Trailer: DEATH VALLEY (MTV)

I vaguely remember posting a news article about this show's development a long time ago, but now it's finally here: Death Valley. This is a horror comedy-drama that's essentially a supernatural COPS, set in a universe where the Undead Task Force (UTF) clean up the San Fernando Valley from nasties like vampires, werewolves and zombies. Tania Raymonde (Lost) and Bryan Callen (The Hangover) head up the cast, and you can watch MTV's trailer above. (Skip to the 30-second mark to avoid a commercial.)

What do you make of Death Valley? It looks like fun, but I'm not sure it's the kind of show that's going to last. Once the novelty wears off that you're watching a group of cops arrest supernatural creatures and throw them into jail, what else is there to see? Still, I'd never write something off before I've seen it. Maybe the cops themselves will be an entertaining bunch and the story will offer more than weekly scenarios for the cops to throw werewolves into jail.

Still, the TV spots are pretty funny:

DEATH VALLEY premieres 29 August @1030PM on MTV.

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Movie Trailers: DRIVE and TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

Here are two trailers of movies I'm very much anticipating this year, which I thought I'd share with you. I know, I know, it's like a common-or-garden blog today, isn't it?

Interestingly, both films are from Scandinavian directors. In the wake of TV shows like Wallander and The Killing, there's a lot of great filmmaking coming from that part of the world just now. In fact, it feels like world cinema's numero uno status has swung back to Europe now the Asian horror/thriller boom has died down.

DRIVE

This is an action drama from Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn (best-known for the '90s Pusher trilogy and Bronson), about a Hollywood stunt-driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for bank robbers. Ryan Gosling plays the lead character, known by the mononym "Driver", and he's supported by a dazzling array of famous faces: Carey Mulligan (Wall Street 2), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Albert Brooks (Broadcast News), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) and Michael Chiklis (The Shield). Anyway, it looks fantastic. There's real personality and verve to this trailer, and I'm not sure how anyone can refuse that incredible cast.

Release dates: 23 September 2011 (UK) / 16 September 2011 (US).

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

A movie based on the classic 1974 spy novel written by John le Carré, previously made into a respected 1979 BBC TV series starring Alex Guinness as middle-aged spook George Smiley. This adaptation replaces Guinness with Gary Oldman, who must uncover a Soviet mole who has infiltrated the highest levels of British intelligence. There were some understandable doubts that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy could live up to the TV series, but I think this story deserved to be retold for modern audiences. I'm so glad they've kept the period setting, without tortuously altering the plot to reflect modern times. Like the aforementioned Drive, the cast is incredible, but perhaps even classier: Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Kathy Burke... superb.

Given the mixed fortunes of British production company Working Title Films (who have even resorted to a Johnny English sequel to try and make some cash), this is exactly the kind of high-quality, quintessentially British movie they should be making. I'm really excited for this one. It comes from Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson, who directed the incredible horror movie Let The Right One In, too. If it's a box-office hit, which I can't see it failing to be, it's also nice to know there are two le Carré sequels to adapt; The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People.

Release dates: 16 September 2011 (UK) / 18 November 2011 (US).

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Trailer: DOCTOR WHO, series 6 part 2 (BBC)

"An impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike
the Time Lord dead... and this is where it begins..."

The BBC have debuted another trailer for the second half of Doctor Who's sixth series. It's not as good, or as long, as the trailer shown at Comic-Con recently, but it gives us a few extra teases about what the final batch of episodes have in store: like a pterodactyl and a giant pyramid. How do they get involved?

DOCTOR WHO returns to BBC1 and BBC America on 27 August.

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Trailer: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE

Most sequels aspire to be bigger and better, and that certainly appears to be true of Spartacus: Vengeance if this NSFW trailer from Starz is to be believed. Liam McIntyre already feels like a worthy replacement for Andy Whitfield as hero Spartacus, the action's as ludicrously blood-soaked as we've come to expect, some fan-favourite characters are back for more (Lucretia, Ilithyia, Gannicus), and most impressively the show looks three times bigger than its predecessors because the rebel gladiators are out on the road.

I'm very excited about this show's return, knowing how magnificently entertaining and shocking it can be, how about you?

SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE returns to Starz in January 2012.

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PAN AM lands on the BBC

The upcoming ABC airline series Pan Am has been bought by the BBC for transmission on BBC2.

The period drama, created by Jack Orman (ER), concerns the lives of the pilots and air hostesses working for the world-famous airline in 1963.

It stars Christina Ricci (The Addams Family), Mike Vogel (Cloverfield), Margot Robbie (Neighbours), Karine Vanasse, Michael Mosley (Scrubs) & Kelli Garner (The Aviator).


Janice Hadlow, Controller of BBC2:

"Pan Am captures the excitement and optimism of travel in the 1960s, when being an air hostess was the most glamorous occupation you could possibly have. With a love story at its heart and a great unfolding plot that hints at the danger and mystery to come, viewers will be in for an exciting but turbulent ride."

Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition:

"Pan Am is a breath of fresh air—a fun, colourful and stylish drama set in a captivating era that changed the world."

Stuart Baxter, Senior Executive Vice President European Distribution:

"Pan Am is taking off around the globe and we're thrilled that the BBC will become its UK home. The BBC crowns a growing list of broadcasters who are the international destinations for this iconic, glamorous series."

I'm surprised by this acquisition, mainly because it was reported the BBC would be ditching US shows and focusing on homegrown content. But maybe Pan Am wasn't attracting the interest of any rivals, so the BBC stepped in? Or was it being offered at a price the BBC couldn't refuse? Whatever happened, I'm sure many people are glad another big US drama is going to be available to the majority of people in the UK.

PAN AM premieres 25 September on ABC. The BBC have yet to announce their UK premiere.

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Trailer: DOCTOR WHO, series 6 part 2 (Comic-Con)

"My time... is... running out..."

The BBC have released a trailer for the second half of Doctor Who's sixth series, which just had its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. It certainly looks impressive, right? Adolf Hitler with a British accent? Amy riding pillion on Rory's motorbike! The return of Winston Churchill! Was that a middle-aged Amy? River Song is Eye-Patch Lady, or just pretending to be? The Doctor's about to kiss a man? The TARDIS smashing through a window! The Silence are underwater? The Weeping Angels are back! Rory punching Hitler! Amy with twin samurai swords! Exploding Cybermen! A minotaur in a hotel? The impossible astronaut! Phew.

What do you make of this trailer for the remainder of series 6? Oh, and here's a sneak preview of writer Toby Whithouse's "The God Complex", which is episode 11:

DOCTOR WHO returns to BBC1 and BBC America on 27 August.

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Trailer: TRUE BLOOD, season 4 (Comic-Con)

Whoever puts together trailers for True Blood has to be commended, because they never fail to make the show look astonishingly exciting. This newest trailer is a sizzle reel for the remainder of season 4, and it's absolute dynamite. I haven't been that impressed with True Blood so far this year, although it's preferable to the atrocious third season, but maybe things are about to kick into gear? Or is it just impossible to make a bad True Blood trailer, because it has so many fantastic sequences that, if taken out of context and strung together for two-minutes, will never fail to look fantastic? Either way, this has helped rekindle some hope in me.

TRUE BLOOD continues Sundays on HBO.

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Trailers: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE & THE WALKING DEAD, season 2 (Comic-Con)

Starz apparently showed a fantastic trailer for Spartacus: Vengeance at Comic-Con yesterday, but that hasn't hit the internet yet. But we do have the briefer tease (above), which gives you an idea of the increased scale of production in season 2 (horse-riding sequences set against greenscreen will be achieved), plus our first look at Liam McIntyre (replacing Andy Whitfield as the eponymous Thracian warrior).

McIntyre, speaking at Comic-Con:

"It's a great privilege, a great honor, it's a great responsibility. I was a fan. I would have been sitting down there [in the audience]. All of a sudden, I find myself sitting up here. Everyone can agree Andy [Whitfield] was amazing. The best thing I can do is bust my ass and honor that legacy trying to make season 2 as amazingly as exciting as season 1. And that's all I can do."

The Comic-Con panel, which included showrunner Steven S. DeKnight, also confirmed the return of Ashur and that the story will cleave close to how Stanley Kubrick's movie version ended.

SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE returns to Starz in January 2012.

Comic-Con also gave us a four-minute trailer for The Walking Dead's second season, which certainly looks promising. I didn't really like the first season, which fell flat for me after an entertaining feature-length pilot. Showrunner Frank Darabont has apparently recruited a team of writers who are actually fans of the comic-book now, so I hope that means there'll be more passion on display. Last year's was almost excruciatingly earnest and lacked a sense of pace, rhythm, and... well, enough zombies biting people.

I still have my doubts about The Walking Dead, though. I think there's an audience who will watch anything with zombies in it, those people number greatly, and there's no alternative for them on TV. This will be a hit whatever it does. But for me, I didn't really like any of the characters, and because I can't see a plausible solution for a zombie apocalypse, a TV series of this nature has a constant feeling of futility and depression. A zombie movie can be brilliant if depressing, but you're done with it in two-hours. The Walking Dead could be on-air for another five years or more. By the time Andrew Lincoln's blasting a corpse in the head for the sixtieth time, I'm just not sure I'll care, but we'll see if season 2 manages to change my mind. At least from the trailer it looks like the characters are on the move, instead of hanging around that tedious mountain camp.

THE WALKING DEAD returns to AMC on 16 October.

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Trailer: DEXTER, season 6 – He'll Make You A Believer

"Yes. It's begun."

After the disappointing tease and the arty promo, we finally have a full-blooded trailer for the sixth season of Showtime's Dexter, which premiered at San Diego Comic-Con. I've said all I can say about this show, but I can't deny this looks like a big improvement over season 5, and potentially season 4 if Edward James Olmos's character is as absorbing as John Lithgow's. Pleased to see the visuals seem more creative and dark, reminding me of the show's dark and pulpy first season. Later years basked in the warm Miami sunshine too much for my taste, as I much prefer the neon-lit nightlife feel of the city on camera. (Not that it's the real Miami, of course.)

If you have anything left to say about Dexter, say it below. This trailer has restored some of my enthusiasm, I must admit. Has it done the same for you?

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Trailer: Original British Drama (The Body Farm, Doctor Who, The Hour, Merlin, Page Eight & Spooks)

I'm enjoying this "Original British Drama" campaign the BBC's marketing team have hit upon recently, primarily because BBC2's been given money to spend on homemade drama. The trailers are nicely judged teases, and it's just great to feel like the BBC are excited and passionate about making quality drama--rather than cough up another reality TV series or gameshow.

This latest promo features clips of '50s newsroom conspiracy thriller The Hour (which started this week), Doctor Who (featuring a potential gay kiss), Waking The Dead spin-off The Body Farm (starring Tara Fitzgerald and Keith Allen), Merlin's fourth series (featuring an angry-looking Morgana), Bill Nighy and Ralph Fiennes in Page Eight, and the return of Spooks. All set to the tune of Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades".

Excited by any of that?

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Trailer: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

"We all have secrets: the one we keep... and the ones that are kept from us."

I don't often review movie trailers, but thought I'd say a few words about the first footage from director Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man. It's such a bizarre thing when Hollywood reboots film franchises, but this is probably the strangest instance ever. I could just about get my head around them remaking The Incredible Hulk so soon after the failure of Ang Lee's art-house version Hulk, but the Spider-Man franchise wasn't a flop that needed reviving quickly. It was a very successful trilogy of popular blockbusters that only finished in 2007. When Amazing Spider-Man comes out next summer, only five years will have passed. Is that long enough for audiences to accept someone other than Toby Maguire as the geeky webslinger? I have my doubts. Then again, five years is half a decade, and for anyone under 15 that's a sizable chunk of time in your lifespan. Your perception of times changes the older you get, but for me five years is too soon for a do-over.

Onto the trailer itself. What's most noticeable is how much darker and moodier this version looks and feels, compared to the vibrant and energetic Sam Raimi trilogy. Is Webb going after the Twilight crowd with this? Or is this just what Spider-Man looks like if you treat things semi-seriously? Raimi's vision was always bright, kinetic and comic-book, but this trailer appears to be more subtle. Then again, maybe it just has to be because they've cut the budget to around $90m, it's believed. To put that into perspective, Spider-Man 3 cost three times as much at $258m. Even the first movie was given $140m to play with. So this new movie will almost certainly feel low-key and restrained, meaning it'll have to focus more on story and character instead of action set-pieces and villains. And that's not a bad thing, provided the action we do get is creative and worth the build-ups.

The most promising thing about The Amazing Spider-Man is the very intriguing cast. I was never a fan of Toby Maguire's take on Peter Parker, who just came across as a wet blanket to me. Andrew Garfield is slipping on the spandex this time, and he's a far more interesting performer to me, and it helps that the public have seen him in The Social Network and are anxious to see what else he can do. We also have the scrummy Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy (with her natural blonde hair), who's just about ready to become a huge movie-star post-Easy A, and the unexpected choice of Rhys Ifans to play villain The Lizard. He's not a villain I'm interested in, and it's a shame Dylan Baker never got the chance to become the Lizard in Raimi's hypothetical Spider-Man 4, but the rogue's gallery is another issue this reboot has to grapple with. As a reboot, it could recycle villains like Green Goblin, Dr Octopus and Sandman, but has perhaps wisely chosen not to.

The supporting cast also includes movie legends Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Peter's uncle and aunt, which is just brilliant, although they've failed to find anyone to play news editor J. Jonah Jameson because J.K Simmons was so perfect in that role it would be nigh impossible to better him. I'm surprised Jameson wasn't asked back as some kind of weird continuity, rather like how Judi Dench has played M in James Bond movies that starred both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

So there are pro's and con's to this project, that much is clear. But I still have a tough time accepting a reboot so soon after Spider-Man 3, when there was nothing wrong with the previous saga. Spider-Man 3 may have been critically derided, but it was no Batman & Robin-style debacle that made a reboot necessary. I'm very interested to see what reaction this movie gets next summer. I suspect it'll be a huge hit (brand and name recognition will do that), but will we leave the cinema amped to see more from Andrew Garfield as Spidey?

There's nothing in this trailer that provoked a wildly positive reaction from me (although I get a feeling the quality of acting is going to be appreciably higher, and I like the serious tone), but then again I didn't particularly love the revered Spider-Man 2. This superhero doesn't really speak to me, for whatever reason, but I'm not sure a darker take is going to change that. Perhaps the biggest problem with this trailer is that there's absolutely nothing new to explore here with the characters and story. It's just another origin story that doesn't offer any big changes to what Maguire's character went through a decade ago...

What do you think? Did this trailer get you pumped for more Spidey action, or are you  puzzled by this movie's existence? Will it be the Batman Begins of the Marvel universe, or another Incredible Hulk?

The Amazing Spider-Man opens across the US on 3 July 2012.

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Trailer: DEXTER, season 6 - Hallelujah

"Is it possible... I serve a... higher purpose?"

Showtime have released a minute-long promo for the sixth season of Dexter. There's no footage from the show itself, it's just Dexter (Michael C. Hall) walking down the aisle of a church in his apron, surrounded by religious statues, as his voice-over chews on the idea he's effectively doing God's work...

It now seems incontestable that season 6 is going to tackle the character's religious side, which sounds like rich territory still to explore. At the very least the show will have some fun with religious iconography and spiritual themes. I still think Dexter's best days are behind it, but the eponymous character's so compelling I'll be back for this. Of course I will.

Dexter season 6 premieres on Showtime this autumn, most likely late-September.

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Trailer: THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE

The first full-length trailer of The Inbetweeners Movie has been released, and it looks promising. I don't get the feeling this totally justifies being a feature-film, as it visually resembles an episode of the TV series that's managed to shoot overseas, but provided it's funny that shouldn't be an insurmountable problem. And there are admittedly some amusing moments in this trailer (like Neil's naff dance moves), which is what you need from any comedy trailer. Unlike similarly-themed movies, it helps that we're acquainted with these characters after three years watching their exploits, so the story should hopefully get down to business with minimal exposition and introductions.

This movie's audience are primarily going to be fans of the sitcom, although it may have wider appeal because the concept's so ripe for comedy (four sex-mad school friends go on a lad's holiday abroad). For British youngsters, it's very rare to have a teen movie that's been tailored specifically for them. We're so used to adjusting our perceptions to "American" for teen movies (pool parties and road trips aren't part of any Briton's experience growing up!), so The Inbetweeners already feels like it'll work simply because it's tapping into the British psyche. That's part of the reason the TV series worked so well, too.

The Inbetweeners Movie is released nationwide in the UK on 19 August.

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Trailer: THE HOUR (BBC2)

The BBC have released the first trailer of their '50s newsroom drama THE HOUR, written by BAFTA-winning Abi Morgan, starring Dominic West (The Wire), Ben Whishaw (Perfume), Romola Garai (Atonement) and Anna Chancellor (Spooks). The six-part drama follows a British topical news show during the Suez Crisis of 1959.

The official BBC blurb:

Romola Garai, Dominic West and Ben Whishaw star in The Hour, a thrilling six-part drama which takes viewers behind the scenes of the launch of a topical news programme in London 1956, written and created by Bafta award-winning Abi Morgan.

With a highly competitive, sharp-witted and passionate love triangle at the heart of the series, it's through the lives of enigmatic Bel and her rivals, Freddie and Hector, that viewers will witness the decade on the threshold of change—from the ruthless sexual politics behind the polite social façade of the Fifties to the revelations that redefined the world for a new generation.

Over the six episodes, the interplay and intense ambitions between our rising news team play out against the backdrop of a mysterious murder and Freddie's controversial and dangerous investigation.

Ben Whishaw plays Freddie Lyon, a brilliant and outspoken journalist, whose passion endlessly lands him in trouble. Getting to the truth of a story can be a dangerous and risky business and it's Bel, his contemporary and best friend, who is always there to bail him out. For Freddie, Bel is so much more as well—if only he were brave enough to tell her.

Romola Garai plays Bel Rowley, spirited and ambitious and facing the most exciting and daunting challenge of her life—running The Hour. Can her passion for the truth survive the political pressure the job will bring—and will her friendship with Freddie survive her undeniable attraction to front man Hector?

Dominic West plays Hector Madden, charming, charismatic – a man whose upbringing and education have instilled in him a sense of entitlement and whose glamorous young wife has the family connections to get him the job as front man on The Hour. But, beneath the confident façade, Hector has a lot to prove. Bel provides the challenge –- and the spark.

The Hour's supporting cast includes Tim Pigott-Smith and Juliet Stevenson as Lord and Lady Elms; Anton Lesser as Clarence Fendley, the BBC's Head of News; Anna Chancellor as Lix, The Hour's brave and maverick hard-drinking foreign correspondent; Julian Rhind-Tutt as Angus McCain, the Prime Minister's eyes and ears; and Oona Chaplin as Marnie Madden, Hector's spoilt beautiful wife.

I can only hope it's as good as it sounds, and not how this trailer makes it look. I'm all for minimalist pop-art, but this trailer just makes the show look horrendously cheap and dull. The buzz surrounding The Hour had insiders describing it as "the British answer to Mad Men", but we'll have to see if that's justified—or if they just share a professional setting in the same era. However, based solely on this trailer, my enthusiasm has dipped, sorry to say--how about you?

The Hour will premiere on BBC2 later this month.

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Trailer: BOARDWALK EMPIRE, season 2

HBO have released a great trailer for the second season of their gangster epic Boardwalk Empire, and it all looks extremely promising. I enjoyed the first season, but it seemed to lose focus in the middle-section and, at times, felt like they were telling a six-part story over an indulgent 12-hours. This trailer appears to promise more action, rivalries, crime and drama, but then again those are the kinds of things that always make it into trailers. Still, I'm optimistic Boardwalk Empire will learn from its mistakes last season, and obviously maintain its many good points--such as the wonderful performances from Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Pitt and Michael Shannon.

Boardwalk Empire is expected to return to HBO this September.

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Trailer: BOSS (Starz)

"... sacrifices are easy when you're holding the knife..."

Starz are a US cable channel best-known for unsubtle drama like Spartacus: Blood & Sand and Camelot, but they seem to be moving away into more levelheaded shows with Torchwood: Miracle Day (thinking man's sci-fi) and now the political drama Boss. Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) stars as the Mayor of Chicago, who is diagnosed with a degenerative brain condition that only his doctor knows about. Connie Britten co-stars as Grammer's screen wife. The series is created by Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto) and the pilot has been directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting). The project was the subject of a fierce bidding war between four networks, before Starz won the Lionsgate-produced series.

What do you make of the trailer? It's gives away nothing but a sense of the tone, but I really like what I'm seeing. Grammer's been trying and failing to find another sitcom to follow Frasier for years now, so deciding to move into dramatic territory feels like a wise, overdue move. He's never struck me as an inherently funny actor, actually, so I'm pleased to see him in something more serious. The trailer makes Boss feel like it's going to be a spiritual remake of Profit (the short-lived 1996 series about a murderous businessman), but the premise sounds more like a political twist on The Big C--which in turn was a feminine, upbeat take on Breaking Bad.

Anyway, this has my attention now, how about you?

Boss begins its eight-episode season on Starz this October.

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Teaser: DAMAGES, season 4

Legal drama Damages returns for a fourth season next month, rescued from oblivion when FX cancelled it by DIRECTV. A 30-second teaser has been released (above) that gives us a mild taste of what's in store. I'm not sure what the new storyline is, based on the teaser, but it looks to be connected to the US military's practices overseas, and it stars the always marvelous John Goodman. So I'm definitely interested to see what Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) will be up to this year.

I'm a fan of Damages, as long-time readers will be aware, but it's never been an easy show to review every week, as I've always given up a few episodes into each season. I consequently won't be covering season 4, beyond the premiere. It should be especially interesting this year—both because The Good Wife has stolen much of its thunder as the #1 legal drama around, and to see if the move to DIRECTV has affected it in any way.

How about you? Is Damages a show you watch? Do you agree that it peaked early with that wonderful first season? Is it possible for Rose Byrne to wake up with bed head?

Damages returns 13 July on DIRECTV. The BBC have previously aired every season of Damages, but in light of their recent decision to stop buying US imports to save money, that's not likely to be the case this year. Hopefully another British broadcaster will snap it up, though. We'll have to wait and see.

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Trailer: LUTHER, series 2 (BBC1)

Hell is empty... and all the devils are here...

The BBC have released a full trailer for series 2 of LUTHER, which I've handily embedded above. It's a really effective and atmospheric tease of what's to come. I've actually seen the first episode already and can assure fans the show's back in fine style. As you can perhaps tell from the tone of the trailer, its weird imagery, humming soundtrack, and spine-tingling voice-over, Luther appears to have decided what it wants to be. If you share its heightened mindset, you're going to have some grisly fun very soon...

Luther returns to BBC1 on Tuesday 14 June for 2 two-part stories.

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Trailer: BREAKING BAD, season 4 (AMC)

AMC have announced the premiere date of Breaking Bad's fourth season. It's 17 July. They've also released the above trailer, although it doesn't appear to feature any new footage. Regardless, it's a very effective montage of the previous three seasons that sets the mood wonderfully well. I can't wait for this show's return, can you? Just how thrilling, shocking, dramatic and exciting can it get? On 17 July, we'll find out...

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Trailer: 'Torchwood: Miracle Day' (Starz / BBC1)

Starz have released a full-length trailer for Torchwood: Miracle Day, their co-production with BBC Wales and BBC Worldwide. The ten-part series reunites John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen from the original British show, joined by newcomers Mekhi Phifer (ER), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Alexa Havins (All My Children) and Arlene Tur (Eat Pray Love.) Guest stars include Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld), C. Thomas Howell (ET), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) and John De Lancie (Star Trek.)

What do you make of this trailer? Is certainly looks bigger and bolder than anything creator Russell T. Davies could have achieved on a BBC budget, but it also looks worryingly devoid of its unique personality. The last sci-fi drama that tackled a global high-concept event like this was FlashForward, and look how that turned out. Of course, Miracle Day has the benefit of beloved ready-made characters and a self-contained story to tell, so I'm hopeful this trailer's "wham-bang" aesthetic is just a concession to the American market.

Maybe the BBC will pull their finger out and release a more persuasive, intelligent trailer soon. Or is Torchwood: Miracle Day going to be nothing more than an Americanized 24-esque romp, with everyone under the misapprehension Eve Myles doesn't look ridiculous brandishing a bazooka?

Torchwood Miracle Day premieres 8 July on Starz. The BBC have not yet announced their schedule.

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