We don’t just watch TV series in our millions – we champion them, argue about them, tell our friends to watch them. Shows like The Sopranos (1999-2007) and The Shield (2002-2008) changed the rules. Suddenly TV, the poor relation, took the cultural high ground from movies. Creators like JJ Abrams (Lost), David Chase (The Sopranos) and Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) plotted their shows like epic novels, weaving together complex subplots and never afraid to take on big moral issues.
Our inflight entertainment selections come from expert curation and feedback from passengers around the world. Your voices have always been important in shaping our programming. So now, we’re giving you the chance to spot the next television cult success.
The idea is simple. You watch the pilot episode of eight TV shows from 2017. Tell us which show you think ranks up there with House of Cards, Homeland, 24 and the rest. Vote for your favourite in a Facebook poll and we’ll show the entire season of the most voted shows onboard starting from December.
The shows range from action and drama to comedy. Whatever kind you’re into, you’ll find it in one of the pilot episodes. Here’s a rundown of the TV shows you can choose from:
– Superior Donuts, an offbeat comedy from the producer of Cheers and Will & Grace, about a doughnut shop in a gentrifying Chicago neighbourhood.
– Taken, a prequel to the Liam Neeson movie franchise. Expect heavy gunplay and breathless action scenes.
– Brockmire, one of the best comedies this year, follows the misadventures of a baseball announcer who suffers an on-air meltdown when he learns his wife is having an affair.
– Jamestown tells the story of three courageous women who played a central role in the founding of the first European settlement in America.
– Twin Peaks (2017) – one of the year’s most hotly anticipated shows. Director David Lynch’s return to the quaint American town is just as puzzling as the original.
– I’m Dying Up Here, produced by Jim Carrey, is a gripping dramedy that looks at the struggle of comedians in the 1970s.
– Riviera is a controversial drama focused on the glamorous life of a well-to-do family in Monaco.
– The Good Fight, a spin-off of the Emmy-winning The Good Wife. It’s as steeped in real-life political and social dynamics as its forebear.
All pilots are available under the ‘TV premiere’ menu on the interactive menu. Watch, then vote for your favourite on our Facebook poll throughout the month.
