ORPHAN BLACK and AGENTS OF SHIELD get UK airdates

If you're in the UK you might want to set the recorder for two new major US SF shows that are hitting our shores fairly imminently.

Orphan Black is a science fiction drama series that doesn't really appear to be SF when it starts, but more of an investigative drama. Very quickly the true stakes are revealed. The show has already aired on BBC America in the States and the Space channel in Canada to rave reviews, particularly about the performance of lead actress Tatiana Maslany.

Orphan Black debuts tonight with a double-bill of the first two episodes on BBC-3 at 9pm in the UK, so get the recorder ready quick! The show will also be available on BBC iPlayer, and indeed the first episode has already been put up as a preview. Den of Geek has a non-spoiler preview here, though it will probably leave most none the wiser. This is a show you really need not to get spoiled on ahead of time.

Probably needing less of an introduction, Agents of SHIELD is the TV spin-off from the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (most notably The Avengers). Clark Gregg reprises his role from The Avengers, Thor and Iron Man 1 and 2 as Agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD, as he assembles a new team of investigators to check out the problems caused by the emergence of super-heroes into an unprepared world. Don't expect any Iron Man or Captain America cameos (just yet, anyway) but other Marvel characters as-yet unused on the big screen may show up from time to time, along with original characters.

The first episode is written and directed by Joss Whedon, whilst the series itself will be helmed by much of the team responsible of the excellent web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Agents of SHIELD debuts on Friday 27 September at 8pm in the UK. The first episode will also be followed by the one-hour series finale for The IT Crowd.

UK to air AGENTS OF SHIELD soon after USA

Channel 4 (and 4 HD) in the UK will be broadcasting Joss Whedon's new show, Agents of SHIELD, within a few days of American transmission. The exact day of the week is still being worked out, but the show launches on Tuesday 24 September on ABC in the USA.

This is quite a coup for Channel 4, although it remains to be seen if they can translate the massive success of The Avengers at the box office to good ratings for its TV spin-off show.

AGENTS OF SHIELD trailer

ABC have released a trailer for Agents of SHIELD, the TV spin-off from The Avengers and the other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Joss Whedon is producing the new show and has directed the pilot. The show is expected to start airing in September.

The show picks up shortly after the events of The Avengers and will explain how Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) survived the apparently fatal injuries he sustained in that movie. Gregg - who appeared as Coulson in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and The Avengers - will headline the show, which will also star Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Chloe Bennett as Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons. Former Whedon regular J. August Richards (who played Gunn on Angel) will guest star in the pilot episode.

Whedon is expected to supervise the first season before taking a back seat whilst he concentrates on The Avengers 2, which is expected to hit cinemas in the summer of 2015.

Trailer for Joss Whedon's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

So, how do you follow up one of the most expensive - and most successful movies of all time? That's right, you hire a bunch of mates you've made over seventeen years of making TV shows and films and stage your own version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in your house and back garden and film the results.

The film stars Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker as Benedick and Beatrice, reprising the thwarted lovers relationship they honed to perfection over five seasons of Angel. Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Castle) plays incompetent policeman Dogberry, with Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Universe movies and the upcoming Agents of SHIELD TV series) as Leonato and Sean Maher (Firefly) as Don John. The UK release date has been set for 14 June.

This wasn't very much on my radar until I saw the reviews, which have been largely positive (The Guardian review above even suggests it's the best modern Shakespeare movie since Luhrmann's Rome + Juliet). Assuming my local cinema shows it, I'll try to check it out.

Happy 10th birthday to FIREFLY

Today is (disturbingly, as I still think of it as a newish series) the tenth anniversary of the airing of the first episode of Firefly in the USA. Though not actually the first episode, since Fox TV in their infinite wisdom decided to delay showing the pilot until later in the run and instead aired the second episode, The Train Job, first.

The series only ran for thirteen episodes, but has since become a cult phenomenon, selling millions of DVDs and Blu-Rays and spawning a spin-off film, Serenity.

Here's the 10th anniversary Comic-Con panel reuniting Joss Whedon, Tim Minear and many of the cast (not to mention 'The Hat') at San Diego this year: