Welcome to the Dark Side of TV
These impressive series offer serious entertainment
You like your coffee black, your chocolate bittersweet and your nights sleepless and tormented. Well, maybe not. But you definitely like entertainment that embraces the dark side of human nature. Here is a list of complex, challenging, and criminally under-viewed TV series you might consider watching:
To witness jaw-dropping acting virtuosity, tune in to Orphan Black, a science fiction series in which lead actress Tatiana Maslany plays 10 different characters (and counting) who happen to be clones. Ah, but they are different, not only in personality, appearance and attire, but also in accent, speech and body language. They include a soccer mom, a dreadlocked hipster science geek, a sleek corporate climber, a punky British street grifter, and for good measure, a murderous Ukrainian religious fanatic. The “sestras” (the Ukrainian’s way of saying “sisters”) are frequently shown interacting with, and even impersonating, each other — and somehow Maslany makes it all clear. Fans around the world cheered when Maslany finally got nominated for an Emmy this year, overcoming an apparent Academy bias against sci fi. I urge you to overcome yours if you have one, at least for this show. It is smart, funny and thought-provoking. (BBC America; available on Amazon)
4. Wentworth
It’s a women’s prison, but the vibe at Wentworth is much more Oz than Orange. This tense, no-holds-barred show is more than a little soap operatic, replete with stabbings, drugs, contract hits, corrupt guards and a giantess warden nicknamed “The Freak.” I dare you to take your eyes off the transformation of lead inmate Bea, who enters Wentworth as a highly sympathetic near-innocent — she tried to kill her husband in response to repeated domestic abuse — and fights her way to the top of the brutal inmate hierarchy. The accents and language on this Australia-made show are a lot of fun. You might consider using the subtitles. (Netflix)
