Her name is Tatiana Maslany, and she is simply one of the best actresses on the small screen.
If you don’t know who she is, you can tune into "Orphan Black" on BBC America on Saturday night. The season finale will showcase Maslany’s range in the multiple roles she plays. Having most of the shows unwatched sitting on the DVR, I had the opportunity to catch up on an overcast Memorial Day.
Time was definitely not wasted.
The show started off slow, but by the third episode, I was hooked. And I’m not alone. The Broadcast Television Journalists’ Association announced its Critic’s Choice Award nominations last week.
Maslany is in the running for Best Actress in a drama with Claire Danes on "Homeland," Julianna Margulies of "The Good Wife," Elisabeth Moss on "Mad Men," Keri Russell as a Russian spy on "The Americans," and Vera Farmiga on "Bates Motel." And as BBC notes, that beats performances from the likes of Kerry Washington ("Scandal"), Michelle Dockery ("Downton Abbey") and Robin Wright on Netflix’s "House of Cards."
"Orphan Black" is a carefully crafted show about clones, and it’s not done in a sci-fi way in a galaxy far, far away. It’s a mystery, unraveling in masterful storytelling, making one forget that Maslany plays each of the main characters.
"To put it simply, if you're not watching ‘Orphan Black,’ you really should be," said writer Alicia Lutes of Hollywood.com.
"Now, actors playing identical twins or long-lost relatives is nothing new to storytelling. But what is new is Maslany's ability to actually make it good and believeable, rather than a jumble of cheesy sight gags or awkward prosthetics. And it takes a real, solid talent coupled with a wealth of research, intensity, and sense of character to pull it off: things Maslany proves to have no short supply of," she wrote.
"Orphan Black" has been on a number of Best Bets type lists this past season. The show has been picked up for a second season and in Great Britain, it is making the move to BBC Three … which, over there is a pretty big deal.
TRY ANYTHING: Fans of the "Bachelorette" have been waiting for a long time for this latest season of boys trying to win the love and attention of the title character. This time it is Desiree seeking a second chance of love after not being chosen on the last run of the "Bachelor."
This past episode we saw 25 men try to be original and notable in their arrivals. They come with wishbones, magic tricks, trips to the fountain and one-liners like "will you accept these abs?"
I think I just threw up a little.
Earlier this week, I talked about summer TV on the traditional over-the-air networks. Usually it is filled with left-over pilots, reruns, reality shows and low-cost productions. "Bachelorette" on ABC fits in nicely.
RENEWED: "Inside Amy Schumer" on Comedy Central has been picked up for a second season. The sketch show, which started earlier this month will end its current run on July 2.
Media is bombarding us everywhere.
Instead of sheltering his brain from the onslaught, Steve embraces the news stories, entertainment, billboards, blogs, talk shows and everything in between.
The former writer, editor and producer in TV, radio, Web and newspapers, will be talking about what media does in our community and how it shapes who we are and what we do.