Could Meadowlands be the Next Sopranos?

I was surfing the net this evening just minding my own business when I came across a preview for Showtime’s new series, “Meadowlands” that premieres on Sunday. The premise is a family that goes into the witness protection program and is given new names, new life, new home, all in a neighborhood where everything looks the same. This British import will run Sunday nights at 10 and after watching the first episode online, I’m pretty impressed.

The family given the name, “Brogan” seeks to adjust after the head of the family, Danny Brogan (played brilliantly by David Morrissey) has done something to cause the family to flee. His wife, Evelyn (Lucy Cohu), wants to be able to go outside of Meadowlands, but finds out it’s impossible to leave. People check in, but they don’t check out. The Brogan family is filled by daughter Zoe (Felicity Jones) and son Mark (Harry Treadway).
Right off the bat, you get a seedy character, Constable Wintersgill (Ralph Brown) who keeps the peace in Meadowlands. He seems to know everything about everyone as soon as they come in. And he’s rather unsettling as he has a present for the Brogan’s trash can when he meets them.
Unlike another series (cough Lost cough), the show does reveal secrets with each episode and doesn’t leave the viewer hanging, although there’s something about Meadowlands that just isn’t right. At least you go in knowing this and that’s half the battle. If the rest of the series is as good as the premiere episode, then this might be some good summer viewing and Showtime may have a hit on its hands. We’ll see.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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