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13 new titles to catch

C21’s latest Hot Properties Playlist takes a look at the top titles that were new on air around the world last month and are continuing to generate buzz.

The playlist is available to view through the C21Screenings portal and the C21Screen app.

If you would like to submit a show for consideration in one of our upcoming C21 Hot Properties Playlists, email [email protected].

10,000 BC

10,000 BC

Show: 10,000 BC (10×45′)
Initial TX: February 2
Channel: Channel 5 (UK)
Producers: The Garden, GroupM Entertainment
Distributor: ITV Studios Global Entertainment
They say: Reality show following 20 people who have agreed to give up everything to live in the wilderness as a Stone Age community.
We say: Somewhere between Survivor and The Island with Bear Grylls, not one that’s going to break the reality TV mould but there’s plenty of fun here for fans of the genre.

Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom

Alaska: Earth’s Frozen Kingdom

Show: Alaska: Earth’s Frozen Kingdom (3×60′)
Initial TX: February 4
Channel: BBC2
Producer: BBC Natural History Unit
Distributor: BBC Worldwide
They say: Three-part series taking in a year in Alaska, revealing the stories of pioneering Alaskans, both animal and human, as they battle the elements and reap the benefits of nature’s seasonal gold rush.
We say: Trademark BBC Natural History Unit blue-chip wildlife documentary with the added twist of treating people as part of the study.

Fresh Off the Boat

Fresh Off the Boat

Show: Fresh Off the Boat (9×30′)
Initial TX: February 4
Channel: ABC (US)
Producers: Fierce Baby Productions, Detective Agency, 20th Century Fox Television
Distributor: 20th Century Fox Television Distribution
They say: Culture shock comedy about an immigrant family pursuing the American dream. Based on chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name, Fresh Off the Boat is about a 12-year-old hip-hop-loving boy who moves to suburban Orlando from Washington DC’s Chinatown with his parents.
We say: Popular both with audiences and critics, one of the brightest comedies of the US winter season and one of an increasing number of broadcast network shows finally tapping into underserved audiences – in this instance Asian-Americans – but with a story broad enough to appeal to all.

Allegiance

Allegiance

Show: Allegiance (13×60′)
Initial TX: February 5
Channel: NBC
Producers: Universal Television, Keshet Media, Matchbox Pictures, Nolfi Productions, Yes
Distributor: NBCUniversal International Television Distribution
They say: Drama about a CIA agent who discovers his parents are Russian spies tasked with planning an attack on America.
We say: Formerly known as Coercion, Allegiance is a US adaptation of Israeli spy drama MICE (The Gordin Cell), which is now also getting a remake in South Korea. Following in the wake of FX’s The Americans – a show with a similar concept – the challenge is sustaining the premise over an entire season.

Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul

Show: Better Call Saul (10×60′)
Initial TX: February 8
Channel: AMC
Producers: High Bridge Productions, Crystal Diner Productions, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television
Distributor: Sony Pictures Television
They say: Comedy-drama prequel to AMC hit series Breaking Bad, centred on a sleazy small-town lawyer played by Bob Odenkirk.
We say: Highly anticipated Breaking Bad spin-off from Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould that has already been given a 13×60′ second-season order, Better Call Saul had a hard act to follow but so far has proven a genuine crowd pleaser for fans of its much celebrated predecessor.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

Show: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (6×60′)
Initial TX: February 8
Channel: HBO
Producer: TBA
Distributor: HBO
They say: Documentary about a reclusive New York real estate millionaire at the heart of three killings spanning four decades – including his wife, a key witness and neighbour – who maintains his innocence and remains a free man today.
We say: From Oscar nominees Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling (Capturing the Friedmans), The Jinx is a thought-provoking documentary series that is equally engaging and unnerving due to the presence and willing participation of the main protagonist.

Schitt's Creek

Schitt’s Creek

Show: Schitt’s Creek (13×30′)
Initial TX: February 11
Channel: CBC
Producer: Not A Real Company Productions
Distributor: ITV Studios Global Entertainment
They say: Comedy about a rich family that goes bankrupt and is suddenly forced to live in a small town they once bought as a joke.
We say: First foray into TV for Canadian comedy legend Eugene Levy, together with his son Dan, Schitt’s Creek takes broadcast network CBC into the realms of edgier cablesque comedy. Already handed a second season and picked up by POP in the US.

The Slap

The Slap

Show: The Slap (8×60′)
Initial TX: February 12
Channel: NBC
Producers: Universal Television, Matchbox Pictures
Distributor: NBCUniversal International Television Distribution
They say: Miniseries about a man’s 40th birthday party that goes wrong when a hotheaded cousin slaps another couple’s misbehaving child, exposing the fissures and fragility of family relationships.
We say: Based on a book by Christos Tsiolkas and Australian television series of the same name produced by Matchbox Pictures, the US version of The Slap has a cast including Zachary Quinto, Peter Sarsgaard, Melissa George, Thandie Newton and Uma Thurman. An attempt at a deeper, more complex, cablesque character exploration, though perhaps with less success than the original.

Bosch

Bosch

Show: Bosch (10×50′)
Initial TX: February 13
Channel: Amazon Instant Video
Producers: Fabrik Entertainment, Amazon Studios
Distributor: Red Arrow International
They say: Police procedural starring Titus Welliver as Los Angeles Police detective Harry Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s novels City of Bones, Echo Park and The Concrete Blonde.
We say: Written by Connelly together with The Wire and Treme’s Eric Overmyer, Bosch has no shortage of source material (Connelly has written 17 books focusing on the character) but a legion of pre-existing fans to satisfy. So far, it’s looking good for this addition to the pantheon of LA noir, with Amazon ordering a full season.

The Italian Americans

The Italian Americans

Show: The Italian Americans (4×60′)
Initial TX: February 17
Channel: PBS
Producers: WETA Washington DC, Ark Media, John Maggio Productions
Distributor: PBS Distribution
They say: Written and produced by John Maggio and narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Stanley Tucci, this documentary explores the evolution of Italian Americans from the late 19th century to today.
We say: Fascinating exploration of how one of America’s most celebrated and sometimes feared immigrant communities emerged, dissecting and dispelling the mythology of the Mafia and profiling leading figures across business, politics and the arts, past and present.

The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple

Show: The Odd Couple (13×30′)
Initial TX: February 19
Channel: CBS
Producers: CBS Television Studios, The Tannenbaum Company, Timberman-Beverly Productions
Distributor: CBS Television Distribution
They say: Multi-camera sitcom about two mismatched roommates: the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison (Matthew Perry) and the neat, uptight Felix Ungar (Thomas Lennon), who are both divorcees trying to date two sisters living together in the same apartment block.
We say: The fifth screen adaptation of Neil Simon’s 1965 play, it’s early days and far from universal praise for this latest Matthew Perry vehicle, with the Friends and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip star having also developed and exec produced the show.

Schuld

Schuld

Show: Schuld (6×45′)
Initial TX: February 20
Channel: ZDF
Producer: Moovie
Distributor: Beta Film
They say: German crime series based on the best-selling short stories of defence lawyer and writer Ferdinand von Schirach, Schuld (Guilt) stars Moritz Bleibtreu and comes from Constantin Film Production chief Oliver Berben’s Moovie.
We say: One of a new breed of German drama series emerging as candidates to break the international scene, and a handful of shows to bend the rules of German broadcasting, debuting online in its entirety prior to debut on ZDF.

Critical

Critical

Show: Critical (13×60′)
Initial TX: February 24
Channel: Sky1
Producer: Hat Trick Productions
Distributor: BBC Worldwide
They say: Groundbreaking real-time drama set in a medical trauma unit in which each episode deals with the first hour of the professionals’ battle to save a single patient’s life.
We say: Created by Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty, Bodies) and starring Lennie James (The Walking Dead), this is a bold attempt at injecting something new into medical drama. The 24-style countdown makes for compelling viewing but balancing the intensity of against-the-clock surgery with engaging character development is itself a delicate procedure.

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