ITV confirms transmission date for Prime Suspect 1973, releases trailer

ITV is having a busy-old day today. Not only has it revealed the transmission date – or at least confirmed – for series three of Broadchurch, it has also issued forth news of the transmission date for Prime Suspect 1973, the eagerly-awaited prequel to the landmark series, Prime Suspect. As with all these things, it’s about brand retention and giving what the fans want, but if Prime Suspect 1973 is anything like Endeavour has been this series, we’re in for a treat.

ITV confirms transmission date for series three of Broadchurch

We knew it was on the horizon, likely to be sometime in February, and now ITV has confirmed the transmission date of series three of Broadchurch, the crime drama that, back when it first started back in 2013, changed the nature of British crime drama. Inspired itself by the Scandinavian boom a few years earlier, Broadchurch took a leaf out of The Killing’s book and told the story behind the story, mixing gripping whodunit procedural with the heart-rending stories of the families of the missing and the deceased. So it’s with excitement and intrigue that we now mark our diaries for series three.

Review: The Moorside (S1 E2/2), Tuesday 14th February, BBC1

(C) Stuart Wood/ITV – Photographer: Stuart Wood

Last week’s opening episode of The Moorside – the re-telling of the Karen/Shannon Matthews case – was a powerful if uneven story, its focus a little bit muddled and saved by some fantastic, natural acting from the likes of Sheridan Smith and Sian Brooke. If that episode skewed towards telling this sordid, strange tale from the point of view of the community and the Moorside estate, and detailing its inspirational call to arms to help find the missing girl, this second episode narrowed its focus on the betrayal and delusions of Karen Matthews, her admission of guilt and subsequent capture. Because of this, this second episode was better as a drama.

American Crime Story confirms subjects for series three and four

I’ve been following the development of American Crime Story 2, and the way Ryan Murphy and his team have been selecting their subjects to explore. Series two, we know, will be based around the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the effect it had on New Orleans, and will appear some time early next year. And, in the week that Annette Bening was confirmed to appear alongside Sara Paulson as governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, Ryan Murphy gave an interview yesterday where he confirmed the subjects for series three and four.