They may have inflicted watery lager, substandard chocolate and Paris Hilton on the world but — as classic shows like The Sopranos attest — Americans know how to make a compelling TV drama.
Hot on the heels of 24-style conspiracy thriller The Event last week, the next few months are going to see the arrival of a clutch of quality new US shows.
With that in mind, here’s our trailer-filled guide to the programmes that will have you commandeering the TV remote in the coming weeks as the weather gets chilly. Book your spot on the sofa now.
Andrew Lincoln leaves Egg behind to star in this stunning adaptation of the lauded graphic novel about a lone cop battling a zombie apocalypse. Episode one features shocking gore, expertly managed tension and the sweeping cinematic scale you’d expect from a project marshalled by Shawshank Redemption heavyweight Frank Darabont.
When: November 5, 10pm FX
Rubicon
Very much in the mould of David Fincher’s Zodiac and Seventies classics like The Parallax View, this modern day suspense-athon could be a sleeper hit. James Badge Dale (last seen in The Pacific) plays a gifted analyst ruffling government feathers by unpicking a colossal conspiracy.
When: Early 2011, BBC Four
Boardwalk Empire
Put seminal HBO shows Deadwood, Rome and The Sopranos in a blender and you may well get this roaring Twenties epic. Martin Scorsese directs the stylish pilot but it's Steve Buscemi who excels as the lead in this brutal and bawdy tale of Prohibition-era gangsters in Atlantic City. Keep an eye out for our own Stephen Graham as Al Capone too.
When: Early 2011, Sky Atlantic
Shameless US
The long-mooted American adaptation of Shameless finally arrives with the Gallagher clan transported from Manchester to Chicago and William H Macy starring as Frank. So will it work? Original creator Paul Abbot has been enlisted to help and they’ve got a quality cast so we’re clinging to the hope this’ll be an Office-style success.
When: Early 2011, More4
Treme
TV visionary David Simon’s long-awaited series tracks the lives of a group of musicians scrabbling around for a living in post-Katrina New Orleans. It might trade The Wire’s shootouts for show-stopping jazz performances but the acting is masterful and the drama is just as compelling.
When: Early 2011, Sky Atlantic
Ride-Along
Flashdance star Jennifer Beals ditches the welding gear to star in this bruising new cop show. Created by the same person as The Shield, the Chicago-set drama ushers us into the familiar world of powerful gangsters, screeching car chases and morally dubious police officers.
When: Early 2011, Sky1
