WELCOME TO HELL! 'MAD DOGS' SEASON THREE BEGINS...

Is orange the only colour? Life is grim for the trapped kidults of MAD DOGS. Image: SKY ONE.

As if their intense, squabbling mid-life crises weren't already enough, the previous mixture of sun-baked Spanish mayhem and murder that our four "heroes" of SKY 1's hit black comedy/drama MAD DOGS have so far suffered seem like small change compared to what's happened to them now: framed by a British ex-patriot crime lord, captured by Moroccan security police and sent to the gulag from hell - MIDNIGHT EXPRESS meets year three of PRISON BREAK-  where they have to find some way of escape and get home to the imperfect but now truly desirable confines of England.

Like little boys out of their league within the prisons dilapidated frame, and the dangerous felons that inhabit it, our dysfunctional brotherhood of stars John Simm, Philip Glenister, Marc Warren and Max Beesley look set to collide, comfort and blunder into the problems ahead, and provide a few laugh out loud moments along the way. Guest starring still rising star Jaime Winstone (daughter of Ray) as Mercedes, one of the other trapped and desperate inmates, she's one of the few un-bloodthirsty types who may help the quartet, though likely with an agenda of her own- let's face it, these guys don't really have much luck in picking friends, do they? There's hopes that this new four-part season, once again written by creator Cris Cole, will be a big improvement over season two, which started well and had a good baddie in David Warner, yet incredulously run out of plot by the end of episode two. Series Three airs in desert sweltering, reach for the bottled water HD from June 4th.

Preview: Mad Dogs series 3 trailer - Sky1 HD
Mad Dogs - Season 3 trailer - YouTube

FACEBOOK pages: Mad Dogs and Mad Dogs

POWER-PLAYERS! 'REVOLUTION' BEGINS ON UK TV

Children of the REVOLUTION emerge on post-apocalyptic Earth. Image: NBC.

Mankind has seemingly come to the end of the road in its existence and ambition, its power supplies across the planet lost in a sudden, unexplained blackout catastrophe, an event witnessed fleetingly, and teasingly, at the start of the hot new US series from that fantasy factory of J.J. Abrams and BAD ROBOT, teamed with SUPERNATURAL creator Eric Kripke, starting on SKY ONE HD from tonight: REVOLUTION.

Fifteen years on from that fateful night, its huge cities deserted and atrophied, its material-made transport gone the way of the dodo, and its natural resources now coming directly from the land, civilization has to get back-to-basics against a backdrop of unrest from warlords and militias, of which the once innocent Matheson family, possessing a mysterious pendant that may ultimately be the key to unlocking the mystery of what happened all those years earlier, become undeserved fugitives from the powerful antagonist that is Sebastian Monroe (David Lyons), who wants to become the ruling figure of the entire United States and wipe out any and all opposition standing in his way. The idea of a world returned to power that isn't through his hands must never be realised...

Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUH7OuaMYc

With the exception of TWILIGHT's Billy Burke, paying another one those roguish types that have tried to follow in Harrison Ford’s original and weighty footsteps as Han Solo, and LOST/V’s lovely Elizabeth Mitchell, who, early on, appears in flashbacks that prove very LOST-like in their scene-setting (as the wife to one of the key players linked to the event launching Blackout), the show has no other relatively big name stars and is instead much more of a competent ensemble piece. In many ways, this decision, with such a surely expensive series to make, is to Abrams credit, continuing his trend of finding new faces and careers to launch.

Filmed in the forest and wildernesses of picturesque Georgia and North Carolina, directed with quality by feature film helmer Jon Favreau, this western/sci-fi blend aura to the series pilot holds the kind of subtle promise that will surely attract the kind of fan base Joss Whedon’s FIREFLY enjoyed a few years back. Ultimately, what I’ve seen of REVOLUTION so far, which isn’t much, hasn’t totally blown me away, but reviews online States-side have indicated that the series is gaining more story and character momentum, with a few shocks and surprises at the mid-season point, so I’ll see what happens to the Matheson’s and the pursuers for a little while longer. Possibly less convoluted and easier to follow in the long run, the show may perhaps prove long-term to be more relatable to audiences than some of Abrams previous weekly fantasy efforts: the also singular titled ALCATRAZ sadly bombed, despite another promising opener, whilst FRINGE made its five year duration mainly due to international sales success and a small but rabidly devoted fan base.

Check out some intriguing NBC promotional posters for the series, via the Sneak Peek website, here: REVOLUTION - THE TV SERIES

Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionTvSeries

Official site: http://www.nbc.com/revolution/

SPACE ODDITIES! THE RETURN OF 'FUTURAMA'

Spaced-out! The cast of FUTURAMA return. Image copyright: Matt Groening/20th Century Fox.

Matt Groening and 20th Century Fox's other animation child supreme, the sci-fi comedy of intergalactic proportions, FUTURAMA, returns from Friday 29th March on SKY ONE HD. Once cryonised ex-20th century boy Pizza boy Philip Fry and his way out there crew of the Planet Express continue their final frontier adventures in the 31st century, with the kind of warped-out ideas and all-round humorous chaos that fans have loved on and off since 1999.

As always, that lovable robot rogue Bender (voiced with attitude by John DiMaggio) gets the lions share of all the best foul-mouthed, egocentric and misanthropic storylines: this time even getting to becoming self-replicating (heaven help us!), whilst Fry has to deal with the return of the once extinct common cold and the rest of the crew encounter a strange life-form with gender-bending powers. It looks like its gonna be one of those days numerous times over...

With a guest cast including THE SIMPSONS Dan Castellaneta, returning to voice his iconic role of Homer, plus other modern day heroes the likes of real-life space legend Buzz Aldrin and scientist Stephen Hawking, and even a cameo from Tom SpongeBob Squarepants Kenny himself, this season looks set to be the most ambitious, and hopefully funniest, yet...

SPRING-FIELD INTO SUMMER WITH 'THE SIMPSONS'!

 Fun before chaos with THE SIMPSONS. Image copyright: Matt Groening/20TH CENTURY FOX. 

After their huge success with Maggie Simpson's charming Oscar nominated feature short, The Longest Daycare, and now going beyond their landmark 500th episode, the latest season of THE SIMPSONS-its incredible 24th!- arrives with all comedy guns blazing exclusively on SKY ONE HD from March 24th. And this time they're bringing even bigger modern star power than ever before, including worldwide teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, comedians Tina Fey and Steve Carell, Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway and British talent like SHERLOCK's Benedict Cumberbatch.

The series kicks off with Zooey Deschanel as Bart's long-lost love in The One That Got Away. Later on, Marge ponders the prospects of having a new baby-can't wait to see Homer's reaction to that one!, Lisa becomes hooked on online poker, lovably deranged Grandpa leaves his nursing home, and a tornado hits Springfield- the end of the world is surely nigh!

Season 24 Premiere Preview | The Simpsons | Animation on FOX - YouTube

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE: The Simpsons

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: '24' AND 'HAWAII FIVE-O's REIKO AYLESWORTH

Charm and talent radiate from popular actress Reiko Aylesworth. Image: ULIKE.

Being married to a controversial, high-profile crime taker like Detective Chin Ho Kelly was never going to be easy, but things certainly weren't fun under the sun for Doctor Malia Waincroft, as played by the lovely actress Reiko Aylesworth, during last years seasons finale of HAWAII FIVE-O, as she ended up being kidnapped and threatened with death by corrupt ex-cop Frank Delano (William Baldwin) and his goons, wanting to get in the good books of the shows fugitive top super baddie, Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos). She was saved from a grisly fate at the last moment, but we expect things aren't going to be the same again for the cosy Kelly union anytime soon...unless of course she gets to put a revenge-fulled bullet in her once captors head. Now that would be some great action satisfaction!

On-screen wedding bells with Daniel Dae Kim in HAWAII FIVE-O. Image: CBS.

Miss Aylesworth, a charming and talented actress with an intriguing Welsh, Dutch and Japanese ancestry, is no stranger to long running action/adventure drama, after her three year stint as tough but vulnerable CTU agent, later boss Michelle Dessler in the hit series 24. She also showed her female RAMBO skills as a modern-day Ellen Ripley successor, Kelly, a returned solider soon fighting xenomorphic hordes in her Southern Californian home town, during the horror/gore fest that was ALIEN VERSUS PREDATOR 2: REQUIEM.

As CTU agent/boss Michelle Dessler, in pursuit of the baddies, in 24. Image: FOX.

Soon to be seen in an upcoming second season episode of PERSON OF INTEREST, as well as the modern Sherlock Holmes series ELEMENTARY, beyond explosions, gunfire and chases, other fine series to have benefited from her guesting include the excellent third season of DAMAGES (as wife to a dodgy financial alumnus's son), a seemingly cut back run in CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION as a volatile new Forensics team member, playing caring hospital chaplain Julia Dupree in ER, and as pregnant islander Mary Goodspeed in the penultimate season of LOST.

The next series of HAWAII FIVE-O, which picks up other cliff-hanger threads from it's exciting second season finale, should hopefully be back on UK TV screens in the New Year.

THE FINAL BATTLE. 'FRINGE' SEASON FIVE AWAKENS...

The future's on the wall. The heroes of FRINGE are back! Images: FOX.

With the kind of multi-universe hopping, time jumping complexity that Stewie Griffin can only dream of controlling, the fifth and final season of the superior sci-fi drama series FRINGE makes its welcome return on the UK's SKY ONE HD channel from tonight. And it has every sign of wrapping things up on a highly successful, adventuresome, continuity binding and character blending note, mixed with some promised small screen spectacle that will surely give the fans much storytelling reward as well as a few tears to shed by its thirteen episode conclusion. Those baldy baddies with the MAD MEN Fedora fetishes, The Observers, are now the prime baddies in a world of 2036 where Humanity has been enslaved to do their bidding. Now getting used to the new future they're awakened to from their previous amber storage, a small but powerful resistance is gathering in the fight back, not only from our established heroes: kooky scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble), brave and loyal son Peter (Joshua Jackson) and ex-FRINGE Division agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), but also from their next generation, including the latter duo's rising-star daughter Etta (Georgina Haig). With such formidable adversaries to lock heads against, a foe with such unique powers ready to counter-act their bold counter-attack plans, you can bet that this is going to be one helluva physical and intellectual battle royale, where not everyone may get out with their lives...

Missing In Action: Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is the key to the fight back against The Observers.

Out of the amber bottle: Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole) and helped by Etta (Georgina Haig)

Brain-power! Observers beware, Uncle Walter (John Noble) is back!

Trailer: FRINGE - Season Five - YouTube
FRINGE - Season 5 - Sneak Peeks - 5x01 "Transilience Though Unifer Model - 11" - YouTube
Fringe Season 5 Cast Interviews (HD) - YouTube

Check out KOOL TV's previous FRINGE features here: KOOL TV: FRINGE

MEN OF HONOUR FACING A 'LAST RESORT'

US submarine fugitives make a stand at the LAST RESORT. Images: ABC TV/SONY.

Looking set to combine the claustrophobic edge of your seat drama of CRIMSON TIDE, as well as shades of Nevile Shute's classic Nuclear War novel ON THE BEACH and probably a little bit of LOST's lush island visuals thrown in, the upcoming submersive drama THE LAST RESORT, created by THE SHIELD's Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek, promises much in its premiere series ambitions, starting on the UK's SKY ONE HD channel at the end of the month (30th October).

Trailer: Last Resort ABC Trailer (HD) - YouTube

On the bridge of the Colorado, Robert Patrick and Andre Braugher face a nuclear catastrophe.

Finally getting away from lots of supporting roles on film and TV, though staying within the realm of  normally playing stern or gruff military men or authority figures which I've always known him for, experienced character actor Andre Braugher gets a chance to take series centre lead as Captain Marcus Chaplin, captain of the US nuclear submarine Colorado, who questions a vital order from his superiors to fire nuclear missiles on Pakistan. Its a decisive action against his superiors that soon leads him and his loyal crew into becoming pursued fugitives from their homeland. Arriving and commandeering a NATO listening station far out in an undesignated spot in the Pacific Ocean, the shows conspiracy thriller roots are explored as the crew try to find out what has lead them to this scenario. Other sub-plots and story directions ripe for exploration include the Captain and his command crew overcoming internal dissent, trying to get along with the island's already fractious established natives, and taking on a dangerous drug cartel.

Islanders and command staff mix in the opening episode. But will they get along?

Executive produced and directed by top New Zealand action director, and helmer of two of the best modern James Bond films- GoldenEye and Casino Royale, Martin Campbell will surely add style and gloss to the opening pilot episode, whilst a solid supporting cast includes Bruce Davison, DOLLHOUSE's Dichen Lachman and THE UNIT's always great Robert Patrick. It's been a long time since there's been a series like this on the small screen, surely a bold and expensive gamble by ABC TV, and as a huge fan of the edge of your seat submarine thriller sub genre I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing how this format crossing series will pan out. Currently getting respectable ratings in its US timeslot, lets hope that LAST RESORT gets a chance to show future episodes rise to the surface rather than dive, dive, dive down the Nielsens.

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'GAME OF THRONES' EMILIA CLARKE

The beautiful and shapely Miss Emilia Clarke, capturing fans hearts worldwide as the bold Daenerys in GAME OF THRONES. Image: Leo Cackett for GQ UK, April 2012.

Finally, those non SKY UK digital viewers not previously able to see George R. R. Martin's splendid and evocative fantasy drama GAME OF THRONES in its original terrestrial/satellite premiere on SKY ATLANTIC HD will deservedly get their chance to enjoy every epic moment of it on the SKY ONE HD channel, starting weekly from tonight at 10pm. What can I further positive comments can I say about the show that haven't already and previously been said by the shows deservedly devoted and enthusiastic critics and fans over the last few years: it's a true triumph of complex heroes and villains in a fantasy oh so well conceived. Now into Season Two and beyond, we all have our favourite characters, but surely one of the most popular must be lovely young British actress Emilia Clarke's winning and very relatable character of Daenerys Targaryen, an exiled member of the silver haired Tagaryen family, the once rulers of the Kingdom of Westeros, forced by her slimy and spiteful public schoolboy terror of a brother, Viserys (a great performance from fellow Brit thesp Harry Lloyd), into marrying one of the most brutal warlords of their faraway island shelter across the Narrow Seas, Khal Drogo of the Dothraki (a spirited and certainly muscle heavy Jason Momoa), in order to form an unstoppable army against their once empire's new rulers. Despite some early hardships and at first uneasy sexual discovery for young Daenerys, her once vulnerability garners a tough shield as she soon uses strong feminine wiles and bold emotional choices, coming straight from the heart, to ultimately win the respect, love and true partner loyalty/ dedication of her husband as his "Khaleesi", earning freedom from her tyrannical brother.

Daenerys, as seen in the opening episode of GAME OF THRONES. Series images: HBO.

Daenerys story is a compelling and beautifully told one in the premiere year, with an ultimately very touching and heartbreaking resolution, ultimately linked with and following into a new dawn and destiny for the young warrior queen, alongside her new adoring people/followers, in a future genetically bonded to the prophecy of the once dragon empire that ruled the skies and the world...

Wed to her warrior husband, Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa)

New dangers await our heroine in Season Two, alongside her protectors (including Iain Glen, right, as Sir Jorah)

Before GAME OF THRONES, I hadn't been aware of the gorgeous and vital Miss Clarke, a relative newcomer to the film and TV world, but she soon made her considerable impact and mark felt in this risk-taking role of which she has received such appreciation and acclaim. In between filming seasons of GAMES, she can be seen in two 2013 projects that are certainly far different and removed to her role as Daenerys: a coming of age drama about a young indie bad, Spike Island, and a new thriller starring alongside JUDGE DREDD's Karl Urban, Overdrive.

A great acting future awaits the talented Miss Clarke. Image: IMDB.

Check out more on GAME OF THRONES on KOOL TV here: KOOL TV: GAME OF THRONES

Season One is also available on DVD and Blu-ray. 

TIME-FIGHTERS! LOOKING AHEAD WITH 'FRINGE' SEASON FIVE...

Global heroes. The cast of FRINGE pose for their final season publicity group photo. Images: FOX.

Dedicated fans of J.J. Abrams cult hit, high concept Sci-Fi TV series FRINGE seemingly had the perfect closure to its fourth and what was almost series final season earlier in the year -all of the time travel and parallel universe plots had come to a successful and satisfying conclusion, eras and boundary spanning scientist/hero Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) had finally gotten back to his lover and fellow FRINGE division adventurer, Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), his father Walter (John Noble) was restored to just the right side of quirky normality, aided by his gunshot wound recovering assistant, Astrid (Jasika Nicole), whilst in and out of the plot technological guru and nemesis William Bell (the always excellent Leonard Nimoy) and his bold ideals for a new Jurassic Park being made out of planet Earth had been currently thwarted. But those clever and complex loving writers behind the scenes of the show had a cunning little ace up their sleeve should the show be renewed for a fifth season, just maybe, at pretty much the last minute by the FOX network. Which is a wonderful turn of events that exactly happened to the series, returning for what will surely be a very satisfying tying up the loose ends thirteen episode run this September 28th in the US, and presumably appearing a few short weeks thereafter on the UK's SKY ONE HD channel.

The Observers are back, but not in any nice way. Though Larry David will be happy regardless!

Earth's best hope. John Noble as cuddly mad scientist Walter Bishop.

That little ace up their writing sleeve having been given an early sneak peek in Season Four to an episode mostly concentrating on Walter, emerging almost Buck Rogers in the 25th Century-like from an amber contained sleep into an Earth of the not too distant future, joining forces with a small band of close to home resistance fighters (including his grand-daughter Etta (Georgina Haig)) fighting back against the threat to their world and universe from the technologically superior and all-dominating force that is the time travelling, 1950's suit wearing baldy men Observers, who, having laid waste to the planet in the far, far future, now plan to exploit it for everything its got in the past, including its enslaved population. Walter soon proves to the the key needed to defeat the next invasion/penetration of our ever green Earth, but he's going to need all the all help he can get from his friends and loved ones, in past, present and future, and possibly several old enemies, if he is to succeed...

Will deranged scientist William Bell (Leonard Nimoy) return one last time?

Trailer: FRINGE - "Etta" Season Premiere Promo - YouTube
FRINGE - Season 5 Comic-Con Trailer - YouTube

A family of future warriors. John Noble as Walter, Anna Torv as Olivia and Joshua Jackson as Peter.

Despite the loss of one of the series key showrunners, Jeff Pinkner, long-time Executive Producer J.H. Wyman returns, and, with his writing team of Alison Schapker, Graham Roland and David Fury, promises an exciting, thought provoking and emotional resolution that will no doubt have us and the shows cast on the very edge of our addicted seats, as well as having us crying our eyes out for what will surely be a tear-jerking and memorable finale.

Look out for more on FRINGE on KOOL TV soon...