BBC America’s Orphan Black Is Your Guide To Identity Theft For Clones
BBC America has been delivering some solid shows since getting into the original programming game. But while BBCA is Doctor Who’s home on this side of the Pond, they haven’t really dipped into the original science fiction pot much yet. That’s set to change on March 30th, when their sci-fi thriller series, Orphan Black, introduces us to a woman who keeps running across women who look just like her. Here’s the latest trailer.
We already knew that clones were going to be the angle Orphan Black is set to explore, but I really like the use of what is essentially identity theft as the engine to bring the protagonist into that larger world. After all, if you witnessed the suicide of someone who looked exactly like you, wouldn’t you be pretty damn curious to find out what he or she was all about?
Orphan Black was co-created by Graeme Manson, one of the chaps who penned the original, excellent Cube, before the numerous sequels drained the clever concept of most of its life. The other creator is John Fawcett, who wrote and directed the original Ginger Snaps movie, and who has an extensive background in TV, including work on shows such as Lost Girl, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and the awesome but short-lived Miracles waaaaay back in the day. Those credits earn my attention for at least a few episodes of Orphan Black, so here’s hoping they wring every bit of promise out of their premise.
Here’s the official synopsis.
Sarah hopes that cleaning out a dead woman’s bank account will solve all her problems. Instead, they multiply at an unnerving rate. Smart, sexy, and pulsating with suspense – BBC AMERICA’s new original series “ORPHAN BLACK” features rising star Tatiana Maslany (The Vow, Picture Day). She portrays Sarah, an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of a woman, “Beth,” who looks just like her. Sarah takes her identity, her boyfriend, and her money. But instead of solving her problems, the street-smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. She makes the dizzying discovery that she and the dead woman are clones… but are they the only ones? Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, racing to find answers. “ORPHAN BLACK” premieres Saturday, March 30, 9:00pm ET/PT, as part of BBC AMERICA’s Supernatural Saturday.
Led by Tatiana Maslany, the cast includes Jordan Gavaris (“Degrassi”) as Felix, Sarah’s thorny foster brother and her one true confidante; Dylan Bruce (“NCIS”) as Paul, Beth’s boyfriend – a decent guy with chiseled features, but more complicated than he appears; Maria Doyle Kennedy (“Downton Abbey”) as Mrs. S, Sarah’s hard-nosed working class foster mother from across the pond; Michael Mando (“The Killing”) as Vic, Sarah’s volatile ex, aptly nicknamed “Vic the Dick”; Kevin Hanchard (“Republic of Doyle”) as Art, a veteran detective working alongside Beth who grows suspicious of her erratic behavior: and Skyler Wexler (Carrie) as Sarah’s seven-year-old daughter. The ten-part conspiracy thriller, produced by Temple Street Productions, is co-created by Graeme Manson (“Flashpoint”) and John Fawcett (“Spartacus”), with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director.
