For a long time television has been considered an inferior medium to the glitz and scale of motion pictures. The writer's, the actors, the quality; all have been somewhat second-rate and lack the appeal of the glamorous silver screen. Recent trends however particularly the efforts of premium cable channels such as HBO and AMC, have seen an increasing number of quality TV shows hit our weekly guides. Mad Men (2007), Game of Thrones (2011), and Breaking Bad (2008) are just a few of the most prominent examples. It's not just the hefty funding or improved writing that has marked the rise of the TV series in recent years though, they're also pulling their weight in the big name acting department as well. Case in point: HBO's True Detective (2014) stars Hollywood a-lister's Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, who has shed his goofy romantic comedy image and sunk his teeth into some seriously meaty roles of late, picking up this year's Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his stellar performance in Dallas Buyers Club (2013). Taking a look at a selection of upcoming TV shows this year, it's no surprise to see more and more film stars making the switch to TV a medium where the right writing can see a character arc develop over ten-to-fifteen hours of air time or more, as opposed to the two-hour standard of feature films something that must surely be appealing to any actor worth their salt. You also won't be surprised to learn that many of the actors featured in this list made their start on the home box. So read on to find out which Hollywood mega stars will be classing up your living room this year...
