Every Friday, TMINE lets you know the latest announcements about when new imported TV shows will finally be arriving on UK screens – assuming anyone’s bought anything, of course
A couple of acquisitions this week, with BBC Four picking up OCS Signature (France)’s mission-to-Mars sci-fi drama Missions and 5Star acquiring Asian immigration comedy Fresh Off The Boat (US: ABC) this very day.
However, the big news is in premiere dates, of which we have a bundle.
The Long Road Home (US: National Geographic; UK: National Geographic)
Premiere date: Tuesday, November 7, 9pm
Mini-series about a real-life fight for survival during the Iraq War, when the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was ferociously ambushed in Sadr City, Baghdad. Stars Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter, Kate Bosworth, Sarah Wayne Callies, Noel Fisher and Jeremy Sisto.
She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix)
Premiere date: Thursday, November 23
Spike Lee returns to the movie that launched his career, giving us a series about Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise) and her three lovers: Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony), Jamie Overstreet (Lyriq Bent) and Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos). The original was a cracker – let’s hope this is, too.
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Amazon)
Premiere date: Wednesday, November 29
Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) aplays Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1958 New York City woman who has everything she’s ever wanted – the perfect husband, two kids, and an elegant Upper West Side apartment perfect for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn when her perfect husband leaves, and Midge is left to chart a new course. She discovers a previously unknown talent – stand-up comedy, which ultimately lands her a post on Johnny Carson’s couch.
Tony Shalhoub (Monk) also stars as Midge’s father Abe Weissman, along with Alex Borstein (Family Guy) as Susie Myerson, Michael Zegen (Boardwalk Empire) as Midge’s husband Joel Maisel and Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men) as Midge’s mother Rose Weissman.
It’s “What have you been watching?”, my chance to tell you each week what movies and TV I’ve been watching recently and your chance to recommend anything you’ve been watching. TMINE recommends has all the reviews of all the TV shows TMINE has ever recommended, but for a complete list of TMINE’s reviews of (good, bad and insipid) TV shows and movies, there’s the definitive TV Reviews A-Z and Film Reviews A-Z. But it’s what you have you been watching? So tell us! Ah go on. Go on, go on, go on
Here we are at the third of my post-August WHYBW catch-ups. If you recall, the first was to catch up with all the boxsets I’d been watching; the second was to catch up with all the movies; and this third one will deal with new shows and episodes of all the regular shows I’ve been watching over August.
However, as you may have noticed, as always things haven’t quite gone according to plan. Already, I’ve slipped in a review of the complete third season of Narcos. But on top of that, I’ve gone and watched some more movies, too. Whoops. You’ll see which ones in a tick.
I’ve also not seen as many new shows as I’d wanted to. My usual “if it starts in August, I ain’t watching it” rule means that 21 Thunder, Gone, Get Shorty and The Sinner, to name but a few, aren’t even getting a plot summary out of me – let that be a lesson to you, broadcasters! – but as well as a couple of Amazon boxset shows that need my attention – The Last Tycoon and Comrade Detective – I’ve still to watch some new shows that just about slipped in under the wire.
That means Get Krack!N (Australia: ABC) will probably be getting reviewed on Thursday, seeing as episode two goes out on Wednesday. I’m also in two minds as to whether to review The Deuce (US: HBO; UK: Sky Atlantic). On the plus side, it’s from David Simon (The Wire, Treme) and stars James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal; on the minus side, it’s about the rise of the porn industry in New York in the 1970s, so might be a bit too risqué for my blood. Still, it doesn’t officially premiere until 10 September, so I’ve still plenty of time to preview it.
All of that cunningly means that after the jump, I’ll be reviewing:
Movies: Just Friends (2005) and Doctor Strange (1978)
New (ish) shows: Odysseus (France: Arte; UK: TV5)
Regular shows: כפולים (False Flag), Game of Thrones, Shooter and Twin Peaks
Returning shows: Halt and Catch Fire and The Last Ship
Yep, I gave up on Will – as did TNT, to be fair. See you in a mo…
