So over the past few weeks I have been searching for something new to watch, while sifting through the reviews and upcoming lists I came across the words ORPHAN BLACK, now this seemed a little unusual name for a series so I decided to do a little digging.

The series was created by BBC America who have gone off the reservation and started to create their own original series. Originally they focused on just showing reruns of British shows, such as Doctor Who and Ground force, but now they are starting to create their own series for viewers to watch. It started last year with the successful Copper, and now they have moved on to create Orphan Black. Shot in Toronto Canada. The series stars Tatiana Maslany (World Without End and Eastern Promises) as the less than morally sound Sarah Manning, who after witnessing someone who bears more than a passing resemblance to herself commit suicide, is sent on a path that she never thought would be possible.

Now, I know a lot of people would roll their eyes at the thought of watching a show about clones, but Tatiana Maslany does a fantastic job of playing several characters. It’s also worth noting that the writing is smart enough to focus on the characters and relationships, whilst using elements of science fiction to put a twist on an already complicated situation. One of the running themes seems to be nurture versus nature. In the series, several genetically identical characters are planted into different lives and background and we see them eventually grow up to be different people who only look the same but act very differently, with different accents and body language. One would imagine it must be a very rewarding yet difficult job for any actor, but Tatiana pulls it off marvellously.

Aside from Tatiana, you will also see Jordan Gavaris playing her foster brother, and confidant Felix. He manages to steal every scene that he appears in, and his subplot and antics add the splash of comedy that really helps the series take off.

Orphan Black is already gaining a steady fan base hopefully we won’t be disappointed.