Every Friday, TMINE lets you know when the latest global TV shows will air in the UK
Only one acquisition without a premiere date this week – Netflix has picked up Syfy (US)’s yet-to-be-made George RR Martin piece Nightflyers. Otherwise, a lovely feast of dates for new shows lies ahead of you, two of which I’ve actually seen and reviewed, which is nice.
Rebecka Martinsson (Sweden: TV4; UK: More4)
Premiere date: Friday, January 19, 9pm
Lawyer Rebecka Martinsson (Ida Engvoll) returns to her hometown after a friend’s sudden death, and is drawn into a murder investigation that shakes her to her core. Set against the stark, stunning landscapes of northern Sweden, these haunting adaptations of Asa Larsson’s award-winning novels feature complex characters and searing performances.
Breathe (Amazon)
Premiere date: Friday, January 26
New Amazon original from India, Breathe is a gritty psychological drama that follows a brilliant but unconventional officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch who links a group of seemingly unconnected deaths to an unlikely suspect. Stars Amit Sadh and R Madhaven and will be available to viewers in three languages: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu (with English subtitles).
https://youtu.be/Q1GK4eU26eQ
Absentia (International: AXN; UK: Amazon)
Premiere date: Friday February 2
Stana Katic (Heroes, Castle) plays a US FBI agent who’s abducted by a serial killer. Her husband, fellow FBI agent Patrick Heusinger (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce), keeps looking but never finds her until eventually he’s forced to give up. Six years later, Heusinger’s moved on and has married Cara Theobold (Crazyhead). Together, they raise his and Katic’s son. Then one night he gets a call, apparently from Brake, telling him where to find Katic. And she is where he says she is – and alive.
Traumatised, she can’t remember much from her time in captivity beyond her abuse, so tries to build a new life for herself and recover what she can of her old life, despite her husband having moved on and her son now regarding Theobold as his mum. Trouble is that evidence begins to mount up that maybe Katic had something to do with some recent crimes and she wasn’t as much of a prisoner as she claims.
It’s actually not that bad, despite all the nasty serial killer stuff, and Stana is pretty impressively versatile. However, its desperate attempts to ape US production styles, despite being filmed in Bulgaria, mean that it feels like a bit of hodge podge. Might be worth your time, though, and I probably would have given it long were my viewing schedule not so full.
PS Oddly enough, my Absentia review was the most popular TMINE review of 2017. Clearly, there are lots of people watching it and liking it
Episode reviews: 1-3
The Heart Guy (Doctor, Doctor) (Australia: Nine; UK: Drama)
Premiere date: Thursday, April 5, 9pm
Relaxing, feel good but not quite must-see comedy-drama in which disgraced big city surgeon Rodger Corser has to return to his rural home town and become a regular rural doctor, as well as face up to the relatives and ex-girlfriends he left behind.
Edgier than might be expected and with some sometimes moving moments, as well as top acting from Corser, if you’re watching it, it’ll probably be because of him, as there’s ultimately not that much else to it.
Episode reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4-5, 6, 7, 8, 9-10
Deep State (International: Fox International; UK: Fox UK)
Premiere date: Thursday, April 5, 9pm
Spy thriller starring Mark Strong as an ex-spy whose past comes back to haunt him when he’s summoned away from his new life in the Pyrenees by Alistair Petrie (The Night Manager), head of covert MI6/CIA team ‘The Section’. Strong soon finds himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war, immersed in a widespread conspiracy to profit from the spread of chaos in the Middle East.