Each cable TV network apparently needs its own scary costume drama. Into this comes WGN America’s inaugural scripted series, Salem. A terrifying alternate take on the town’s witch-hunt and trials, this supernatural drama has real witches at work in Salem.

The pilot, which was shown Friday at WonderCon to a packed room, definitely set the bar high for thrills and chills. The series is a steep departure for the network primarily known for airing reruns of old shows like Matlock and more recent ones such as 30 Rock.

Even edited so it would be “suitable” for kids that may have been in the audience (some scenes were blacked out), the Salem episode was still full of disturbing scenes. In particular there was a part including a frog and a naked woman that is too creepy to go into detail about. Though real individuals from that time period inspire most of the characters, the similarities are few and far between.

As we told you before, we’re very interested in History’s upcoming show Vikings. It seems to have all of the elements we love in a show.

Action, drama, swords and epic heroes and villains, Vikings looks to be a fun and entertaining way to spend sixty minutes. And now, to get you ready for the show’s premiere, we’ve got more previews and whatnot for you to enjoy.

But before that, here’s some tidbits about the premiere episode:

Our story begins in 8th century Scandinavia where Ragnar Lothbrok is a warrior and a farmer who dreams of finding riches by bucking the tradition of raiding to the east. Ragnar has been working in secret on a project that will turn the Viking world on its head. But first Ragnar must convince the leader of his community, the powerful Earl Haraldson, who is none too happy to share in the renown that this journey could bring to Ragnar if it’s successful.

Vikings Premieres Sunday at 10/9c on the History Channel. Check out the videos after the break.

The fundamental problem with Hyde Park on Hudson is that it promises so many interesting characters and so many spirited performances, and then focuses its attention on the dullest one.

That’s not a reflection on Laura Linney’s performance as Margaret Suckley either; rather she has nothing to work with. When, early in the film, she’s summoned to Franklin Roosevelt (Bill Murray)’s New York retreat, the two embark on countless drives through the country. Are they happy? Content? Angry?

There’s image after image of them driving, accompanied by Linney’s tiresome jabbering narration, and then the tone takes a surreal detour when Frankie pulls over and wordlessly asks for some full service. Any other woman would rightly get the hell out of town, but as the meandering voiceover informs us, it draws the them closer. O-kay.

Looking at the new upcoming HBO series Boarwalk Empire it seems to have hit written all over it. Created by Terence Winter, one of the writers of The Sopranos, with a teriffic cast led by Steve Buscemi and Exec. Produced by none other than Martin Scorsese, this tale of gangsters and corruption in 1920’s Atlantic City has everything you could want in a show.

As an example, take a good look at this new trailer for it that aired just prior to last night’s season premiere of True Blood. It features all the main characters and sets up the story pretty well. It also looks terrific and very well directed and it should becuse Scorsese did it himself.

The show premieres in September and I, for one, can’t wait to see it. Until then, be sure to check out the trailer for Boardwalk Empire after the jump.

On paper, Robin Hood appears to have it all: an amazing cast, beautiful costumes, spectacular set pieces, meticulously choreographed fight scenes, and a beloved protagonist. Yet somehow, I found the movie stultifying. It’s dull, complicated, and waaaaay too long.

Essentially, this serves as an origin story for Robin Hood. Russell Crowe stars as Robin Longstride, an archer fighting with King Richard (Danny Huston), who stumbles into a sequence of events that ultimately result in him being condemned and banished as an outlaw.

I was rooting for this Robin Hood retelling: after all, my last name is Hood, and I have had such a life-long affinity for the character that at my wedding reception my father made a toast about me finally meeting my Robin. I have been trying to pin down exactly why this movie just didn’t do it for me, and I offer you the following observations:

We all know the original story, but director Ridley Scott’s take is more of a historical drama. Admittedly, Scott has an astute eye for detail. That’s admirable, but most of us associate Robin Hood (the character) with swash-buckling heroics and swoon-worthy romance, not body odor and grimey fingernails. In the opening sequence, do we really need to see Robin playing parlor games? Of course not.