TWIN PEAKS Gets Official Green Light at Showtime

A sequel series to TWIN PEAKS, one of the greatest-yet-flawed TV serials of all time, has officially been approved by premium cable network Showtime. It will be set in the present and continue the original storyline 20 years later.

All nine episodes will be written by original creators David Lynch and Mark Frost, with Lynch directing each installment. There is no word on casting, but it would hard to imagine to any sequel without Kyle MacLachlan‘s Special Agent Dale Cooper. And Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) did promise Dale she would see him again in 25 years (2015 will mark 25 years since the series debuted) back when he visited the Black Lodge:

The revival will go into production soon and premiere in 2016.

HIEROGLYPH Journeys to Ancient Egypt

Not sure how to describe Fox’s upcoming HIEROGLYPH other than to call it a sort of historical detective story – and likely early casualty among January’s replacement series.

I don’t really see anything all that interesting in this clip; at least, nothing that hasn’t been done better elsewhere. Since HIEROGLYPH is airing on broadcast TV, it will have any of the extreme violence, bloodshed and copious nudity necessary for it to survive.

Even Fox doesn’t seem to be all that jazzed with HIEROGLYPH; its official capsule description is:

The world of ancient Egypt — a time of magic, Pharaohs, gods and thieves — lives again in FOX’s new adventure series HIEROGLYPH.

Like I said: Meh.

First Trailer for Fox’s BROADCHURCH Reboot, GRACEPOINT

One of British television’s greatest achievements was last year’s eight-part miniseries BROADCHURCH, which examined the agony of a small town after a child is found murdered. The series has been transplanted across the pond and reimagined for American audiences as the 10-part GRACEPOINT.

DOCTOR WHO’s David Tennant – who recreates his role from BROADCHURCH – and BREAKING BAD’s Anna Gunn star as the detectives charged with unmasking the killer before the town tears itself apart.

Chris Chibnall, who created and wrote BROADCHURCH, serves as an executive producer on GRACEPOINT and wrote the premiere episode, so he will be establishing the tone of the series. Hopefully he is allowed to keep things as intelligent and emotional as he was on the brilliant original. I’d hate to see that absolutely searing miniseries blunted and dumbed-down for Americans.

Tennant Imported for BROADCHURCH Reboot

That American remake of BROADCHURCH on Fox just got a whole lot better with the hiring of David Tennant — star of the original British version — to lead the new ensemble. He will play a character similar to the original’s DI Alec Hardy, but he will use an American accent.

BROADCHURCH creator Chris Chibnall is serving as executive producer on the reboot, and he wrote the premiere episode, which will follow the general outline of the first series: A young boy is found dead at the foot of a cliff in a small seaside town packed with secrets. The acclaimed BBC one series just completed its run on BBC America last week.

The American BROADCHURCH starts shooting in January for broadcast during the 2014-’15 TV season. A second series of BROADCHURCH has been commissioned in the UK, but Chibnall has not disclosed which cast members will return. Tennant had been assumed to be asked back, but if he’s working in America…

BROADCHURCH 1.8

The final episode of BROADCHURCH began with Detective Inspector Alec Hardy getting his walking papers and literally walking away — but he also got his man, collaring Danny’s killer on his last day on the job. True, the murderer wanted to get caught, but Alec had his suspicions and would have got him even without Danny’s cell phone.

The best thing I can say about the BROADCHURCH finale is that lived up to it promise; the series got the ending it deserved. And, as the recently concluded DEXTER proved, that’s no easy feat.

BROADCHURCH 1.7

It’s the penultimate episode of BROADCHURCH, and the dominoes are beginning to fall — not only in the Danny Latimer murder case specifically, but also the pieces of the puzzles behind some characters have come together, including Detective Inspector Alec Hardy’s Sandbrook misadventure and Susan Wright’s mysterious past (and reason for the name change).

But there are still several key pieces missing, and I expect next week’s finale to be a pretty jam-packed episode. As suspects like Susan are eliminated, others become more likely. But I’m still holding out for a less-usual suspect. I’m not buying Nigel as the killer; I would be more satisfied if Steve were the perp and he got himself caught by insisting on interfering in the investigation. But my pet theory pointing to Ellie’s husband got a big boost this week.

BROADCHURCH 1.6

Time has passed in this episode of BROADCHURCH and, ironically just as some are questioning the investigation dragging on, a sense of momentum suddenly began to build in the story’s second half. Clues have finally started to pay off, forensics results are coming in, and the killer may have been prompted to make a hasty, ill-advised move.

The spotlight of suspicion has shifted firmly toward Susan and Paul, but why is Tom acting so strangely — and is Ellie being paranoid, or is Joe acting more and more suspiciously? This week she uncovered a possibly significant lie about her husband’s relationship with Tom, Mark and Danny.

BROADCHURCH 1.4

After (apparently) clearing Mark last week, BROADCHURCH this week demonized a handful of other townsfolk so viewers would have new character to boo.

The script tried very hard to make viewers think that creepy old Jack Marshall is the killer. Or could it be prickly Susan Wright, the most off-putting and snide character on the show? And then there’s Paul, the insomniac minister who wanders in the night. What about Steve, the so-called psychic looking to cash in on Danny’s murder? And why were so many people having Sunday dinner together?

BROADCHURCH 1.3

The third episode of BROADCHURCH was concerned with ruling out the prime suspect in the death of Danny Latimer: his father, Mark — the man with the most punchable face in town and the flimsiest alibi.

The show made a wise decision in trying to get us to sympathize with Mark — or was that trying to get us to suspect him more than ever? — by giving us a dream sequence in which Mark finds his son cold and wet but alive, and emotionally embracing him, telling his son he’s sorry.

Sorry for what… exactly?

BROADCHURCH 1.2

The most intense, emotionally devastating scene in this week’s BROADCHURCH involved a box of cereal and a grieving mother — and it was almost enough to bring a viewer to tears.

The investigation into the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer lurched forward this week when police discovered 500 pounds hidden in Danny’s room and cocaine secreted in Chloe’s (Charlotte Beaumont) room. Another forensics team determined via bloody fingerprint that Danny was killed at a shack a couple of miles down the road — and a print from his father, Mark (Andrew Buchan) was also found at the scene. What’s more, CCTV footage from the shack’s car park showed Mark lurking about on the night of the murder. Chloe said she didn’t know anything about the money in her brother’s room, but she got the coke from hotelier Becca (Simone Macaully) — who claimed she got it from Chloe for some guests, but when they checked out before she could pass it along, she returned the coke to Chloe. She got it from her shady boyfriend, Dean (Jacob Anderson).