Penny Dreadful - Casting Announced

It's been a while since Showtime have had a horror themed show and now it seems we've got with the announcement of Penny Dreadful.

Former Doctor Who and Secret Diary Of A Call Girl actress Billie Piper has been cast in the eight part anthology series in an undisclosed. The series created by created by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator and Gladiator ). Logan will write and executive produce alongside Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road). The series will examine the origins of characters such as Dorian Gray, Frankenstein's monster and Count Dracula to name a few.

Also in the cast include former 007 himself Timothy Dalton, who will also be appearing in the series along with Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down) Eva Green (Camelot) and Rory Kinnear (Count Arthur Strong). Dalton will be playing Sir Malcolm, a hardened African explorer while Green will play enigmatic heroine Vanessa Ives and Hartnell will play Ethan Chandler, a complicated man of action unafraid of violence. Like Piper, the nature of Kinnear's role has not been disclosed. I've got to be honest while this show does sound intruging, it also reminds me of that ABC pilot Gothika that wasn't picked up either. Penny Dreadful at least will have a first season and hopefully it'll be a good one too.

Press Release: http://www.rte.ie/ten/news/2013/0820/469146-billie-piper-cast-in-showtimes-penny-dreadful/

Filming for Penny Dreadful is taking place in Dublin and Wicklow from October 2013 to March 2014. The series will air on Showtime at some point in 2014.

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Doctor Who - Top 50 Companions: Part 10

It's my final blog of my Top 50 Companions of Doctor Who and here are the Top 5. Enjoy folks.

1: TARDIS (Suranne Jones/Various Props)

Remember back in Rose when Cliven told a certain Miss Tyler that the Doctor's constant companion was death? Yeah, well he was a bit wide off the mark, there. The Doctor's actual constant companion is the TARDIS. Type 40. The Blue Box. Sexy. Whatever you want to call her and while recent episodes such as The Doctor's Wife and Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS have given us more details, it's always been the Doctor and the bestest spaceship in the world as constant companion. Now whether they mutually stole each or Clara introduced them is totally up to you but either way, the TARDIS is the best companion ever.

2: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen)

If it were not for a certain blue box, then everyone's favourite investigative journalist would've been the number one companion. Still in terms of human companions though, she is, so that's good right? Sarah Jane is everything you'd want in a best mate, a travelling buddy and a female heroic character in general. It might have taken over three decades but spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures more than demonstrated why she deserves to be seen as the most iconic companion the show has ever produced.

3: Ace McShane (Sophie Aldred)

Oh Ace- you really did live up to your name, didn't you? In some ways without this character, we might not have had future companions like Rose Tyler and Amy Pond (both of whom have some similarities to Ace) and without her around, the Seventh Doctor probably would've been done for many times over. A passionate, flighty teenage girl with a expertise in Nitro-9, the character was a joy to watch develop over the final years of the Classic Series.

4: Brigadier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)

Like Sarah Jane, the Brigadier not only has the fortune to have seen and worked with many versions of the Doctor but has worked brilliantly with nearly all of them, though his rapport with both the Second and Third Doctors have always been the most sublime to watch. A military man he might have been but not adverse to actually taking on some of the Doctor's more outlandish of ideas when the situation called for it, he's another deserved icon of the series. Five rounds rapid.

5: Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines)

The finest Scots person that ever surfaced on Doctor Who (though Amy is very close too). Jamie has appeared in the most amount episodes, proved that both historical and male companions worked with aplomb and it's really hard to imagine the Second Doctor without Jamie, isn't it? A wonderful companion who never gets dull to watch.

Doctor Who Proms is on Monday 4pm on BBC1 from August 26th.

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Doctor Who - Top 50 Companions: Part 9

Penultimate blog of this impressive (haha) Top 50 list of Doctor Who companions. Last one is being put up tomorrow, folks.

6: Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman)

Without a doubt, Jack is one of the most fascinating characters ever on telly, never mind within the realms of the Doctor Who universe and spin-off series, Torchwood. An omnisexual conman with two years of his memories missing and more disasters surrounding him, it's amazing how much of an impact the character has made over the last eight years in both television shows. Surely at some point, he might resurface again. I know John Barrowman will certainly reprise the role at the drop of a hat.

7: Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman)

The impossible girl with a knack for burning souffles (did she inspire a certain Carly Simon song during her many splinters?) and popping up everywhere. She's met and helped every version of the Doctor (mainly without him knowing it), with both the Eleventh and Twelfth ones being the ones she's gotten to know/will get to know. While we do need more insight into what makes Clara ticks as a person, it's hard not to warm to the character, wonderfully played by Coleman. Definitely one of Steven Moffat's most fascinating of characters.

8: Amy Pond (Karen Gillan)

Oh Amy. If there is one thing that can be said about this flame haired Scotswoman it's definitely that she leaves a lasting impression. The Eleventh Doctor lamented about her being in his hearts prior to Manhattan and we've seen Rory go through hell and back with her too. Personally, I've always liked Amy's spiky personality and wanderlust and while she might be polarising for some, I do think she is without a doubt one of the most memorable companions we'll ever have on the show. I certainly enjoyed the majority of the 33 episodes that featured her.

9: Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill)

Okay, you know the way lazy critics and certain fans bleat on about the female companions being screamers? Well back in 1963, a certain history teacher did a lot more than that. She was the companion who easily called the First Doctor out on his hostile attitude at times, the ones who was seen as an Aztec goddess and the one who was the much needed voice of reason in the TARDIS. Basically, Barbara Wright rules.

10: Ian Chesterton (William Russell)

Keeping up with the high standards of male companion, science teacher Ian really did set up a precedent, didn't he? Like Barbara, he was an audience surrogate into the chaotic world of the First Doctor and Susan and he was more than a match for the Doctor as well. He was also the first companion to be addressed by his surname, long before Vislor Turlough and Amy Pond ever travelled in the TARDIS.

Part 10 will be up tomorrow.

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My Review of Dexter's 8x08: "Are We There Yet?"

Written by Wendy West
Directed by Holly Dale

Zach (to Dexter/Hannah): “Are we there yet?”

Oh Zach – I finally got there and found myself enjoying you as a character (which helped when it was revealed that you didn’t kill Cassie) and then this episode had to end up with you losing some of your brain and Vogel getting another package in the mail. I should’ve known the moment I began to warm to Zach that was he was a dead man walking.

I liked so many things about this episode but Zach’s bond with Dexter and his following of Harry’s Code without actually realising it was interesting. I liked that he had done his research on Sean before killing him and that he had a kill room prepared even if he made the odd rookie mistake. More to the point, I liked the more genuine connection that he had with Dexter in this episode.

Dexter realised just in time that Zach was innocent and helped him dispose of Sean’s body. Along with Vogel and Hannah, they also realised that whoever really killed Cassie was trying to frame Zach as well. I think it might be a safe bet that Cassie’s killer was the Brain Surgeon and that leads to another thing.

Vogel has to be connected to the Brain Surgeon. If she’s not aiding them in some capacity then she is undoubtedly responsible for them in some other way. This isn’t even speculation anymore – it has to be a fact. We’ve had too many coincidences surrounding her and the Brain Surgeon for it to be otherwise. Also, now that we’re four episodes away from the big ending, can we please actually learn who the Brain Surgeon is now?

Getting back to Zach for a bit though – he still had some creepy moments (especially his post kill glee) but I did love his reactions to everything, especially the tension between Dexter, Hannah and Deb in this episode. I also really loved the dinner table scene with Dexter, Hannah, Zach and Vogel as well.

Vogel made some interesting points about Dexter and Hannah’s relationship. Both of them are good and bad together and this episode tried to highlight both as it swayed towards the good end of the scale. Deb let go of her anger towards Hannah and almost grudgingly gave Dexter her blessing but by then her snooping had been done and Elway decided to continue where she left off with Hannah being back in Miami.

As for Dexter and Hannah – there’s a load of issues you can raise about two killers getting a happy ever after but the possibility of them actually getting it does seem rather likely. Hannah was persuaded by Dexter to stay in Miami even after he went to the trouble of getting her fake papers to leave the country and more to the point, she took an interest in his methods as a killer and the impact that Vogel has had on him.

As for Deb, it wasn’t her best episode. It felt weird not seeing her at that dinner scene with Dexter and the gang and her decision to walk way from Elway’s business will more than likely backfire on her as well. Elway started off being a reasonable enough guy but it kind of seems like he’s got a nasty side to him as well. I wonder if he might end up being one of Dexter’s final kills before the show ends.

Also in “Are We There Yet?”

Masuka and Nikki dressing alike at Miami Metro was a little weird to watch. I wonder if Nikki will end up being killed off in later episodes.

Dexter: “Miami is not the place for you to be in right now. The sooner we get you out, the better.”
Hannah: “I completely agree.”

Vogel seemed deliberately evasive when Hannah asked her about her interest in psychopaths. Stating the obvious here but that has to mean something.

Dexter (re Cassie): “She’s dead because you talked me out of killing Zach in the first place.”
Vogel: “He showed real potential. You saw that. I thought you were having an impact on him.”

Deb (to Dexter, re Hannah): “Are you on top of it or on top of her?”

I’m surprised Quinn didn’t get suspicious when Dexter told him to back off with Zach. The plotlines with him and Jamie continue to bore though.

Hannah (re Zach): “So, he’s a terrible student?”
Dexter: “I wasn’t exactly a hands on teacher.”

Hannah: “So what brilliant turn of phrase have you come up with to describe me? The evil temptress? The passionate poisoner?”
Dexter: “Fiendish florist.”
Hannah: “No, really when you’re lying in bed at night and I happen to cross your mind, what do you call me?”
Dexter: “Hannah. You’re just Hannah.”

Jamie moved in with Angel in this episode, Hannah was given the passport of a Claire Thompson and was Oliver lying when he told Quinn he didn’t recognise Zach?

Dexter (re Zach): “He was following the code without even knowing it.”

Dexter (to Hannah/Deb): “You’re both still breathing. That’s a good sign.”

Standout music: Mama Cass’s “Make Your Own Kind Of Music”. Guess what the next episode is called folks.

Vogel (to Dexter/Hannah): “The truth is you make a good couple and probably a bad one too.”

Chronology: From where “Dress Code” more or less left off.

“Are We There Yet?” was certainly the best episode we’ve had this season. We’ve had road trip episodes before and this was another delightful one, especially for the family meal and last few minutes.

Rating: 9 out of 10

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Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D & The Tomorrow People - Acquired by Channel 4 & E4

With both shows due to air on ABC and the CW respectively, it seems that UK broadcasters have swooped in early and nabbed both Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D and The Tomorrow People.

Channel 4 have confirmed that they have swooped up Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D and in probably a wise move, have also confirmed that they will air the show shortly after transmission on ABC. This isn't the first time the channel have aired a Joss Whedon show as they did air the first two seasons of Angel in the early 2000s. I just hope for this show's sake history doesn't repeat itself and it ends up in a crap timeslot with bad editing.

Elsewhere E4 have also bagged the rights to the US remake of The Tomorrow People and will be airing it in 2014. The show (like the ITV original) will focus on a group of young men and women with extraordinary abilities and stars both Robbie Amell and Luke Mitchell. I have to admit, I'm surprised both of these shows were gotten by Channel 4 and E4 respectively but I guess it does make a change from Sky bagging them. I just hope both shows fare well on their respective channels.

Marvels Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D: http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/s227/agents-of-shield/news/a508912/marvels-agents-of-shield-to-air-on-channel-4-in-uk.html
The Tomorrow People: http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/s226/the-tomorrow-people/news/a508962/e4-to-air-new-us-shows-tomorrow-people-the-100-in-uk.html

Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D airs Tuesdays at 9pm on ABC from September 24th and The Tomorrow People will air Wednesdays 9pm on the CW from October 9th.

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Crazy About One Direction

"We're a part of a fandom that could kill you if we wanted to."

Never since the words "I'm your number one fan" from a certain Annie Wilkes in Misery has the idea of a fandom being scary become so apparent. Okay, I am going to be fair here because while I'm sure these selected girls are the more Crazy About One Direction and the majority of the lads fanbase is pretty harmless, it does get you thinking about the intensity of fans, especially given the rise in social media nowadays.

When I was their age, I was barely using the internet, never mind obsessively checking out for Twitter updates on my phone/laptop/tablet every five minutes for bands I've liked (and I'll admit my own taste in music can be all over the flipping place at times). These girls on the documentary that aired on Channel 4 last Thursday (talk about good time - given that a certain movie has been released this week) certainly proves that fandom can be a double edged sword.

It was these fangirls that propelled One Direction from another runner up on The X Factor back in 2010 to the most talked about boyband over the last few years. Musically, I don't think there's much that actually separates One Direction from their other predecessors and rivals and while they're not the only band with an intense fandom, it has been their fandom just of late that has generated a lot of negative press for the last while. This documentary did show that some of this negative press towards these particular set of fans wasn't entirely unjustified.

Throughout the hour I saw a group of teenage girls who weren't content with seeing the boys but took to levels of stalking them, fantasising about at least two of the members dating each other, viciously attacking their girlfriends through social media sites and even each other as well as well as even joking about cutting off their own limbs in order to be close to their idols. I know some will chalk it up to them just being kids and that they'll learn eventually but given the recent reports of more online cyber bullying (particularly from that ask.fm site), this documentary was something of a depressing insight into how some people take their enjoyment of certain things to extreme levels and how vicious things can escalates over nothing either.

Now I know that not all fans of bands like One Direction behave this way (thank goodness) but the fact that there's even a vocal few who do (and realise their behaviour is a bit excessive and still do it) behave this way is worrying. After the Channel 4 documentary aired, some of them took to Twitter to express their anger in a way that was both laughable and worrying as well. In these girls defence, if social networking had been around during Beatlemania, we would probably see similar behaviour patterns but at the same time, I couldn't help thinking these girls should just get a grip and enjoy the lads music without behaving like lunatics over them. One Direction might be the hot boyband right now but I doubt it'll be that long before another one swoops in and take their title.

Crazy About One Direction can be watched again on 4OD.

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Revenge - Season 3 Trailer/Spoilers

It's just a little over a month away from airing but ABC have started with the promotional material for the upcoming third season of Revenge.

The 30 second trailer for the third season has already revealed what will happen in the first few minutes of the season premiere, Fear. Emily gets shot, presumably after marrying Daniel for real this time and falls into the ocean. I think it's a safe assumption that Emily will actually survive this but who shot her and why? Has someone else rumbled that she's actually Amanda Clarke after all? Either way, it's a rather soapy way of opening up the new season.

As for Nolan - good news viewers, we'll be seeing him with a male love interest this season. According to The Backlot (formerly AfterElton) and producers Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg, the reveal of Nolan's new suitor will be delicious. I get the feeling it could be Patrick (Justin Hartley) but that might be wishful thinking on my part though. Other spoilers include a feistier version of Charlotte who returns from Europe and will be doing some revenge of her own this year. There's rumours she might be getting Daniel to wise up about Emily a little as well.

And here is the first promotional picture of Victoria and first born Patrick released as well. It also seems from more recent spoilers that Patrick will be something of a handful as well. I don't doubt that he'll rub both Daniel and Conrad up the wrong way and may provide some sort of an obstacle for Emily as well. The trailer for the new season also showed us that we'll be seeing Patrick shirtless as well, which will undoubtedly back up Gabriel Mann's comments about there being more skin shown this season with the cast.

Season 3 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhZH9-WTYPg
More News: http://www.thebacklot.com/revenge-nolan-is-back-to-men-sexy-season-three/08/2013/

Season 3 of Revenge airs Sundays at 9pm on ABC from September 29th. Airdates for RTE2 and E4 have yet to be announced.

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