Gutted that Game Of Thrones is on a break? Bummed that Breaking Bad is over? Never fear – there’s a whole raft of hotly anticipated new shows coming this way.
[Actor Bob Odenkirk on set with Better Call Saul creators Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan – picture: AMC / Twitter]
The age of the television drama is arguably in its prime, and networks and production companies are increasingly luring the finest creative talents in the quest to devise the next global hit.
So grab the remote, wipe space on the DVR and clear your schedule for some binge-watching – Joel Draba-Mann takes a look at seven upcoming series to get excited about.
Better Call Saul
Genre: Crime Comedy
Release: Mid-2015
This Breaking Bad spin-off is undoubtedly one of TV’s most anticipated shows. Set six years prior to the original series, Better Call Saul follows local hustler Jimmy McGill’s transformation into crooked New Albuquerque strip-mall lawyer Saul Goodman. Featuring a stellar supporting cast and the promise of much-desired cameos from some of our favourite characters, we can’t wait to see what Vince Gilligan and the Breaking Bad team can deliver next.
Gotham
Genre: Crime Drama
Release: September 2014
A gritty comic book origin story centred on newly-promoted detective Jim Gordon’s rise to prominence in a pre-Batman Gotham City. Expect background tales for some of Gotham’s most famous villains, and a pre-teen Bruce Wayne coping in the immediate aftermath of his parents’ murder. Early pilot screenings have received rave reviews, and the show is already in line for a second series. We can’t wait to delve back into the dark Gotham underbelly.
The Flash
Genre: Action
Release: October 2014
Scientist Barry Allen suffers a freak accident which gifts him the power of superhuman speed. Having originally cameoed in CW’s already popular series, Arrow (now entering its third season), Grant Gustin’s cocky superhero receives his own full show. Expect more of the same over-the-top action and lycra tights.
Emerald City
Genre: Fantasy Drama
Release: Late 2014 / Early 2015
Not to be confused with the 1976 Kurt Russell showpiece (they could not be more different), this Emerald City is a dark take on Frank L.Baum’s “Oz” book series, recounting the events leading up to the classic Wizard of Oz. Headstrong 20-year old Dorothy Gale and her police dog companion are thrust into a much more nightmarish and bloody land of Oz than we’ve come to know. Ravaged by years of war, the mystical world is a disparate wasteland. Don’t expect any Yellow Brick Road sing-alongs and Tin Man tap dancing from this NBC series.
The Strain
Genre: Horror
Release: July 2014
Based on his own trilogy of novels, Guillermo Del Toro’s horror series has already developed much controversy over in the US through a particularly graphic billboard ad campaign. The series is set in a dystopian New York, in which an aggressive virus with similar traits to vampirism has swept through the city. A band of surviving scientists attempt to find a cure before the situation deteriorates and engulfs the rest of humanity.
The Knick
Genre: Period Drama
Release: August 2014
Think Downton Abbey meets ER. This hospital drama focuses on the personal and professional lives of the staff of New York’s famous Knickerbocker Hospital at the turn of the 20th century. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Clive Owen as drug-addled head of surgery John Thackery, it’s already been commissioned for a second series after promising initial feedback.
Manhattan
Genre: Period Drama
Release: July 2014
Set in Los Alamos during the 1940s, this slow-burning period drama investigates the lives of the scientists involved in the “Manhattan Project” to develop America’s first nuclear bomb. The show promises plenty of bubbling tension and character driven narratives, and could well be the sleeper hit of the summer.
Share this on Twitter:
Which new TV show are you most looking forward to?
Have your say below (just register first), on Twitter with #wow247 or on our Facebook page.
