Wednesday, January 12, 2011

What's up for 2011: TV shows

What new TV shows am I looking forward to in 2011? Well, there aren't many, yet, because most new shows start in the fall, and those shows have yet to be decided. But there are a few shows this winter/spring that I'll be checking out.

The Cape
Premieres January 9 on NBC
Mondays 9/8c
The Cape is about a cop who gets framed for a crime he didn't commit, fakes his death (at least, lets people think he's dead), then gets trained by circus performers to do neat little tricks to help him become a masked hero. He takes the name The Cape from a comic book series his son loves, then proceeds to clean up the city of its crime and corruption. This one already premiered, and I haven't exactly heard great things about it. It's too bad, too, because it has Summer Glau, and I like her a lot. I'll at least check out the pilot, then decide whether to keep watching.

Camelot
Premieres April 1 on Starz
Fridays 10/9c
"Camelot" is a gritty, more "real" retelling of Arthurian legend. It has an impressive cast, including Joseph Fiennes, Eva Green, and Claire Forlani. I do enjoy Arthurian legend (I like watching "Merlin", which I guess one could say is the kiddie version of what "Camelot" will be), so I'll definitely check this one out.

Game of Thrones
Premieres April 17 on HBO
I've talked about this one before here. George R. R. Martin' A Song of Ice and Fire series is one of the most respected fantasy series out there, and this adaptation looks great from what footage and photos I've seen. HBO has been doing some pretty awesome stuff lately (Boardwalk Empire, True Blood), and I can't think of a better network for this series. Don't watch the show if you're looking for something to lighten your mood. This is a dark fantasy tale of murder, politics, intrigue, and tragedy. But it's a really great, engrossing story. It's going to be good.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
Some time? on SyFy
I'm not actually sure when this one is coming out, but I assume it's some time this year. Anyway, "Blood & Chrome" will focus on a 20-something William Adama as a fighter pilot in the First Cylon War. After Caprica's unfortunate cancellation, SyFy is hoping that more people will tune into a more space battle-y Battlestar Galactica prequel. First SyFy will air a two-hour Blood & Chrome movie, much like Razor and The Plan. Assuming it's successful, there's a whole series hoping to follow. I miss "Caprica" a lot, but I'm willing to give "Blood & Chrome" a try, too. I hope it lives up to its promise.

See more fantasy and sci-fi shows (including returning shows) here:
http://io9.com/5726730/ultimate-guide-to-science-fiction-and-fantasy-television-in-2011

10 comments:

the princess said...

I cannot believe that I have not heard of BSG:Blood and Chrome! I love BSG and Caprica, how exciting that they are making another prequel! :)

Kara said...

I was pleasantly surprised with The Cape. It's cheesy, yes. Very campy, but I'm cool with some camp in my superheroes. My only complaint right now is the pacing, but if people give the show a chance, that's a kink that can be worked out over time. Hope you get a chance to check out the pilot.

Eleni said...

Princess - Yeah, I hope it's as good as the others!

Kara - That's good that it's still fun. I can forgive campy as long as it's entertaining. The premiere didn't get very many viewers, though, so I'm worried it might not last.

Unknown said...

Camelot! I hadn't heard of that! I can only hope it will be better than Merlin.

Game of Thrones looks awesome.

Javier Briseño said...

Greetings! New on blogger looking for some nice blogs. And I like the themes that yours have.

I'm expecting to see Camelot. I really enjoyed the great work that Starz did with "Spartacus Blood and Sand". For the ones that haven't watched the Camelot Season 1 preview, you can see ithere.

Eleni said...

Hez - Yeah, given the people involved it seems promising. They have clarified that it will not be a musical, which I think in this case is a good thing.

Hi Javier!
Welcome, and thanks :) I haven't seen Spartacus: Blood and Sand but it looked good. If that one turned out well then that's encouraging for Camelot. Thanks for the link, too. I probably should have found some links for my post, but I guess I was lazy the other day :)

Javier Briseño said...

Thanks, don't worry about the links ^^ you did a great work on the reviews.

Sebastian Anthony said...

Ya, I quite liked The Cape too. I don't really have enough time for mediocre TV tho' -- so will watch a few more episodes, and hope it grabs me. (Mmm, Summer Glau -- but she IS losing the awesome cuteness she had in Firefly/Sarah Connor Chronicles.)

Game of Thrones!! I actually keep meaning to read the books, but have never got around to it. I really must read it before the TV show airs :) (Or maybe it would be more exciting if I didn't, hmm...)

Being Human has made its way over to the US too, I think. BBC3 thing -- meant to be very good (I need to grab it).

Eleni said...

:( Poor Summer Glau. She still looks good to me.

I've still only read the first book (i.e., Game of Thrones). I figure that should bring me through the first season of the show--I'll catch up on the other books before their seasons come out. Sometimes it can be fun watching things without having read the books. I think with things like Harry Potter, if you only see the movies you will be confused and miss a lot. But with something like Game of Thrones where it's a TV show and they can take their time to tell the story, it might not be so bad. It's nice not to know what's going to happen next.

I'd forgotten about Being Human. I hadn't read any reviews or heard opinions on it, just heard about it. But if it's supposed to be good I'll definitely check it out.

Cooper Bentley said...

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