I'm not much of a binge watcher. After 24 years on the TV beat, I have neither the patience nor the stamina to sit through more than a couple of episodes of the vast majority of new programming that comes my way to sample.
But I'll readily admit I sat enthralled through all four episodes in my preview package for Killing Eve. It was the video equivalent of a page-turner where you can't put the book down. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Killing Eve debuts at 7 p.m. today on BBC America. Watch it. Record it and watch it again.
Based on Luke Jennings' four Villanelle conspiracy thriller novellas about ultimate assassin Oxana Vorontsova, the series boasts two of the most fascinating female characters I've seen in years.
Canadian actress Sandra Oh, who played Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, portrays Eve Polastri, a bored British MI5 minion. As a desk-bound security officer, she's assigned the mundane task of arranging protection for foreign people of interest during their trips to London instead of working her fantasy job as a spy.
Her current duties are a waste of her talents. All of that is about to change.
To keep herself busy, Eve has been secretly compiling a dossier on a cunning new assassin out there -- one she's convinced is female.
British actress Jodie Comer (The White Princess) portrays Villanelle, a young, free-spirited, beautiful, egotistical, charismatic, cold-blooded, bonafide psychopath who gets her assassination assignments from a secretive global entity. She kills with flare, recklessness and absolutely no conscience.
Villanelle works under the frequently frustrated eye of her handler, the pragmatic Konstantin (Kim Bodnia, The Bridge). Her less-than-subtle methods are a concern for him. Still, she is the best at what she does.
Over the course of several episodes, Eve and Villanelle become obsessed with each other. Marvelous, nail-biting, cat-and-mouse drama -- with the occasional dollop of wit and humor -- ensues.
Co-starring are Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter) as Carolyn Martens, legendary head of MI6 Russia Desk; Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Downward Dog) as Eve's steady assistant, Elena Felton; and David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Eve's weary MI5 colleague, Bill Pargrave.
About the series, lead writer and showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge says "Killing Eve is a character study on two lives, two women and their circumstances. These two characters do not spend a waking minute of either of their days not thinking about the other one.
"It's about a psychopathic assassin and the agent who has to chase her around the world and hunt her down, but it's also an exploration of the psychology of two very different women who've had very different experiences and lives, who somehow in the murkiness of their own lives focus on each other and are drawn to each other professionally and unprofessionally."
There will be eight episodes in Season 1, with the finale set for May 27.
As you might suspect, be aware of the adult themes and occasional graphic violence.
• Unforgotten on Masterpiece premieres at 8 p.m. today on PBS and AETN. The new (to us) series is a buddy cop murder mystery staring Nicola Walker (Last Tango in Halifax) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Indian Summers) as London Detective Chief Inspector Cassie Stuart and Detective Sergeant Sunny Khan. They specialize in cold murder cases.
In tonight's episode, a skeleton found in the cellar of a building being demolished prompts Cassie and Sunny to believe it's related to a 40-year-old murder case.
• Howards End, 7 p.m. today on Starz. As long as we're in the neighborhood, how about more British accents?
If you like adult (TV-MA) historical drama, then the premium channel has a brand new one for you based on E.M. Forster's classic novel.
Howards End is a lavish four-part BBC adaptation set at the turn of the 20th century. It follows "two independent and unconventional sisters seeking love and meaning in an ever-changing world."
Hayley Atwell plays Margaret Schlegel, and Philippa Coulthard is her sister, Helen Schlegel. They live with their hypochondriac brother Tibby (Alex Lawther) in Edwardian London.
Tracey Ullman plays their meddling Aunt Juley Mund. Julia Ormond portrays the wealthy and conservative Ruth Wilcox. Howards End is her beloved country home.
That sets the stage. Enjoy.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 04/08/2018