How exciting! The BBC has announced the upcoming treats that form the corporation’s Autumn schedule, so it’s time to rub hands together with glee and dive in for a looksee… Come on in, the water’s lovely… Today: drama.
Robin Hood. Not to put any pressure on those Lincoln Green clad shoulders, but to tout this as the next Doctor Who is going to give the Merry Men a lot to live up to. However, I do applaud the efforts to find more outlets for family viewing, and Jonas Armstrong does look very fetching. And with Keith Allen as the Sheriff of Nottingham, expect your outlawing shenanigans to be served up with generously thick slices of prime ham. But wot? No Friar Tuck. It’s outrageous!
Spooks. The return of a hardy perennial, and one that generally entertains nine times out of ten. Hard to believe that the MI-5 (not 9 to 5) series is on it’s fifth outing, so I’ll be looking closely at new approaches to keep this fresh. The cliffhanger to the last series was utterly bonkers (and I’m annoyed the press release reveals that Adam survives the assassination) and the addition of Hermione Norris to the cast can only be a good thing. One question: is there any scenery left for Peter Firth to chew on?
The State Within. Now this sounds like the business! 24 meets The West Wing, following 17 days in the life of British Ambassador to the US, Mark Brydon (played by the always excellent Jason Isaacs, emerging as a top-flight leading man). This should be slicker than Jonathan Ross’s bouffant, and with the legendary Sharon Gless on hand as the US Defense Secretary, this has hit written all over it.
The Amazing Mrs Pritchard. Jane Horrocks as a supermarket manager who gives it all up for politics and rises to Prime Minister. On paper it sounds frightful, but the pedigree of Sally Wainwright on writing duties gives a sliver of hope for a At Home with the Braithwaites style mix of great character drama and bizarre comedy.
Jane Eyre. A nicely lavish BBC costume drama ticks several boxes before it’s even in the can, but the spectre of the hit-and-miss Toby Stephens as Rochester has me furrowing my brow in consternation.
Recovery. When I first read about this, I automatically assumed it would be one of those two-part ITV dramas that start well, but then utterly disappoint. Recovery stars David Tennant as a man waking from a coma and his wife (Sarah Parish) finds him to be a different man. Sounds like Tennant’s current high-profile day job, but the two engaging leads have proven chemistry from the underrated Blackpool, which bodes well here, as does the Tony Marchant scribing pedigree.
London. A one-off drama that sees random people crossing paths in a London B&B. The cast includes Colin Firth, Anne-Marie Duff, Robert Carlyle and David Oyelowo. My gut instinct on this one is leaving me decidedly cold. It sounds more gimmick than substance, but the cast is what could be called tasty (although, sorry to say, I find the talents of Anne-Marie Duff utterly mystifying).
The Innocence Project. Lloyd Owen, proving there is life after Monarch of the Glen, headlines in this pre-watershed drama following a group of law students who tackle cases nobody else wants. The Innocence Project could have echoes of 70s US drama The Paper Chase about it, and might just connect with a younger audience who want something more than Hollyoaks in their lives.
Finally, there’s the 20th Anniversary of Casualty. 20 years! And Charlie’s hair has kept its curl all that time. To celebrate this TV landmark, we’ll see Charlie reunited with Duffy (hurrah!) in Africa, and there’ll be a bus crash at the hospital. It wouldn’t be Casualty without a bus crash, would it?
On paper, it looks like Auntie has amassed an impressively wide-range of new and some returning drama for the months ahead. But of course, that’s on paper – as we know, the execution is usually another matter altogether, On paper, turned upside down and examined in pitch darkness, Love Island probably looked like a good idea on once.
Tomorrow, I’ll give the Beeb’s upcoming comedy offerings the once over with the TV Today tickling stick…
Aways good to have Spooks back, The State Within sounds brilliant, and you juts know they'll do a good job of Jane Eyre.
Really don't see me being quite as interested in ITV's offerings....
See, you just can't help yourself! Even when there's no Doctor Who on you've still got to get a mention in.
As the BBC is touting Robin Hood as a successor to Doctor Who, it seems churlish not to mention this point in a preview discussion of that programme.
No need to explain, Mr Wright - it should be mentioned at any available opportunity in my view :)