After a few years of mediocrity and TV shows (aside from the odd smash hit), TV channels are once again innovating and taking risks on some interesting ideas. The TV season begins in late 2013 in the USA, this is when most new dramas debut. Though many are cancelled within an episode or two due to a lack of critical or popular success, some do go on to experience surprising or unsurprising popularity. Here is a list of the most notable between late 2013 and for early 2014

1. Jonanthan Creek

Though it began in 1997, many years have passed since Creek had a series, the last decade or so has been characterised with the odd one off. On Sunday 2nd March, a new series begins on the BBC with Alan Davies retaining the title role. The show mixes comedy and drama mystery. Every week, Creek investigates seemingly supernatural, paranormal or otherwise bizarre criminal cases. There is always a rational explanation and the cleverness of the plotlines keeps people guessing. It will run for three feature-length episodes

2. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Airing in Autumn of 2013, this spin off of the highly successful Marvel films of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and the film where they all came together: Avengers Assemble. Produced by Joss Whedon it could only be a smash hit and it so far has been on both sides of the Atlantic. It was so successful as a pilot that ABC decided to pick it up for a full 22 episode season. It features S.H.I.E.L.D. agents working behind the scenes on the secretive organisation

3. Doctor Who

Not a new series as 2013 saw its 50th anniversary, but we do have a new Doctor in Peter Capaldi and this always feels like a reboot ‘ proving the perfect entry point for new fans. Doctor Who stays fresh by regularly changing its lead actor ‘ a concept worked into the show is that the alien species that The Doctor belongs to (Timelords) can cheat death by ‘regenerating’. Capaldi bucks the trend of the previous two Doctors being much younger men. The first episode is due to air in late summer and will feature the new Doctor in Victorian London

4. Hostages

This gritty CBS drama opened in autumn 2013 to a positive reaction. Australian actress Toni Collette stars as a Doctor whose family is abducted the night before she is due to begin surgery on the President of the USA. In order to get her family back, she must assassinate him. It is based on an Israeli television drama of the same name. Unusually for a lot of modern series, it was not continuing ‘ it ran for a single season which ended in January 2014

5. House of Cards

The show that is taking the world by storm began in 2013. A gritty political drama, it features Kevin Spacey as a Congressman and Robin Wright as his wife. Based on an earlier BBC drama which itself an adaptation of a book, it follows the exploits of the pair as they exact revenge on their political enemies who betrayed him in his ambitions to become Secretary of State. It has so far received many Emmy nominations ‘ 14, of which it won 9 awards

6. Bates Motel

The Brits are taking over Hollywood! Andrew Garfield is cast as Spiderman, Henry Cavill was cast as Superman and now Freddie Highmore is playing the iconic Norman Bates as his younger self. Moving to a sleepy town and buying an ailing motel, Norma and Norman Bates soon find themselves at the centre of an economy built on crime ‘ on one side it is drugs and on the other it is sex trafficking. Vera Farmiga plays the controlling Norma Bates. The second season will kick off early in early March 2014

7. Vikings

For those who are into period drama history series, the pickings have been fairly limited to the 19th and 20th centuries in recent years. Vikings, though, seeks to readdress that balance. Travis Fimmel plays Ragnar Lothbrok, a young Viking and figure from Viking legend (known as Lodbrok). It follows his rise as ruler and king of the Viking tribe in the 8th century. It begins in 793 at the dawn of the Viking raids, the year that Lindisfarne in North East England was sacked

8. Hannibal

Late 2013 was a good year for television, even if it was bereft of original ideas. Another ‘early years’ story here, this follows the younger Hannibal Lecter while he is still a practising psychiatrist. Hugh Dancy plays Will Graham ‘ an FBI agent with a finely tuned intuition to piece together a crime scene. This is a massive burden on him and he starts to see Doctor Lecter, the famous psychiatrist. Only, Lecter is not all he seems and has his murder in mind. What’s more, he seems to be setting up Graham for his criminal acts

9. Almost Human

It is 2048 and crime rates have become so high and recruits to the police force so low that every human cop now has an artificial combat droid as a partner. Karl Urban stars in the leading role as a cop who despises the robot partners. Two years before, a robot abandoned him and a human partner after a shootout. The partner was killed and Urban’s character (Kennex) lost his leg. After nearly 18 months in a coma, he wakes up having lost his memory and his girlfriend, gained a new prosthetic leg, and tries to put his life back together.

10. Reign

Another historical drama that debuted at the end of 2013; it is about the rise of the young Mary Queen of Scots as she arrives in France for her engagement to a French prince. Political machinations and alliances abound, this is similar in tone to the successful The Tudors a few years ago. Adelaide Kane stars as the ill-fated queen. Torrance Combes and Narnia’s Anna Popplewell also star in this big production period drama

Conclusion

It seems the trend now is for continuing dramas with running plot threads. No longer is the TV drama a series of one-off episodes that can be cancelled at any moment and asking for little emotional participation of the audience. There is a lot of good quality drama coming through at the moment. Keep a look out through the course of 2014