The buzzy science-fiction series Orphan Black, which is making a star out of Canadian actor Tatiana Maslany, will return to television for its second season (with ten episodes) on April 19th, 2014. In Canada, season two will air on Space, while in the United States, it will be back on BBC America.
For the uninitiated, Orphan Black tells the story of Sarah Manning, a con artist who assumes the identity of a woman who looks just like her after she sees the woman jump in front of a train. She later finds out that this woman, Elizabeth Childs, is one of 10 engineered clones. Maslany plays five of the clones in the first season, with varying accents and personalities.
Television critics were flummoxed when Maslany and her chameleon-like abilities as an actor failed to earn an Emmy nomination in July. Even without that berth, Maslany won the Critics’ Choice Award for lead actress in a TV drama, which is especially impressive given the variety of exceptional female actors in the television landscape.
However, the backlash when Maslany did not get an Emmy nod helped the show gain in popularity. Its buzz reached such a height that in Canada, where the show is shot and developed, it re-aired in the early fall on broadcast network CTV.
BBC America and Space both announced the premiere broadcast date during the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special this weekend. Two teasers from the show, one from Space and one BBC America, are now online, although the latter does not have any new footage. The Canadian advert has Maslany’s Sarah Manning walking down the street, shifty and suspicious, as voice-over dialogue from last season fills the soundtrack. Alas, the dearth of new footage may disappoint Orphan Black‘s fans, but they should still be excited that season two is less than five months away.
Check out the two trailers below and let us know if you’re looking forward to the return of Orphan Black.