernatural world but I do like Monroe the werewolf quite a bit and they're setting up a rather decent mythology. Now I just gotta wait until Once Upon A Time winds up airing on UK screens to see which is the better show.

Homeland: Yes, this was a series I was going to watch and with a superb cast like Claire Danes and Damien Lewis, I can see why this show has become such a critical darling and award bait for Showtime. I still worry how Channel 4 will overall treat this show as most US programming doesn't seem to fare well on terrestrial channels nowadays but the first two episodes have been particular riveting stuff. Carrie Mathison might be one of the most compelling new female characters on TV (apart from Emily Thorne) and her constant attempts to see whether or not formerly imprisoned soldier Nick Bordy has been turned into a sleeper agent is fascinating to watch. If you're not watching this series, give it a whirl.

Skins: I'm beginning to lose patience with this series. The last three episodes might have had eventful stuff - Franky's rape, Mini's pregnancy and Nick resorting to desperate measures to try and get Matty home but the writing has been a bit too haphazard in parts and the sudden undying between Nick and Franky rings false to me. On the plus side, Liv and Alex are a fun double act and it's nice that Rich has finally returned, even if he hasn't done much. This show desperately needs to improve with it's final four episodes.

Upstairs Downstairs: Okay, so some of the cast and the writers might not like the comparison this show gets to Downton Abbey and while you can argue that they're unfair comparisons, I have to admit that if I had to choose between the Granthams and the Hollands, it'd probably be a rather easy choice. The first two episodes of the second series of 165 Eaton were a mixed bag and as much as I do love Alex Kingston, I'm still finding her character, Blanche as polarising as the rest of the cast. On the plus side, at least Beryl is likeable and Harry has improved. I can't say the same for Agnes and Persephone though or Pritchard and just no to any more dead monkeys.

The Vampire Diaries: It was the night of the ghosts and it was also one of the best and low key episodes we've had as well. The fact that the last two episodes were seemingly short on Klaus as well also helped matters but I enjoyed the returns of Anna, Pearl, Mason, Lexie and Sheila as well. Too bad that Elena still seems to be too fixated with trying to rehabilitate the ripper version of Stefan and that Jeremy and Bonnie broke up but either way, this show still knows how to deliver.

- David Morrissey will be playing The Governor in the third season of The Walking Dead.
- Revenge will feature both a time jump to winter, a former flame of Victoria's and an episode set in 2003 while a wedding will open up the second season.
- Both Zachary Quinto and Jessica Lange will remain as regulars for the second season of American Horror Story, however they will be playing different characters.
- Jennifer Love Hewitt's series The Client List will debut on Lifetime in April. Think Secret Diary Of A Call Girl and you're there.
- David Zayas will be playing a troll like monster in an upcoming episode of Grimm.
- Alan Ball will be stepping down from True Blood upon completion of it's fifth season.
- Adam Baldwin will be appearing an upcoming episode of Castle.
- Jessica Brown-Findlay and Katie McGrath's Labyrinth will air on Channel 4 as will World Without End, starring Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Raison and Peter Firth.

Downton Abbey/Upstairs Downstairs - Battle Of The Period Dramas

Oh yeah, let the battle commence as both period heavyweights release tantalising spoilers for their 2012 episodes.

While we have ages for Downton Abbey's third season to air, it's now been revealed that Shirley MacLaine has been cast as Martha Levinson, the mother of Lady Cora Grantham (Elizabeth Mcgovern) and we can expect her character to be clashing with Maggie Smith's Countess Violet of Dowager throughout the series. Filming for the third year begins in February with the series slated to air on ITV in September. Now that's an impressive coup for the series.

Not to be outdone, Upstairs Downstairs, whose second year begins airing next month for six weeks is set to have a lesbian relationship between Alex Kingston's character, Dr Blanche Mottershead and Emilia Fox's character Lady Portia Alresford as well as some other steamy affairs between the main characters. However it's been reported that Eileen Atkins will not be appearing in the second season of the show. I watched the first series over the Christmas and it's actually quite a decent show, so I'm intrigued to see where the second series goes.

Upstairs Downstairs Season 2 airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC1 from February 19th while Downton Abbey Season 3 will air on ITV from September.