It’s always brilliant to enter into screening overload on the first day of the BBC Showcase in Liverpool.

Already in 2014, from a drama standpoint, public television viewers have been treated to new seasons of Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Call the Midwife, Mr. Selfridge, Doc Martin, Father Brown and Death in Paradise. The good news is that the drama tank is still full for the foreseeable future. Comedy has been no different with Moone Boy, Spy, Twenty Twelve, Rev, Hebburn and Miranda finding their way to public television. Like drama, comedy is looking good for 2014-2015.

Sunday began with the comedy/drama presentations from the 2014 BBC Showcase. Here are a few of the highlights…

The Fixer

• This series follows the life of ex-British Special Forces soldier, John Mercer, who is arrested by police for killing his aunt and uncle following his discovery of their abuse of his sister, Jess Mercer. Fairly tense from the outset.

  John Mercer finds himself released early from prison in order to serve in a covert state security squad as a government-backed assassin. His main job? No big deal. He’s just responsible for eliminating criminals and renegade police officers that the law cannot apprehend.

Mr. Sloane

• This new comedy series stars Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Cuban Fury) as a man in crisis. It’s December 1969 and Jerry Sloane is at the end of his rope. He’s lost his accounting job, his wife has left him to ‘find herself’ and he spends evenings alone in a pub feeling sorry for himself. He life just might be about to change following, not only, a potential job opportunity but securing the phone number of Robin, a free-spirited American girl. The series also stars Olivia Colman (Rev, Broadchurch)

Inside No. 9

• Written by the brilliant minds of Steve Pemberton and Reece Sheersmith, Inside No. 9 presents an anthology of unexpected and quirky tales that each revolve around No. 9’s. While it’s not as macabre as previous efforts such as League of Gentlemen and Psychoville, the only question remains is ‘do you dare knock on the door’?

Ambassadors

• The comedy genius of Mitchell and Webb come together in this comedy/drama about the British Embassy. The series centers around Keith Davis, the British Ambassador to the fictional Central Asian Republic of Tazbekistan. The country is ruled by The Prez, a dictator with a penchant for vodka fueled hunting parties.

That’s it for now. There’s more to come over the next couple of days. Would love to hear from some UK readers who’ve seen Inside No. 9 and give readers stateside some quick thoughts.

In: Comedy,Drama