2004 TV Preview

by David Blackwell

1-23-2004

The time is 2004 and I have decided to give a glimpse in some of the shows coming to the US this year, some that will be airing in the UK first (with possibility of US airings later), and one Canadian cop show that is airing in Canada soon.  Don't be surpirsed if this one gets updated within the next two weeks.

US-

THS SHIELD (March 9)- The gritty cop show is back for 15 pulse-pounding episodes on FX.

NIP/TUCK (June 22)- The series about two Miami plastic surgeons returns for 16 episodes this summer on FX.

CENTURY CITY (March 16)- This CBS legal drama is set in in Los Angeles 2030 follows the lawyers at a high profile firm who deal in the ethical currency of the day -- issues of cloning, genetic mapping and identity theft

with a cast lead by Hector Elizando, Ioan Gruffudd, Kristin Lehman, and Viola Davis.

KINGDOM HOSPITAL (March 3)- Stephen King created this set supernatural hospital drama for ABC which was inspired by a Danish series called THE KINGDOM (created by Lars Von Triers).

THE JURY (June)- a six episode series from FOX that focuses on trials from the jury's point of view. Alas this isn't a remake of the brillant British series THE JURY which aired last year on PBS.

PRIME SUSPECT 6-  THE LAST WITNESS  (April 18 and 25)- Helen Mirren is back as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison in the long waited return of the British crime drama. The first two seasons repeat in May.

FOYLE'S WAR 2 (Summer)- more crime solving in a small British town during World War 2 with four new episodes.

AMERICAN FAMILY (April)- The Hispanic familiy drama returns for a second season with a cast lead by Edward James Olmos and Esai Morales.

STARGATE SG-1/ STARGATE: ATLANTIS (June)- Stargate SG-1 is currently in the second half of season 7 and it will start it's 8th (and final) season in June alongside the premiere of the spin-off series, STARGATE: ATLANTIS.

WONDER FALLS (March 12)- FOX's uplifting new one-hour dramedy about a Niagara Falls tourist-shop clerk whose life is dramatically altered when inanimate figures begin talking to her.

KEEN EDDIE (Jan 20)- The cancelled FOX show about an American detective who works with Scotland Yard in London shows up on Bravo with all 13 episodes (six unaired eps). Paramount plans to release all 13 episodes to DVD later.

TRUST (Feb 28)- The British lawyer drama starring Robson Green finally comes to BBC America. The show centers around a London law firm.

WIRE IN THE BLOOD season 2 (Jan 19)- Dr. tony Hill (Robsong Green) helps the police solve cases in three new episodes.

TOUCHING EVIL (March 12)- The remake of the UK series (which starred Robson Green) launches with a two hour premiere followed by 11 hour long episodes with a new episode each friday. Jeffery Donovan stars as Detective David Creegan in this drama produced by the Hughes Brothers and Bruce Willis. Creegan goes to work for the FBI's newly formed Organized and Serial Crime Unit after a 12 month rest.

NYPD BLUE (Feb 10)- The 15th continues it's 11th season with new episodes.

CROSSING JORDAN (March)- Jill Hennessy returns as Dr. Jordan Kavanaugh for the third season of this crime drama focusing on medical examiners (and cops) in Boston with a new Sunday time slot after Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

THE GRID (summer)- A six episode series that follows American and British agents tracking a terrorist cell.

TRAFFIC: THE MINI-SERIES (Jan 26-28)-  USA airs a three part mini-series which is a remake of the remake of the movie TRAFFIC that is a remake of the great Bitish mini-series TRAFFIK.   The new mini-series gets into the territory of summgling illegal immigrants in addition to plots of drug smuggling and terrorists.

SPARTACUS (April 18-19)- this new 2 part mini-series is about a gladiator who forms an army of slaves (who want to be free to fight against the Romans.   I won't say anymore if you don't know the story of Spartacus or haven't seen the classic movie starring Kirk Douglas.  It airs on USA which will also air a movie on Heidi Fleiss, the Hollywood Madam.

DEADWOOD (March)- a new Western series from producer David Milch that airs on HBO.

CARNIVALE (late 2004)-  the Depression era retruns for a second season on HBO.  I hope season 1 gets released to DVD before season 2 starts.

COMING THIS SUMMER-

4400-  This 6 episode limited series from USA is about 4400 people abudcted by aliens over the years who have returned to Earth (and they have not aged a day).    The stories will deal with how these 440 people deal with being back and how they go on with their lives.

THE WIRE season 3 and SIX FEET UNDER season 4 return this summer to HBO.

DEAD LIKE ME season 2 premieres on Showtime in June with season 1 coming to DVD on May 4th.

CANADA-

BLUE MURDER (spring)- This gritty Canadian cop show enters it's fourth season with two new cast members (Traci Waterhouse and Kari Matchett) to replace actors who left the show (one went on to star in COLD CASE).

UK-

WAKING THE DEAD (Fall)- This BBC crime drama about a cold case unit returns with six 2 parters in it's 4th season.

SPOOKS aka MI-5 (second half 2004)- The third season about a group of agents who work for MI-5 has ten new episodes being produced. Expect it to start airing on the BBC by the Fall and on A&E (in the USA) by late 2004.

HUSTLE- a drama from the creators of SPOOKS that revolves aroudn three con men.

HAWKING- a one-off drama on the early years of the famed physicist Stephen Hawkings.

SEA OF SOULS-  It is a six part series about a team of parapyshologists starring Bill Patterson, Meagan Sharma, and Andrew Gemill.

2004 PILOTS (USA), a quick sneak peak-

Here is a sneak peak at three pilots I think will get picked up for the Fall season. I will try to do an article on TV pilots (being filmed this year) in the next month or two.

THE ROBINSONS: LOST IN SPACE- A remake of teh classic 1960s TV show for the WB. John Woo is executive producing and Dr. Smith won't be in this version of the series. I think they need to drop The Robinsons from the title of the show and stick with Lost In Space. The pilot is supposed to start filiming in March.

DARK SHADOWS- This is another show being remade for the WB. It is a remake of the 1960s gothic soap opera (which was also remade for NBC in 1990) from producer John Welles (Third Watch, ER).

FRANKENSTEIN- Dr. Frakenstein and his monster are still living and the series will be set in modern day Seattle witha pilot script written by horror author Dean Koontz. The monster is supposed to team up with a female homicide detective to do battle with Dr. Frakenstein and his genetic freaks that he created.

this article is (c)2004 David Blackwell and this article can't be reprinted without the author's permission. Special thanks go out to canada.com, the futon critic, and BBCi.

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