Showing: TBA If the prospect of a show about dead people suspiciously turning up out of the blue without any knowledge of where they've been and no visible signs of ageing, it's because it's been done already. Not only did The 4400 have almost exactly the same premise, but this has existed as a French show for a couple of years, and it's already been sort of remade once in the past few years with Resurrection. Based on a book, which was based on a French TV show, which in turn was based on a French movie from 2004, it's taken a long time for The Returned (originally called They Came Back when it first appeared) to hit the small screen for the US, but if the first TV show is anything to go by, it will be well worth the wait. The Selling Point: The French show was essential viewing, and not that much should have been messed with. Surely? The Concerns: Having to live up to a very well received foreign language version of anything is a quick recipe for disaster, particularly if the US remake attempts to over-reach in a foolish attempt to outdo.
13. The Last Man On Earth
Showing: March 1st Yet more high-concept sci-fi, but this time with a more comedic slant as Will Forte plays the last man alive on earth in 2022 in a show of his own creation (somewhat self-servingly, but more power to him). After a catastrophic event wipes everyone out, he embarks on a journey to find signs of life elsewhere on Earth, and the presence of January Jones on the bill suggests that he succeeds (unless she exists solely in flash-backs of course). Obviously it's not a new concept, but the comedic tone should add something new and interesting, and Will Forte is a comedy genius. The idea of him being humanity's last hope is just glorius. The Selling Point: A brilliant cast above all else. The Concerns: Can even the most charismatic of actors command that much screen time (mostly) alone?