The midseason rollout of new shows continues today. First up are a couple of murder mysteries that star some familiar big names.
• Dig. 9 p.m. USA Network. The title refers to an archaeological dig in Jerusalem -- an excavation that uncovers an unholy secret.
Created by Homeland executive producer Gideon Raff and Heroes creator Tim Kring, the thriller features Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) as FBI Agent Peter Connelly and Anne Heche (Men in Trees) as Lynn Monahan, his boss and occasional lover.
The premise: Connelly takes a job in Israel "to leave personal demons behind," and is assigned to investigate a young American's murder there.
In the course of his investigation, Connelly realizes that he has uncovered an international conspiracy thousands of years in the making that has the potential not only to reveal some of the city's darkest secrets, but also threatens to change the course of history.
Yikes.
There is some sort of dangerous ancient prophecy that Connelly is convinced is about to come to fruition, so he's in a race against time to unravel the mystery and save the world as we know it.
As Connelly and Monahan begin to piece the puzzle together, he realizes that he might not be the only person looking for answers.
The 10-episode action thriller travels from a remote farm in Norway, to a strange compound in New Mexico, to the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Jerusalem.
As USA boasts, "This immersive, fast-paced adventure will take viewers on a quest for a truth that will shake the world's beliefs to its very core."
The series is nothing if not visually lush. And if you believe you've heard of it before, that's entirely possible. The series, which was shot partially in Jerusalem, was originally set for a 2014 debut before production was forced to relocate after conflict broke out in Gaza last summer.
The series also stars Alison Sudol (Transparent), David Costabile (Breaking Bad), Regina Taylor (The Unit), Omar Metwally (Non-Stop), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) and Ori Pfef (World War Z).
Sound intriguing? The series is rated TV-14 for adult language and violence.
• American Crime. If Dig has an international flavor, then ABC's new American Crime brings it all back home.
The series, starring Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) and Timothy Hutton (Leverage), also premieres at 9 p.m. today, so you'll have to decide which to watch and which to record on the DVR.
ABC is labeling the gritty drama as a limited series but hopes it could work as an anthology. Just as with HBO's True Detective, future seasons would have different stars.
The series comes with an impressive pedigree, being created and executive produced by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave).
In American Crime, a community is shaken and divided by a deadly home invasion. War veteran Matt Skokie is murdered and his wife, Gwen, is assaulted and left comatose. Four suspects are brought into custody.
They are Tony Gutierrez (Johnny Ortiz), an impressionable teen who got in way over his head even under the watchful eye of his dedicated father, Alonzo Gutierrez (Benito Martinez); Hector Tontz (Richard Cabral), a young man who has made bad decisions just to survive; and Carter Nix and Aubry Taylor (Elvis Nolasc, Caitlin Gerard), two lost souls whose addiction to drugs and to each another has become destructive.
Though the suspects fit a profile, they and their situations are far more complicated than anyone would have initially believed.
Huffman and Hutton portray Barb Hanlon and Russ Skokie, the divorced and estranged parents of the murder victim. As they arrive to bury their son and seek justice for his killing, they discover Matt may have been far from an innocent victim.
In addition, Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist) plays Eve Carlin, the mother of the raped Gwen, and Regina King (Southland) portrays the devoutly religious Aliyah Shadeed, sister of suspect Carter Nix.
ABC tells us, "Told from the points of view of all those involved, this new drama examines preconceptions on faith, family, gender, race, class and other aspects of our social experience with an approach and perspectives historically underserved in media."
• Netflix news. The entire season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will be available on Netflix Friday. The new Tina Fey/Robert Carlock-produced comedy, originally intended for NBC midseason, now has a two-season deal with the streaming service.
The series stars Ellie Kemper (The Office, Bridesmaids) as a woman starting her life over in New York after years of living in a doomsday cult.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 03/05/2015