Some tantalising titbits of the drama season ahead across the BBC’s output have cropped up in a supremely confident autumn season trailer that was unveiled yesterday. Curiously, a couple of shows in the line-up are already up and running or have already been transmitted, such as Mutual Friends and My Zinc Bed, but I guess if you’ve got the material, the more the merrier.
We discussed Merlin last week on the release of the cinema trailer, and it’s good to see this promising new adventure front and centre throughout the trailer, which shows that the corporation has a great deal of confidence in this possible new big hitter. The microsite for the series has launched here.
Elsewhere, Robin Hood fans who are fond of the leather-clad Guy of Gisborne may raise an eyebrow at the first shots of Richard Armitage swapping Sherwood for London in the new series of the always-reliable Spooks. Armitage will be playing new arrival Lucas North, but of even more exciting are the clips confirming the return of Hermione Norris as Ros, last seen walking away into the sunset of a new life.
Doctor Who graduate Freema Agyeman (aka Martha Jones) shows there is life beyond the TARDIS with two showings in this line-up, firstly as Tattycoram in the Andrew Davies adaptation of Little Dorrit, and as Jenny in the remake of 70s disaster drama Survivors. After her premature rejection from the Tardis in favour of Catherine Tate, Agyeman is certainly proving the comeback Queen, and with Law and Order UK on her slate of upcoming work, a bright future seems assured. And in the clips from Survivors, you might just catch Julie Graham praying for a second series of Bonekickers.
Personally speaking as a fan of the books, I’m quite cheered to see the first clips from Wallander, marking Kenneth Branagh’s return to mainstream in the highly anticipated adaptations of Henning Mankell’s best-selling books. Branagh, as I have previously noted, is a good fit for Mankell’s grizzled Swedish detective, and I have high hopes for the success of this series.
And of course many will have their eyes on Einstein and Edddington, starring Andy Serkis and David Tennant - is the latter possibly preparing for life without the Tardis? As always, speculation over the ever-popular Mr Tennant’s future as the Time Lord beyond 2009 runs rife. Here at TV Today, we’ll take what we can get…
Some may argue that the BBC’s drama output is becoming homogenised, safe and populist, but on the basis of this trailer, I think there’s a varied, polished and exciting few months ahead from Auntie Beeb.
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