Dave get some new Suits!
Suits on UKTV's Dave
UKTV’s Dave have recently announced their first major US investment for 2012, with the drama series – Suits.
Meet Michael ‘Mike’ Ross (Patrick J. Adams). A lazy but brilliant college dropout with a photographic memory. On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike accidentally slips into a job interview with one of New York City’s best lawyers, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, suave quick-witted businessman Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot, despite the firm’s policy of hiring only Harvard Law graduates.
Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica (Firefly’s Gina Torres) and Harvey’s arch nemesis Louis (Rick Hoffman), who seems intent on making Mike’s life as difficult as possible…
So far, Suits is sound part Franklin & Bash sprinkled with little bit of Chuck, both of which are great shows, so it’s definitely one to watch out for!
Suits will air on UKTV’s Dave 17th of January 2012, or you can get more info at www.facebook.com/suitsondave or www.uktv.co.uk/dave
Showcase Channel go on a Starhyke!
Tired of waiting for the Red Dwarf series X? This might be just the thing to help fill the long wait till Autumn 2012!
Starring Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Jeremy Bulloch (Star Wars), Starhyke is a sci-fi comedy set in the year 3034, when the human race has suppressed all forms of emotion. So when the Reptids (the only unconquered alien race in our galaxy) threaten to release a weapon to reawaken human emotion, it’s up to Captain Blowhard (Christian) and her increasingly inept crew to travel back in time to stop them from changing the past and altering our future forever. Now plagued by uncontrollable emotions, the crew of the Nemesis find not-so practical ways of coping, whilst Dr Striker (Bulloch) looks for a cure in the most unusual places…
The show is also packed full of familiar sci-fi stars. Claudia Christian, best known as Commander Susan Ivanova in Babylon 5, said “Starhyke was an absolute joy to work on. The combination of a stellar cast, hilarious situations and the ability to play around in a comedy again was a joy for me… I love the combination of sci-fi and comedy and only the Brits can truly pull it off!” Jeremy Bulloch, the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett in the Star Wars trilogy said of his character, “Doctor Striker is a part I really enjoyed playing because he is completely insane! He a loveable rogue and quite daft, a lot like me!”.
Other stars include Suanne Braun (Stargate SG-1) and Rachel Grant (Die Another Day) and Brad Gorton (London’s Burning). The series also features guest appearances from Danny John-Jules (Cat in the aforementioned Red Dwarf), Mike Edmonds (Time Bandits) and even the legendary Sir Patrick Moore like you’ve never seen him before!
Starhyke has been a huge success on DVD for Bristol based Lightworx Media, and has built a steady fanbase through the sci-fi convention circuit, but this is the first time the anarchic mix of sci-fi, drama and humour has come to UK television. “It’s been difficult at times, but we were always spurred on by the reactions from sci-fi fans and the unwavering support they’ve given toward the series” says producer Jonathan G. Brown.
The series will premiere on Showcase TV on Sky 201 and Freesat 403 at 8pm from the 13th December, with repeats on Fridays at 2pm and Sundays at 4pm from the 1st January 2012.
For more info visit www.starhyke.com
Shows to watch out for on UK tv in January 2012!
Sherlock, Series 2
Taking a break from large hairy feet, pointy ears, and dragons, Benedict Cumberbatch (soon to be the voice of Smaug) and Martin Freeman (Hobbiting it up as Bilbo in New Zealand), make a triumphant return as Sherlock & Watson in the 2nd series of Sherlock.
Season 2 consists of 3 90-minute films inspired by 3 of Conan-Doyle’s original works. Steven Moffat takes the writing helm on ‘A Scandal In Belgravia’, Mark Gatiss takes on the gothic ‘The Hounds Of Baskerville’ and Stephen Thompson penned ‘The Reichenbach Fall’.
Sherlock, Series 2 airs on BBC1 – 1st January 2012 at 8.10pm
Treasure Island
If you’ve been watching Sky 1 at any point over the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen at least one advert for their latest big Christmas mini-series. Taking a break from their usual ‘Pratchett’ outing, this year Sky have opted for a new look on the classic tale of Treasure Island.
Eddie Izzard stars as Long John Silver, along with a star-studded cast of international talent including Elijah Wood, Philip Glenister, Rupert Penry-Jones, Keith Allen & Donald Sutherland.
Treasure Island airs on Sky 1 – 1st January 2012 at 7pm
New Girl, Season 1
New Girl stars The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy & (500) Days of Summer actress Zooey Deschanel (also younger sister to Bones’s Emily Deschanel) as Jess Day, a loveable young woman, whose life takes an unexpected slap in the face when she discovers her supposedly ‘perfect’ boyfriend is cheating on her. Needing a new place to stay, she ends up moving in with 3 guys – Nick (Jake Johnson) a bartender who’s also been through a rough breakup; Schmidt (Max Greenfield), a ‘douche bag’ lawyer; And Winston (Lamorne Morris) a basketball player. The pilot originally has Damon Wayans Jr. as a character called Coach, but due to Damon’s other show ‘Happy Endings’ getting picked up his character is switched for Winston.
New Girl has got great reviews in the US, and Fox extended it’s 1st season to a full 24 episodes, so I’m looking forward to seeing it air over here on Channel 4 – 6th January 2012 at 8.30pm
Grimm, Season 1
It’s just typical… You wait for ages for someone to come up with a show about fairy tales set in the modern-day, and then 2 come along at once!.. Well, they do if you’re in the US, not if you’re in the UK. The other fairytale show ‘Once Upon A Time’ has yet to be picked up by a UK channel, despite getting great reviews… Anyway, onwards to Grimm!..
Set in Portland, Oregon, Grimm follows the story of homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who discovers that he is the last descendent of a group of hunters (known as ‘Grimms’), that fight to keep the world safe from supernatural, dark and twisted versions of fairytale creatures.
For me, apart from the concept, the most exciting thing about Grimm is that it’s created by Angel co-creator David Greenwalt and Angel writer Jim Kouf, so you have 2 people who know how to create a wonderfully dark, twisted and highly entertaining supernatural tv show. Definitely one to watch out for when it airs on UKTV’s Watch in January (exact date to be confirmed).
Being Human, Season 4
Damien Molony - the new vamp!
Mitchell maybe gone (once again stolen by Peter Jackson, this time to play Kili in The Hobbit), but Being Human marches on. George (Russell Tovey), Annie (Lenora Crichlow) and Nina (Sinead Keenan) are still on Barry Island, and are about to be joined by Damien Molony as Hal, a new vampire character. Molony describes Hal as “Very, very well dressed. Pressed shirts and cufflinks. Very, very posh. Very upper class. A stiff upper-lipped Brit.” It’s safe to say, he’s most definitely not a direct replacement for Mitchell!
We also know that this will be Russell Tovey’s last series as George the werewolf, so it’s looking like, should we get a series 5, it could well be Hal the vampire, Nina the werewolf, and Annie the ghost.
Being Human will be back on BBC in early January (exact date to be confirmed).
Trailer: Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods
It’s been a long time coming (due to various legal issues, and MGM taking a nose dive), but Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon’s ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ finally has a release date (in the US anyway) – 13th April 2012. Hopefully that means we will get it over here not long after. And that also means we get a trailer!
Co-written by Drew Goddard (Buffy, Lost, Cloverfield) & Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, The Avengers etc…), then directed by Drew and produced by Joss, The Cabin in the Woods takes the standard teen slasher setup of a group of hot young teens staying out in the middle of nowhere, and adds a Goddard/Whedonesque twist to it… Cast includes The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford, Dollhouse’s Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy and Thor himself - Chris Hemsworth. Whedon alumni Tom Lenk and Amy Acker also apparently make an appearance.
Top 5 Free-to-Play MMORPGs
Over the past few years MMORPG‘s have gone through a bit of a change regarding the way they are funded. More and more of them are turning to a free-to-play model to sustain a player base. However, free-to-play MMO no longer means some browser-based 2D cutesy import from Japan. Some serious hard hitters of the MMO genre are now turning free-to-play. Here’s our list of the top 5.
5. Age of Conan
Age of Conan
Age of Conan had a bit of a rough ride on release. The first 20 levels were brilliantly stitched together, whilst the rest of the game was somewhat in disarray. Thankfully it’s survived its turbulent birth and worked hard to patch out its rough edges, to become one of the most brutal MMO’s available today.
Their F2P model restricts some of the character classes and slots, but there is still enough in there to keep most casual MMO players occupied. And most importantly, you can still behead your enemies with a few swift blows of your broadsword.
4. City of Heroes
City of Heroes
City of Heroes maybe one of the older MMOs out there, but that by no means limits it’s fun factor. Recent updates have seen some restructuring to the opening zones making them much less of a grind, and a switch so you get your ‘travel powers’ much earlier.
Because of it’s age, there is a huge amount of content and customisation in-game. Couple that with the lack of restrictions NCSoft have put on free players (no level cap restriction, loads of costume parts, most zones available at no extra cost) and it makes CoH well worth a look.
3. DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online
More superheroes, but this time some names your more likely to be familiar with. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash, to mention but a few. There is also a host of villains to work for, from Joker to Lex Luther, to Talia al Ghul, pretty much every major hero and villain from DC’s universe is represented here.
SOE do place some restrictions on Free Players (limited character slots, inventory & bank slots, trading etc…), but if you fancy checking out DCU, it’s possible to play through 30 levels of superhero/villain goodness. Also, you only need to spend $5 in the online store to gain access to the mid-level ‘Premium’ account which raises the level of most of the restrictions to most casual players would be comfortable with.
2. Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online
STO is a game that has come along in leaps and bounds since it’s release in 2010. Issues with the lack of ‘Trekkiness’ were solved. Lots more content was added, both by developers Cryptic, and by players themselves through the brilliant Foundry feature. A combat overhaul was done, to improve the phaser firing aspect of the game, plus more customisation to costumes, interiors to player ships, and various pets and other ‘fluff’ items were added.
Overall it’s a hugely improved game from it’s rather rushed release. Once again F2P players will have some limits on their account. Less character slots, limits on money and inventory storage, chat and mail restrictions, and they’ll be locked out of the Foundry Creator. However, the level cap will still be achievable, and all sector and missions are accessible on a F2P account, so you won’t be short of things to do! STO doesn’t actually go free-to-play till Jan 17th 2012 – But when it does, I urge you to take a journey into the final frontier.
1. Lord of the Rings Online
Lord of the Rings Online
As huge Tolkien fans, LotRO was a MMO all the gamers here in GeekTown fell in love with when it was first released. From those early quests avoiding hungry hobbits delivering pies in the Shire, to battling trolls and even a Balrog in the later game, it’s extremely easy to lose yourself in the massive world Turbine have created.
There are restrictions on F2P players. The amount of cash you can carry is limited, and you can’t auction items. Your also only allowed 1 character slot per server (with more purchasable), and some of the higher level areas need to be purchased. You can however level your hobbit, dwarf, elf or human up to the game’s level cap, and it’s a great way to test out a superb MMO without having to outlay a penny. If you’re a fan of Tolkien, it’s worth installing even if it’s just to wander around the Shire.
Game Of Thrones, Season 2 – Production Diary
HBO have releases this interesting little teaser video from the set(s) of Game Of Thrones, Season 2. With Sean Bean’s ‘unfortunate event’ at the end of season 1, there’s lot’s of changes this season, and a bunch of new cast members. Liam Cunningham (Outcasts, Strike Back: Project Dawn) joins as Ser Davos Seaworth, a former smuggler. Oliver Ford Davies (aka Governor of Naboo Sio Bibble in Star Wars) plays Maester Cressen, and Stephen Dillane joins as Stannis Baratheon – elder brother to the recently dead King Robert, and possible usurper to the brat boy king Joffrey. Natalie Dormer (Tudors, The Fades) also joins the cast as Lady Margaery Tyrell, betrothed of Renly Baratheon.
I’m so looking forward to Game of Thrones coming back, as season 1 was probably the best tv show of this year. Game Of Thrones, Season 2 airs in the US on HBO in April 2012, and should air on Sky Atlantic, around April 2012 as well.
