2014 is shaping up to be a bumper year for television drama, with new seasons of The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones and Mad Men slated to appear in the coming months. Whether you have legal access to these shows or are a filthy pirate criminal, here are five important dates that should be on your calendar.
February: Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story Of INXS
We felt compelled to include an Australian offering in our roundup, but options are pretty low on the ground once you discount the nadir of reality TV. One show that might be worth watching is Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story Of INXS. While no official start date has been announced, the hyped-up miniseries is expected to debut on Seven Network sometime in February.
If the above trailer is anything to go by, it will be typical of other recent Australian biopics such as Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. Colour us mildly intrigued.
April 6: Game of Thrones Season 4
This is the one most of us have been waiting for. Season Four of the hugely popular (and rampantly pirated) Game Of Thrones will premiere on the HBO Network on Sunday, April 6. Australian Pay TV customers will likely get it within a few hours of its North American debut. If that sounds like too long a wait, check out our guide to Game of Thrones-style fiction for some shows to tide you over.
[Warning: If you haven’t read the books, the above trailer gives away some significant plot developments from late in the series. Only watch it if you don’t mind seeing spoilers.]
April 13: Mad Men Season 7
The seventh season of AMC’s award-winning period drama will saunter waggishly onto US screens on 13th of April. Law abiding Aussies will be able to watch it on Showcase soon thereafter.
August: Doctor Who Season 8
The eighth season of Doctor Who’s successful naughties reboot is slated to begin sometime in August. This will be the first season starring new Doctor Peter Capaldi.
October: The Walking Dead Season 5
Season 5 of AMC’s ridiculously popular The Walking Dead will premiere in the US sometime in October, which means we’ve got quite a wait (indeed, a trailer for the new season has yet to be released — above you’ll find the trailer for season 4).