BBC America, once a network whose sole purpose was to air British content in the U.S. of A, has started growing into its own recently, producing scripted original content. It all started with the period police drama Copper, which is coming back for its second season in June. Then the network co-produced The Hour with BBC proper.

BBC America’s first adventure in producing!

Now BBC America has three new series to add to its belt, including a contemporary adaptation of The Three Musketeers simply titled The Musketeers (starring Peter Capaldi – Torchwood, The Hour), a zombie series In the Flesh, and a 7-part mini series based on Susanna Clarke’s 2004 bestseller Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Clarke’s Hugo-Award-winning novel, set in Napoleonic-ish Britain, follows two wizards who are bringing magic back to the England.

I haven’t read the book as of yet, but everything on the internet says it’s OMGAMAZEBALLS!

Sci-Fi and fantasy have proven a solid match for the network, so the Jonathan Strange project seems very promising. The series will be written by Peter Harness and directed by Toby Haynes (whose filmography includes Doctor Who and Sherlock!), and BBC America will be co-producing with BBC and Cuba Pictures. The adaptation will join BBC America’s Supernatural Saturday lineup, which is already home to Doctor Who and Orphan Black, another BBC America sci-fi original starring Tatiana Maslany as several characters who discover that they are clones and someone is trying to kill them. Orphan Black premiered a couple weeks ago, and so far I’m loving it. So keep them coming, BBC America. There isn’t enough quality television these days.

Orphan Black, bringing the drama to cloning.