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Cloning success: 'Orphan Black' returns for one last season

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Author: 
Andrew Warren / TV Media
Tatiana Maslany and Ari Millen as seen in "Orphan Black"

Tatiana Maslany and Ari Millen as seen in "Orphan Black"

Cloning success: BBC America's "Orphan Black" still has some life left in it -- one more season's worth, it turns out. It's no surprise, really. After all, the gritty Canadian science fiction series is a critical darling with a hugely devoted fan base.

With its fifth and final season premiering Saturday, June 10, on BBC America, the seemingly countless clones that have made the series such a tour de force should finally get some closure -- hopefully.

Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany ("Eastern Promises," 2007) returns to the roles that made her famous. That's right, roles: over the show's four seasons, she's played more than 10 different characters, giving each one her own unique personality, tics and body language. 

Plot-wise, she plays a number of clones: genetically identical women who were raised separately and, before the beginning of the series, were (mostly) unaware of their true natures. Her performance is truly astounding to watch and has earned her an Emmy, two Critics' Choice Awards and many other awards and nominations.

Of course, despite Maslany playing so many characters, "Orphan Black" is far from a one-woman show. Jordan Gavaris ("Degrassi: The Next Generation"), Maria Doyle Kennedy ("The Tudors"), Kevin Hanchard ("The Expanse"), Ari Millen ("12 Monkeys") and Kristian Bruun ("Murdoch Mysteries") all star alongside Maslany's many personas.

"Orphan Black's" first season began as a bit of a mystery: a woman witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her, and she soon comes to realize that there is a massive conspiracy being hidden by a major biotechnology firm. As more and more layers of the plot have been revealed over the series' four seasons, the true depths of the cloning experiments have been revealed -- along with the religious order dead set on purging the cloning program and the clones themselves from the world.

"Orphan Black" is a co-production between Canada's Temple Street Productions and BBC America. Its fifth and final season kicks off Saturday, June 10, on BBC America.

 

Can't stop the music: In 2016, after 15 seasons, "American Idol" turned out the lights for good -- or so everyone thought. Like a melodious phoenix rising from its own ashes, the once-mighty singing competition is on its way back, albeit on a new network and with some new faces.

For eight of its 15 seasons, "Idol" was the top-rated show on American television, and despite its ratings experiencing a steady decline in its later years, it was still a programming force to be reckoned with on Fox. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, that ABC was all too eager to pick it up, and there are plans for the new season to premiere sometime in 2018.

With "Idol" being such a high-profile show, rumors and news pieces about its return have been flying around. As of press time, no host had yet signed on, but Ryan Seacrest, who hosted the series for its entire 15-season run at Fox, is reportedly in talks to return to the job that made him a household name.

On the judging side of things, music superstar Katy Perry has already signed on to sit in one of the chairs that were previously filled by big names like Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.

Singer Kelly Clarkson, who shot to stardom after winning the very first season of "American Idol," was reportedly approached to fill the position of lead judge, an offer that she ultimately turned down to instead appear as a coach in NBC's "The Voice" next spring.

"American Idol" was once the biggest show on television, and after only a short time off the air, it's set to return to TV screens in 2018.

 

Advanced placement comedy: A late-night funny guy is going back to his roots and expanding his portfolio. "Late Night with Seth Meyers" host Seth Meyers has reunited with one of his old "Saturday Night Live" partners to create a buzzed-about new comedy that has been ordered to series at NBC.

"A.P. Bio" brings together the creative team of Meyers, "Late Night" and "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels and "SNL" writer Mike O'Brien to present a wacky and off-beat comedy starring "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Glenn Howerton.

Executive produced by Meyers and Michaels and written by O'Brien, "A.P. Bio" follows a successful philosophy scholar (Howerton) who lands a job as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher, where he is determined to not teach a bit of biology. Instead, he has plans to use the class of honor roll students to get revenge on his enemies.

Patton Oswalt ("The King of Queens") co-stars as Principal Durbin, while Mary Sohn ("The Boss," 2016) and Aparna Brielle ("Grimm") also star in the series pilot.

With three of the brains behind "SNL" at the helm, "A.P. Bio" has some serious comedy potential. Watch for the new series in the 2017-18 season on NBC.