Orange is the new black – season 3

Thoroughly enjoyable prison series that breaks the usual character archetypes through a clever use of back story, and believable story-telling. For a series that’s billed as a comedy, expect a lot more than just cheap laughs with great acting and a superb script. Netflix does it again, superb.

Wolf Hall

Wonderfully cast with an exceptionally good Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell. This shakes of the old schoolbook notions of who these people were and gives us a re-interpretation that is thrilling to behold. The writing is thought provoking and makes history come to life in every single character who appears on screen without patronising an audience who may, or may not, know their Tudor history. Stunningly good.

Happy Valley

First rate! Catherine, the police sergeant, is a solidly arresting character who carries the show with help of an excellent cast. Lots of threads of nastiness are tied together to make Sowerby one less than happy valley. It’s on Netflix. If you can catch this show — catch it!

The Royals

This is the type of show that you either Love or Hate. I surprisingly like this show! Yes, its somewhat predictable but it’s enjoyable. I understand how the annoying twins were a bit stereotypical and how the style of comedy and drama embedded in this program wasn’t to everyone’s liking but honestly the whole program, even with some of the slightly unrealistic and shocking relationships between the characters, really hooked me from the start. Guilty pleasure.

Fortitude

Fortitude is wonderfully weird, atmospheric and dark. With its equally strange and cold inhabitants, it captures the barren and hostile environment of living in remote wilderness and cautiously invites you to imagine living amongst them and experiencing the ambiguity of the next instalment of this eerie mystery. It has some flaws, nevertheless it’s an enjoyable show.

The missing

This is great TV story telling. James Nesbitt has brought his A-game as the father experiencing every parent’s worst nightmare. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. I always marvel at what the UK and most of Europe can do with a story brought either to the small or large screen. The twists and turns of the story never seem artificial or contrived. Brilliant.

Babylon

Unique, witty fast-paced dark British humor. Though Babylon is pleasant and reasonably well executed, there’s not too much to grab on to at the center of the drama; it makes moves toward engagement of knotty issues, only to ultimately skate along their surface. But Nesbitt is typically excellent and the show’s depiction of London, its cops and its cynical politics can be diverting.

Game of thrones – season 5

An enthralling new series from HBO that had me on the edge of my seat literally every episode. With betrayal, deception & violence running wild in Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, there’s lots of characters to follow who are all interlinked and wish to seize the Iron Throne in their own unique way. I never read the books prior to watching the first season but on the basis of this fantastic new show, I shall be purchasing them all to read ahead! Already one of HBO’s finest works.

Poldark

Aidan Turner cuts a dashing figure as the reincarnation of Poldark, reviving an early Masterpiece breakthrough from the mid-70s with swarthy, romantic vigor.

House of cards – season 3

I must say that I had low expectations for this show, but boy was I wrong. The acting is phenomenal, the writing is excellent, and the entire show is very professionally made.  Netflix proved that it knows how to produce shows. Kevin Spacey was born to be Francis Underwood. I watched the 1990 version set in England and it blew me away at the time. So I thought this would be the usual silly American version. But I was wrong. Kevin Spacy sinks his teeth into this part like only he can do. And Robin Wright is fucking awesome! I just cannot get enough of her!