There are two big titles this week. And surprise surprise, neither are original properties. The first is the NBC revival of Law & Order. NBC cancelled the long-running series back in 2010 and at 20 seasons it was tied with Gunsmoke as the longest running US prime time series. Since its cancellation, sibling show Law & Order: SVU has overtaken it and at 23 seasons it is the longest running US prime time series.
But now the OG Law & Order series is back, picking up its numbering where it left off. Season 21 started this week with a mix of new and prior cast members. Will it now outlast SVU? Perhaps.
And just a heads-up to Aussie ABW readers: no, I don't know when the show is set to debut locally - there's been no announcements from local broadcasters.
The other big title is Netflix's sequel to the History series Vikings. The new show is Vikings: Valhalla and is set 100 years after the Vikings series.
To be frank, if neither of these shows are that enthusing, it is a bit of a nothing week. My recommendation for the weekend is to check out the Yellowstone prequel 1883. For the past two months the show has proven to be a fairly reliable, if slightly pedestrian at times wagon train-style western. But the past couple of episodes have really upped the stakes for the series as it heads into its season finale. I've suddenly found myself surprisingly invested in this show.
Debuting on Sunday night is a decent-enough detective show on Australia's ABC called Troppo. It has US actor Thomas Jane in a lead role. Does the show need a US actor playing the lead? No. Could the character have just as easily been Australian? Yes. Is an Australian drama show better off having a foreign lead? Heavens no.
But I do like Thomas Jane, generally. And I understand he was cast to make the show easier to sell. Still, it's a bit of a shame it needs Jane in it. I have a review of Troppo up at the ABW website. As long as you're not expecting much from it, you might find it a decent diversion:
Dan Barrett
returning:
Law and Order (s21), Snowfall (s05)
new:
Vikings: Valhalla - Netflix
Stars: Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, Leo Suter
Follow-up series to 'Vikings' set 100 years afterward and centering on the adventures of Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Hardrada and the Norman King William the Conqueror.
Back To 15 - Netflix
Stars: Maisa Silva, Amanda Azevedo, Camila Queiroz
Thirty-year-old Anita travels back to age 15 and starts meddling with everybody's lives, until she realizes the only life that needs fixing is her own.
Juvenile Justice - Netflix
Stars: Sanyee Yuan, Rich Ting, Anzu Lawson
A tough judge balances her aversion to minor offenders with firm beliefs on justice and punishment as she tackles complex cases inside a juvenile court.
All American: Homecoming - The CW
Stars: GeffriMaya, Peyton 'Alex' Smith, Kelly Jenrette
Follows a young tennis hopeful from Beverly Hills and an elite baseball player from Chicago as they contend with the high stakes of college sports.
From - Epix
Stars: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey
Unravel the mystery of a city in Central America that imprisons everyone who enters. As the residents struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest.
The Endgame - NBC
Stars: Morena Baccarin, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Aaron Costa Ganis
A sexy and twisted heist show on how far some people will go for love, justice and the most valuable commodity in the world: truth.
There is a biblical-level storm that has flooded out where I live and ain't letting up anytime soon (they're expecting another week of this. It's wild). I'm expecting to be staying in this weekend and watching a whole lot of TV. Fingers crossed you can do the same.
