What's on: Comedy put to the test in Marlon Wayans’ new show

From the NBA Finals to World Cup, the sports line-up this month is nothing less than spectacular. You probably knew that, though. So how about considering some brand-new shows that you may not have heard about? Here are just a few picks:

• Siberian Cut — New Series — Tuesdays at 11pm on Discovery:

I wonder if watching a show filmed in minus-40-degree weather makes you appreciate the Bermuda heat?  In this new reality series from Discovery, an American logger, Sean Vann, has earned a living in the Russian forestry business for seventeen years, and is given a chance to be his own boss and make it big. He gets a contract from a wealthy Russian colonel to cut wood for three months in deepest Siberia. To succeed, he will have to set up his own operation, assemble a team, and make it work. He ends up adding four American loggers to his own Siberian crew, and they all set off into the wilderness. Will they all be able to work together despite the language and cultural differences? It’s a tough way to make a living in any country, but in the punishing climate of Siberia, everything is more difficult.

• Funniest Wins — New series — premieres Friday, June 20, at 11pm on TBS:

If you enjoyed King of the Nerds and Deal With It — both from TBS — you’ll
appreciate the concept behind this new laugh competition hosted by Marlon Wayans. In it, each week, professional and amateur comedians will learn a new comedic style, coached by Wayans, who is joined by a rotating crew of family members and guest comedians. After learning the genre, they must put their knowledge to the test and perform in that genre, whether sketch, stand-up, improv, digital short, or musical comedy. The goal: find the best multi-talented comedian around, because, as the name suggests, the “funniest wins”– not just the title, but $100,000.

• Almost Royal – Series premiere – Saturday, June 21 at 11pm on BBC America:

In this first original comedy-reality series from BBC America, we follow two young British aristocrats as they take their first trip around America on an unofficial royal tour, with camera crew in tow. It turns out, this is a fake reality TV show. Georgie (Ed Gamble) and Poppy Carlton (Amy Hoggart) play brother and sister heirs to Caunty Manor in Norfolk, England, where they have lived a life of leisure and privilege as distant descendants of the British Royal Family. Imagine two spoiled youngsters who have never worked a day in their lives, or driven themselves anywhere. Ed Gamble in real-life is a stand-up comedian, while Hoggart has quite the comedy credentials of her own — and yet they both look the part so completely.  

• The Last Ship — Premieres Sunday, June 22, at 10pm on TNT:

No new season would be complete without a post-apocalyptic drama. The premise here is that a global pandemic has wiped out 80 per cent of the world’s population. A US naval ship is left, and the mission of those aboard is to come up with a cure for the deadly virus in time to save what is left of humanity. The series promises heart-pounding drama, with a cast list that includes Eric Dane (of  Grey’s Anatomy), who plays commander of the ship; Adam Baldwin, his second-in-command and Rona Mitra, who plays a microbiologist — frantically racing against time.

• The Leftovers — Series premiere, Sunday June 29 at 11pm on HBO:

This new series from HBO brings a different kind of apocalyptic vision. Based on the 2011 novel by Tom Perrotta, the series is produced by Damon Lindelof, who brought us Lost. In fact, The Leftovers is a follow-up series to Lost. It chronicles the turmoil in a suburban US community in the aftermath of The Rapture, when two per cent of the population vanishes, and those left behind try to make sense of their loss and rage. The series stars, among others, Jennifer Aniston’s fiance Justin Theroux, who plays the town’s chief of police; Liv Tyler, who is the target of a strange cult; former
Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston, who plays an ex-reverend turned tabloid producer; and Ann Dowd, who is cast as the leader of the local chapter of the Guilty Remnant. How will they all cope, and how will this event change their lives?

With this small sample I will have to close, but there are lots more new shows cropping up, so do go exploring. Happy start of summer!

Shavonne Jeffries joined Bermuda CableVision in 1991.  She currently holds the position of Customer Service Manager. www.cablevision.bm