Utopia was another UK drama that felt like a self-contained miniseries, before ending on an unexpected cliffhanger. Luckily, Channel 4 has agreed to a second series of this conspiracy drama, despite seeing ratings drop to a low of 1.15m over its six-week run.
Piers Wenger, Channel 4's Head of Drama, nevertheless praised the "... extraordinary creativity of [creator] Dennis Kelly, [director] Marc Munden and the team at Kudos", adding how Channel 4 is "... thrilled to announce the further adventures for Utopia's eclectic cast of characters which are already shaping up to be more imaginative, outrageous and brilliantly intriguing than the first."
Dennis Kelly will be writing six more hours of the drama, which concerned a group of internet forum members caught in a government conspiracy involving a fabled graphic novel that predicts the apocalypse. Production will start later this year, aiming for broadcast in 2014.
Are you happy to see Utopia coming back? It's good news because the story can perhaps now conclude (assuming there isn't a plan for a third series!), but am I alone in feeling tricked by shows like Utopia? Everything about it felt like a miniseries moving towards a big conclusion, but now there are six more hours in the pipeline. The same thing happened with Sky1's Mad Dogs, which has somehow managed to justify three series. I just wish the marketing was clearer about what we're watching, that's all.
