TV Picks: 22-28 April 2013 (10 O'Clock Live, Ben Earl: Trick Artist, The Politician's Husband, Russell Howard's Good News, Watson & Oliver, etc.)

Below are my picks of the week's most notable TV shows premiering or returning to UK screens this week...

TV Review: DA VINCI'S DEMONS, 1.1 - 'The Hanged Man'

Warning: this episode doesn't air in the UK until tonight, so beware of minor spoilers...

David Goyer has Blade and The Dark Knight trilogies on his résumé, but it's notable both were based on existing material and achieved transcendence thanks to gifted filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro and Christopher Nolan. Indeed, when Goyer takes full control of something the result is the franchise-killing Blade Trinity, and when he collaborates on a more equal footing we get small-screen turkeys Threshold and FlashForward. I don't dislike Goyer's work; I just think his skill lies in tailoring existing ideas for easier mass consumption, ideally as the 'middle man' for someone with a more varied skill-set and greater vision.

Trailer: R.I.P.D (2013)

R.I.P.D trailer - sort of MEN IN BLACK-meets-GHOSTBUSTERS? Looks gloriously bad; Jeff Bridges having a riot. youtu.be/X07xNrVd7DU

— Dan Owen (@danowen79) April 18, 2013

Trailer: Starz's BLACK SAILS

Now that its unequivocal hit Spartacus has been laid to rest, Starz are desperate for another success story to keep them in the minds of audiences. Magic City's still on the air (anyone watching that?), Da Vinci's Demons is now airing in Spartacus's timeslot, and here comes our first taste of Black Sails--the Treasure Island prequel produced by Michael Bay (Bad Boys, Transformers).

The trailer's embedded above and it does enough to grab your interest, although it doesn't contain an indelible image or idea to make the wait painful. Strangely, you can barely tell this is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel. It just looks like a grittier version of Pirates of the Caribbean, only less expensive looking. Britain's own Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, Vexed) is playing Captain Flint, and the show is created by Jon Steinberg (Jericho).

Black Sails is expected to air early next year.

Will Microsoft reboot HEROES?

There are reports suggesting MSN may revive axed NBC superhero drama Heroes, to help launch its Xbox entertainment studio with original content. A new series would likely focus on new characters, with the potential for original stars like Hayden Panettiere and Masi Oka to guest-star or make cameos.

Will this happen? I somehow doubt it, but that probably means it will be officially announced as happening by the weekend. Heroes' creator Tim Kring is now working on Fox's Touch, but that show's days appear to be numbered, which would allow him to revive his biggest hit after a three or four year absence.

Obviously Microsoft are a wealthy company, so it's not unfathomable they could finance a fullblown season of Heroes that doesn't cut any corners. Netflix spent around $100m on House of Cards, and that would cover the cost of a Heroes season back in the days when it was going over budget at $4m per episode. But would Microsoft spend that amount of money on a show that even fans admit struggled creatively after season 1, and is perhaps seen as a tarnished property by the wider public? I'd expect them to spend more in the region of $30-50m for a 10-episode run.

Is anyone clamouring for more Heroes?

Universal check into BATES MOTEL

The UK's Universal Channel have purchased the rights to A&E's Bates Motel; the Psycho-inspired TV drama starring Freddie Highmore as infamous would-be serial killer Norman Bates, alongside Vera Farmiga as his kooky mother. The show debuted in the US to 3 million viewers, and has already been renewed for a second season.

This is a good purchase for Universal, joining its US line-up of Law & Order, CSI and Major Crimes. It should help draw more viewers their way, but this likely means the chances of Bates Motel finding a big British audience just decreased. I guess this is what happens when there are so many potential imports and only a finite number of channels. On the upside, lesser-known channels like Universal can get their hands on a decent TV show; but the downside is those shows tend to escape mainstream attention. To an extent this also happens to bigger players like subscription-only Sky Atlantic, but Sky have enough budget to make everyone aware they have Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire on their books. Hopefully Universal will put some marketing muscle behind Bates Motel.

MAD MEN, 6.3 - 'Collaborators'

Infidelity's been a big part of Mad Men, and this episode saw both Don (Jon Hamm) and Pete (Vince Karthesier) get pricked by its many barbs. Don's obviously moved on from Megan (Jessica Paré) without her even realising their relationship's over, to have an affair with his doctor friend's wife Sylvia (Linda Cardellini). It's a situation made worse by the fact Megan's suffered a miscarriage and kept it to herself, although she confides in Sylvia without realising she's opening her heart to the third person in her marriage. It's all very awkward and even Sylvia seems less sure of the path she's on, although she just can't resist Don when he turns on the charm. Their uncomfortable dinner date was nicely interspliced with a flashforward of them having passionate sex soon afterwards.

Trailer: Netflix's HEMLOCK GROVE (NSFW)

It's a big year for Netflix as they try to alter public perceptions about how content can be delivered. It began in earnest with their original drama Lilyhammer, but made headlines with their David Fincher-produced political drama House of Cards earlier this year. It's all leading up to their long-awaited revival of Arrested Development on 26 May, of course, but for now we have Netflix's supernatural horror Hemlock Grove...

Video: BEING HUMAN - the last scene

Being Human's fifth series hasn't aired everywhere around the world yet, so I'll be careful about spoilers (for now). But if you have seen the end of the BBC show, you may be interested in clicking the embedded video above. It's a DVD-exclusive scene that takes place after the series finale's ambiguous ending. Please avoid watching if you've yet to finish series 5, but spoilers follow for those who have...

MSN TV: ITV's ENDEAVOUR

Today over at MSN TV: I've reviewed ITV's Inspector Morse prequel ENDEAVOUR, starring Shaun Evans as a younger version of the iconic detective, here working in the 1960s...

I have to question the creativity behind extending the Inspector Morse brand; there was a spin-off for loyal partner Lewis (2006-13) and now, a 1960s-set prequel following Morse as a young Detective Constable. I'd rather something new be created, although I understand the marketing sense in giving audiences something to which they already feel an attachment. Of the two Inspector Morse successors, I am more inclined to favour Endeavour because it stars the Morse character (memorably played by the great John Thaw from 1987 to 2000). Shaun Evans steps into the role with an agreeable sense of calm and a slightly alien aura; rather like Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock on valium.

Continue reading at MSN TV...