New TV

Familiar shows returned to television following their winter breaks and most remained on form, some even stepping it up a notch. Notably, the third season of Fringe has just ended with a thrilling conclusion, enough to warrant some people calling it "Lost's natural successor". Certainly, it is probably the best show on television at the moment. Glee also returned in fine form and has surprisingly gone for a somewhat more serious and dramatic tone which makes it worth looking forward to for more reasons than its fantastic music. However, new series The Event appears to have somewhat stagnated in the same vain as FlashForward, pondering along at a snail's pace. It will be small wonder if it manages to secure a second season for itself. Likewise, House remains as formulaic as ever, and why I persist with watching it is beyond me. Unfortunately however, the Stargate franchise appears to have come to an end after spin-off series, Stargate: Universe, was abruptly cancelled at the end of its second season. While in terms of originality it offered nothing new, stealing much from Battlestar Galactica, its cancellation comes at a time just as it was starting to get interesting, which is a real shame. Fortunately, the writers managed to give it a fitting, and if not one of the most melancholy and satisfying endings to a television series to date. But overall, new television has been few and far between. However, there are two picks that I highly recommend watching...

Based on George R.R. Martin's best selling novel, 'A Song of Ice and Fire', HBO's Game of Thrones is the most interesting newcomer to TV. Whilst not ordinarily into the fantastical medieval mythos, Game of Thrones is actually a compelling tale of seven family's dynastic struggles for power over the Iron Throne. It is more a show of political intrigue which only happens to be set in a medieval fantasy world. What I appreciate more about it however is that despite it's mythical setting, it has done away with silliness such as dragons, orcs, elves and sorcery. Plus, it has Sean Bean.


Usually I would be hard pressed to recommend a crime thriller, but AMC's The Killing captured my attention nonetheless. For me at least, the pull of the show is all in its aesthetic, a dark and beautiful world reminding me of a cross between the videogames Alan Wake and Heavy Rain. The show's cinematography is the biggest allurer for me, but the plot isn't half bad either. A remake of a Danish television programme, Forbrydelsen, the series follows the efforts of Seattle Police's investigation into the mysterious events of young Rosie Larsen's death. It's a classic "whodunnit" caper entwined with the Larsen's tragic attempts to cope with their loss.