Game Of Thrones - Season 3 Chaos Trailer

Littlefinger: Chaos isn't a pit, chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try it again. The fall breaks them.

After some complains online about the lack of proper promotion for the third season, HBO have upped their game with this lovely and cryptic concept trailer for Season 3 of Game Of Thrones. The 40 second trailer features the majority of the main characters in the third season, along with a stunning narration from Aidan Gillen's Littlefinger.

Currently I'm actually reading the books that will inspire the upcoming third season and with this trailer alone, my anticipation for Season 3 is definitely increasing. It also doesn't help that SkyAtlantic seem to be reminding us every minute that it's coming back or that I just can't get into Girls as a show either.

Season 3 Chaos Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmBGTqXlpBA

Season 3 of Game Of Thrones will air Sundays 9pm on HBO from March 31st and Mondays 9pm on SkyAtlantic from April 1st.

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An Adventure In Space And Time - More Casting Announced

With the first week of filming for An Adventure In Space And Time completed, further casting has been revealed for the 90 minute biopic.

Relatively unknown actress Claudia Grant has been cast as Carole Ann Ford. Grant's casting was reported by the same agency that is ran by William Hartnell's real life granddaughter, Jessica Carney. Recent filming have also had the sets look like the same sets back in 1963 when the original cast were photographed together as well.

Former Waterloo Road actor Jamie Glover has been cast as William Russell. Glover is the son of both Isla Blair and Julian Glover, both of whom have previously appeared in the Classic Series and the film editor of this 90 minute biopic has been confirmed as Philip Kloss who has previously worked on Tennant era episodes like The Doctor's Daughter and The End Of Time as well as Torchwood.

And for the casting of Jacqueline Hill we have got Jemma Powell, whom most viewers will recognise from things such as Alice In Wonderland and Foyle's War. I have to admit the resemblance that Powell has to Hill is strikingly good. Of course the most interesting casting that has been announced for this biopic is ...

William Russell. Yes, the original Ian Chesterton himself will be appearing in the biopic playing a character named Harry. No further details have been given about his character but this is certainly a massive coup for the special, huh?

More Details: http://www.doctorwhonews.net/search/label/WHO50

An Adventure In Space And Time is due to air on BBC2 over the Autumn period.

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Being Human To End After Five Series

Is it me or am I getting serious deja vu here? First Merlin ends after five series and now it seems that Being Human's fifth series will now indeed be it's last one after all.

The supernatural drama, currently airing on Sundays at 10pm will conclude with it's epic finale as series regulars Tom McNair (Michael Socha), Alex Millar (Kate Bracken) and Hal Yorke (Damien Molony) will do battle with the Devil/Captain Hatch as played by Phil Davis. The show debuted in 2008 with a pilot and became a series the following year and like many UK shows over the years had changed it's lineup but still managed to prove that there was plenty of life in it.

Creator Toby Whithouse responded to the show's ending on his BBC blog, thanking his cast and crew and pointing out that it was a miracle the show ever got made and in the way that he wanted it to be as well. I have to admit that while I did sadly expect Series 5 to actually be the show's final year and while there are rumours that Whithouse himself will be working on an upcoming spy drama for BBC1, this does feel like another blow in UK genre television, which does seem to be slightly dwindling these days. Also, given BBC3's increasingly dire lineup as well, I can only hope that upcoming zombie drama, In The Flesh takes off. Otherwise we'll be lumbered with more 'gems' like Sun, Sex And Suspicious Parents. I'll miss this show.

Series 5 Ending: http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/news/a456965/being-human-to-end-after-current-series.html
Toby Whithouse's Thoughts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/beinghuman/posts/Toby-on-the-conclusion-of-Being-Human 
Series 5 New Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7HAKP1ObmI

Being Human's fifth series currently airs Sundays 10pm on BBC3 until March 10th and will be released on DVD from April 1st.

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Dates - Upcoming Channel 4 Series

Remember last year BBC1 aired a series called True Love that centred on various relationships and entanglements? I wouldn't blame you if the answer was no, given the crap timeslot/lack of promotion it was given but it seems that Channel 4 are doing their own variation of it.

Dates, created by Skins man Bryan Elsley will focus on two handers centering on various relationships and it seems that the casting for this show has gone underway. Sherlock star Andrew Scott will be playing a Christian called Christian as he's sat across a table from a school teacher named Jenny, played by Mrs Briggs Sheridan Smith. Not the first time these two have played a couple given that they were one in ITV's adaptation of The Scapegoat in 2012.

Other casting includes former Merlin actress, Katie McGrath as well as Game Of Thrones actress Oona Chaplin, True Love's Gemma Chan and Two Pints actor Will Mellor to name a few. I hope that unlike the BBC equivalent, more focus and care is put into this upcoming series and I do hope that given Elsley's previous record with LGBT characters in Skins that this show is able to produce something equally as satisfying.

More Information: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-02-05/sherlocks-andrew-scott-and-merlins-katie-mcgrath-to-date-in-channel-4-drama

Filming for Dates is currently underway with transmission on Channel 4 due for Summer 2013.

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Thurderbirds Are Go ... In 2015

It seems that the once famous show is going to be returning to ITV in 2015, a whopping 50 years since it's original debut and teaming up with Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop , the newest version of Thunderbirds will be a mixture of CGI and live action sets.

This isn't the first time we've been promised another TV version of the show. One was originally planned back in 2009 but was ultimately scrapped by Michael Grade at the time when he was working on ITV. Hopefully this version will really take off, be a roaring success and erase the memories of the lacklustre 2004 movie.

More Information: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9847249/ITV-and-Avatar-studios-confirm-Thunderbirds-remake.html

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My Review of Being Human's 5x01: "The Trinity"

Written by Toby Whithouse
Directed by Philip John

Captain Hatch (to Patsy): “Oh you carry on, my love. In fact, I haven’t felt this good in years.”

Trios are a deadly thing and when it comes to giving us a trio of new villains to contend with, then the fifth series of this show has definitely hit the ground running with a selection of three very distinct adversaries for our new supernatural trinity.

The first baddie – Old Nick himself, otherwise known as Captain Hatch. Superbly played by Phil Davis, Hatch was the character who got the least amount of screen time in this episode but still managed to be the most dangerous of the bunch with the little he was given as well.

Hal, Lady Catherine and Emil royally cocked up by putting the essence of the Devil into the body of a mad man and the fact that he’s spent over ninety years hiding in plain sight has been rather interesting too. The Devil is pretty clichéd as villains go but credit given to this show in it’s softly, softly approach to dealing with him.

His bad tempered, racist banter aside, Phil Davis really managed to make Hatch into a terrifying presence by the way he whispered into Sophie’s ear and got her to scribe ‘He Will Rise’ in her own blood. It’s that type of subtlety that has worked with the villains of this show in the past and the very one that will seemingly work again with Hatch too. Already I’m finding myself compelled and horrified by the man but as I was saying, Hatch is only one of three villains the show is contending with this year.

The second batch of villains are the Men In Grey, lead the enigmatic Dominic Rook and unlike Kemp from the second series, this episode nicely went out of it’s way to prove they’re not complete fanatics. While Rook recognises the dangers with the supernatural community, he’s flexible enough to extend an olive branch to Hal as well.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Hal refusing to Rook’s proposition of keeping the vampires in line. In some respects, he probably made the right decision but at the same time, Rook was right to point out how chaotic vampires seem to be without some form of structure. Even Hal himself is a great example of that, hence his rotas and routines that have mostly kept him dry for the last half a century.

Of course, while Hal managed to get away from Rook unscathed, Rook himself did show a ruthless streak with the inventive murder of an uncooperative Martin and the fact that he’s currently holding our third villain of this series in captivity is proof that perhaps Hal, Tom and Alex might want to watch their step when dealing with Rook. He might not be the Devil but he’s definitely formidable in his own right, that’s for sure.

Last but not least on the baddie front – there’s Ian “Crumb” Cram, an insurance worker who Hal recklessly made into a vampire out of guilt but out of all three villains, he might the most polarising of the bunch. He’s certainly not awful and the whole “victim who gets superpowers” back story they have for Crumb is interesting but there were times in the episode where he could be a bit too broad comedy for my liking.

Hal keeping Crumb bound and gagged in the basement might have worked had Alex not been manipulated by Crumb into releasing him but at the same time, Crumb really could go either way as a threat. He’s the least threatening of the three (despite killing a co-worker of his) but he’s clearly also being designed as the most sympathetic of the bunch as well, given the plethora of detail we were given about him as well.

As for the rest of the trinity themes in this episode – Hal really does like his vampire/werewolf/ghost dynamics, doesn’t he? His partnerships with ghost Emil Parsons and werewolf leader, Lady Catherine Glass ended horribly when they tried to stop the Devil from feeding on the vampire/werewolf conflict and his current dynamic with Tom and Alex, while excellent is still not without it’s problems.

Both Tom and Alex had reasons to be wary and actually mad at Hal, what with him turning Crumb and his “tangential” involvement in the latter’s death as well. However, with the lads both working in the Barry Grand Hotel (this year’s main location and Hatch’s current residence) and Alex sticking around in spite of her family getting her body back, I don’t see why this current trio can’t be as successful as our previous. They’re certainly every bit as interesting and believable as the previous lot at the very least.

Also in “The Trinity”

BBC3 for some reason have decided to air this at the slightly later time of 10pm, though that might so it doesn’t conflict with current hit, Ripper Street on BBC1.

Hal (to Lady Catherine): “Obviously there’s nothing we enjoy more than a good rough and tumble.”

Did anyone else think the manageress (Patsy) hot for Hal was a bit of a meta commentary on how audiences in general have taken to the character?

Mr Rook: “Malevolence and greed are hard wired into your DNA.”
Hetty: “Yeah, and your mum is so fat, her blood type is Ragu.”

Alex (to Tom/Hal, re her father): “I’m not letting a good man die of grief just to protect the fucking Twilight franchise.”

Hetty gave information about Hal to Rook, Eve was mentioned in this episode and we learned that Alex’s surname was Millar, her father was called Brendan and that the Men In Grey made it look like she drowned.

Hal: “I don’t need blood anymore. I’ve been dry for over sixty years.”
Mr Rook: “You’re sweating, Hal. Your hands are shaking.”

Lady Catherine: “If this is a trick, I shall plunge this into your calcified heart.”
Hal: “And you wonder why you’re single.”

Toby Whithouse made a cameo in this episode as a Home Secretary telling Mr Rook that his funds were going to be cut.

Crumb: “You’re going to bum me now.”
Hal: “Ian, I have no intention of bumming you.”

Mr Rook (to Alistair): “This isn’t about my career, these are monsters. You can’t just let them run wild without supervision, without restraint. They’re time bombs.”

Hal explained a lot to Crumb about the vampire’s history with the Devil but it does make me wonder a bit more about werewolves’ origins now too.

Alex (to Mr Rook): “You stole my death. You’re in my sights now, pal. One day, I’m gonna watch you die.”

Crumb (to Mr Rook): “I’m the world’s worst nightmare – the victim who gets superpowers.”

Chronology: A month since the events of “The War Child” as well as 1918, Northern France for the Hal/Emil/Catherine flashbacks.

Is it me or was “The Trinity” the most busiest of episodes we’ve ever had on this show? I’m not knocking it but I’m struggling to remember any other episode that had this much going on, almost all at once. On the plus side, at least there wasn’t a single boring plot and at times, this was scary, touching, funny and character driven. An excellent return for the show and proof that the complete loss of the original cast hasn’t hurt the series one bit.

Rating: 9 out of 10

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Calender Boys

And here's a look at some of the show I've been watching in recent weeks. Warning: Spoilers as per usual.

American Horror Story: What is it with this show and finales? The first one ended on a strangely bittersweet note but the second one managed to give us a final season that makes the whole season question worthy on itself? It was a rather ballsy move, unlike Lana pulling the trigger on her son, which I think we all saw coming, didn't we? I'm not gonna lie - I've enjoyed this second season more than it's first and I was pretty satisfied/intrigued with the respected endings given to Lana, Kit and Jude. I can't wait to see what the third season is going to give us. Easily one of the best show on television. Sorry, Homeland, but you've been beaten here.

Glee: It's interesting that I'm discussing three Ryan Murphy shows in one blog but chalk that up to timing rather than a calculated move on my part (no, honest). Anyways the recent two episodes of this show, while still burdened with the same narrative problems (such as out of nowhere crushes with Blaine/Sam/Tina), still managed to give us two interesting episodes. The Naked one in particular was nowhere near as gimmicky as it could've been and while I certainly didn't mind seeing the male cast as calender boys, I have to admit the other highlights have been English boy Adam, the girls belting out Locked Out Of Heaven as well as the Rachel/Santana/Quinn's version of Love Song. However the one thing I do find extremely surprisingly is how likeable Finn has been as well for the last while. Have the writers finally turned a corner with him, character wise?

Mrs Brown's Boys: And while my guilty pleasure show at the moment ends tonight on RTE1 (BBC1 on Monday), the last two episodes have continued to be a belly full of fun. Yes, this show can be crass and predictably at times, such as that vibrating phone, Rory being a dab hand with handcuffs and Cathy falsely assuming one of the family is adopted but it's still funnier than any other comedy on the BBC at the moment. I can't wait to see what the last episode will give us.

My Mad Fat Diary: Three episodes in and I'm still enjoying this show. The 90's nostalgia aside, it's just a well written and fantastically fun show to watch with a good blend of serious edges too. I liked that the last two episodes focused on explaining about Archie and Chloe (though the former's secret I think could be seen coming a mile off) and Rae's interactions with both her mother and shrink have certainly gotten more interesting to watch as well. This so far has been a wonderful homemade series for E4 and I do hope that there's going to be a second run of episodes for it. It's certainly deserving of it.

The New Normal: Okay, I'm still enjoying this show but I'll admit it's probably the weakest of Ryan Murphy's main three and like Glee at times, has a tendency to a little heavy handed with it's messages but at least Bryan and David continue to be a believable couple and it's hard to dislike Goldie/Shania and despite that Nana being a bit too cartoonish, Ellen Barkin is still easily the best performer in the show. It's just that we're not seeing more to our main players other than their desire to become fathers and I kind of wish we got a little more there.

Utopia: I like a good conspiracy/genre show as much as the next person and this one is definitely one of the most interesting things Channel 4 have produced in a while (along with My Mad Fat Diary) as a manuscripts seems to have changed the lives of several different people over the space of three episodes. The main characters are interesting and sympathetic enough and the main antagonists so far do seem to be a scary bunch but while the central story is fantastic, is it the type of show that should be just one series or is there really enough to make it go for another run? At the moment, it's a little hard to tell.

- In news that won't shock anyone, Lily Rabe will also be returning for the third season of American Horror Story. Also rumoured to be returning is Taissa Farmiga from the first season.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has labelled the characters on Girls as 'ignorant'. I guess it's not just me who has issues with this show then.
- Expect a massive death in an upcoming episode of Revenge. In fact, you can thank/blame the Daily Mail for spoiling who dies actually.
- Ellen Muth will be appearing in the upcoming Hannibal series, playing a character named Georgia, though not a Grim Reaper this time.
- Rosanne Barr is developing a sitcom for NBC.
- Angel Coulby and Keeley Hawes will be appearing in the SkyAtlantic version of The Bridge. HBO will also be doing their own version of the show and a second series of the original version will air this year too.
- The Syndicate will be remade for US television as well as Pulling. Both due to air on ABC.
- Jamie Dornan will be reappearing in Once Upon A Time, though when hasn't been specified.
- Felicia Day will be making another appearance on Supernatural. I guess the producers really do love her character.
- Californication, Shameless and House Of Lies have all been renewed for further seasons by Showtime.

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