Robin Hood Returns to BBC America

After I sprained my neck in November 2007, I spent a lot of time on the couch and in bed waiting for my muscles to CHILL OUT ALREADY so I could get back to normal. It’s been nearly two years and I’m still not entirely back to normal, but during those 6 weeks I spent in a reclining position, I was introduced to some television I probably wouldn’t have watched otherwise. Let me tell you, the holiday season is NOT the time to be stuck on the couch with limited cable. I learned a lot about football over that Thanksgiving weekend. I’m just sayin’. Fortunately, I was a beta tester for Hulu at the time, and Netflix had a 1-day turnaround in my area. I also had friends who – ahem – uploaded things for me to watch. That’s when I finally started watching Australian-import McLeod’s Daughters, which I’ve mentioned before, and the BBC’s new version of Robin Hood.

I’ve finished all eight seasons of the Australian women running the family ranch, but Robin Hood is just now airing its third season here in the States and, thanks to my DirecTV package that includes BBC America, I’m eager to see what’s to come. You see, the end of the second season featured an incredibly bold, controversial event, leaving the Robin Hood myth in tatters and many wondering if another season could be filmed at all. (If you haven’t seen the first two seasons, they are available for streaming on TVGuide.com or purchase at Amazon.)

After a rather campy first season and a deeper but still fun second season, the third season starts in a dark place for our hero, played by Jonas Armstrong. His boyish charm and confidence have deserted him, leaving a shell of the leader that he once was. Meanwhile, the Sheriff of Nottingham (played with delicious glee by Keith Allan) is still scheming his dastardly schemes, assisted by brooding henchman Sir Guy of Gisborne (an altogether different kind of delicious Richard Armitage). Robin’s band of not-that-merry men are finally joined by Brother Tuck (David Harewood) who is nothing like the rotund, jolly Friar Tuck of legend. Much (Sam Troughton), Little John (Gordon Kennedy) and Alan A Dale (Joe Armstrong) return to fight alongside Robin, if he’ll take up the leadership role again. (Odds of that happening? Well, this is a 13-episode season and the good people of Nottingham are still being oppressed, so I’d say they’re pretty good.) I just hope the personal demons are dealt with quickly and the series returns to the realm of action, charm, and tongue-in-cheekery of the really stellar second season. Or at the very least, give us plenty of Sir Guy barely repressing his emotions.

This version of Robin Hood is a more modern take than many I’ve seen, providing parallels to issues in contemporary society set during the 12th century. Season one brought us the traditional rich vs. poor tale with a healthy dose of humor, season two dug deeper with attention to persecution and discrimination, and season three appears to be an examination of the dangers of “homeland security” in action. The series takes several liberties with the legend, most of them for the better, but just in case you haven’t seen previous seasons yet, I shan’t spoil them for you. Just remember: British TV does not adhere to traditional rules of American TV. Be prepared for a few jaw-droppers.

Robin Hood’s third season has already aired in the UK, so if you want spoilers, they’re out there. In the meantime, you can watch along with this Nice Girl every Saturday at 9/8c on BBC America as the legend unfolds in a new direction.

Summer TV Surprises

A number of good series returned this summer like Burn Notice, Eureka, In Plain Sight, The Closer and Leverage. Along with these and numerous other returning shows, a handful of new shows debuted over the summer. The ones that stand out the most to me as surprise hits of the summer are:

1. Drop Dead Diva – This comedic drama on Lifetime has the most unusual premise: Deb (Brooke D’Orsay), a beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe, dies in a car accident and finds herself before Heaven’s gatekeeper. In her attempt to return to her life, she is relegated to the body of recently deceased Jane Bingham, a brilliant, thoughtful and plus-size attorney. Now, Deb’s soul is inside Jane with all of Deb’s memories but all of Jane’s intelligence.

The story itself sounds preposterous until you see the delightful and perfectly cast Brooke Elliott in the lead role, surrounded by her guardian angel (of sorts) Fred (Ben Feldman), her loyal assistant Teri (Margaret Cho) and Deb’s best friend Stacy (April Bowlby). At her law firm, Jane works with Grayson Kent (Jackson Hurst), who was Deb’s boyfriend; Kim Kaswell (Kate Levering), a tough-as-nails (and rather unlikeable) attorney and boss man Parker (Josh Stamberg).

The series airs on Sunday nights at 9 PM with its finale set for October 11. You can get caught up on the first eight episodes at mylifetime.com then join in the fun for the last five episodes starting this Sunday. And best of all the show has done so well this summer that the network has renewed it for a second season.

2. Warehouse 13 – After only eight episodes, this Syfy original has already made its way into the hearts of viewers, combining humor, intrigue and adventure all into one terrific package. After saving the life of the President, two secret service agents – Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) – are transferred to Warehouse 13 a “massive, top-secret storage facility in South Dakota that houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government.”

Pete and Myka work with warehouse caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) and young techno-wiz Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) to track down these artifacts in order to “snag, bag and tag them” and place them, forever, in the warehouse. Also along for the ride is Leena (Genelle Williams), the proprietor of the bed and breakfast where Pete and Myka live; their former boss Daniel Dickson (Simon Reynolds) and the mysterious Director of the secret organization that runs the warehouse, Mrs. Frederick (C.C.H. Pounder).

With only four more episodes to air on Tuesday nights at 9 PM, you can catch up on the past episodes at http://www.syfy.com/warehouse13/ and watch the remaining episodes, leading up to the finale on September 22. Then make sure to tune in next summer, as the show has been renewed for another season.

3. Being Human – This BBC America series is already a hit in the UK while American audiences got to experience this unique telling of a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf sharing a house in Bristol over the summer. The story centers on John Mitchell (Aidan Turner), a vampire who was turned during WWI but now works as a hospital porter; George Sands (Russell Tovey), a werewolf, who while being extremely intelligent works alongside Mitchell as a porter, leaving behind his family, fiancé and friends due to being afraid of hurting them; and Annie Sawyer (Lenora Crichlow), a ghost who died in the house where George and Mitchell live and where she refuses to leave.

While there were only six episodes and the pilot in the first season, this supernatural dramedy with classic British humor grabbed onto the audience and didn’t let go until its final scene with viewers clamoring for more. Season 2 is supposed to be filming as of August and is expected to air in the U.K. in 2010. Those of us on the “other side of the pond” will have to wait our turn to see the new season once BBC America sets the airdates. In order to get caught up on this exciting drama, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/.

4. Royal Pains – This new medical drama/comedy has become the hit of the USA Network, starring Mark Feuerstein as Dr. Hank Lawson, a rising star in the New York City medical community who loses everything after fighting for the life of a patient (and allowing a prominent benefactor of his hospital to die). With his life and career in shambles, his younger brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) takes him to the Hamptons for a Memorial Day get-away, which ends up allowing Hank to become a new kind of MD – a concierge doctor.

With his invaluable physician’s assistant Divya Katdare (Reshma Shetty) on hand and his brother Evan, who is a certified public accountant, along for the ride, Hank Med is up and running in the Hamptons. The series also stars Jill Flint as Jill Casey, administrator at the local hospital and on-again/off-again love interest to Hank.

The series just wrapped up its first season on August 27, but you can check out the 12 aired episodes via http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/ and you can tune in next summer when its recently announced second season will air.

What new summer shows did you enjoy most? Please share.