August 2013: The 10 Releases You Can't Miss

The Newsroom leads the way forward as the entertainment industry kicks back into gear this month!
Ah, what it is to be in a hectic time for the entertainment industry. Already, the opening days of August have proved that from this point in 2013 onwards, we'll get an absolutely sublime amount of news, announcements and new releases from now until December 31st. With this in mind, it's vital for you, dear readers, that we can separate the cream of the crop of new releases from the merely mediocre upcoming titles for the next five weeks.

Braced? Ready? Alright, then- here's our Top 10 Most Anticipated Releases of August 2013 that you cannot afford to miss:
10. BIG SCHOOL- BBC One have been left rather out in the open ever since Luther concluded, with no emphatically compelling television show seeming to be on the horizon at the channel...except one. Big School is a daring situation comedy featuring David Walliams, Catherine Tate and Phillip Glenister, a sterling trio of brilliant British talent that could enable a genre breakthrough to form here. Without Walliams' latest work, we'd have a supreme absence of comedy on BBC One, and thus this is a intriguing new project for which genre fans should be extremely grateful. (Friday 16th, 23rd and 30th)
9. THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES- Another teen fiction literary motion picture adaptation coming to cinemas this month, City of Bones marks the first instalment in E1 Films' new franchise of adaptations of Cassandra Clare's hit Mortal Instruments saga. The narrative focuses on Clary Fray, a teenage girl who finds herself drawn into a world of magic and supernatural beings by tragic circumstances, and learns of her own supernatural powers and her impending destiny as a result...(Wednesday 21st)
8. GROWN UPS 2- Make no mistake, this is going to be a contentious release. Grown Ups split the realms of film criticism in half upon its release in 2010, with the more cynical critics dubbing it a shameless recycled project plundered from the bare depths of Adam Sandler's comedic mind, while more optimistic reviewers such as myself saw great potential in the all-star cast and had a fun time at the cinema. Grown Ups 2 doesn't look to be doing anything drastically different, hence the predictably varied responses we've heard so far, yet for Sandler fans there'll be plenty of laughs both crude and high-octane here! (Friday 9th)
7. DISNEY INFINITY- It's...wait for it...it's a new game! Jokes aside, Disney Infinity marks a breathtaking revival of video games as an entertainment format, the first time in months that a genuinely enticing video game product has hit our shores. This should prove a truly joyous gameplay experience for players young and old, as Avalanche Studios weave together acclaimed Disney franchises including The Incredibles, Monsters' University and Pirates of the Caribbean in their starter package alone to create an essential product which more than deserves the wider gaming community's attention...(Tuesday 20th)
6. TROLLIED- Sky1 are bouncing back onto the comedy scene this Autumn with a host of intriguing new projects, kicking off with the return of one of their most acclaimed genre franchises. Trollied Season Three will cast a new perspective on much-loved character relationships, Valco situations and staff proceedings, while driving forward the flexible format of the programme in an ever-unpredictable manner! (Thursday 22nd and 29th)
5. SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: LAST STAND OF DEAD MEN- All good things must inevitably come to an end. Thankfully, Last Stand of Dead Men isn't quite the end of Derek Landy's cult teen fiction fantasy franchise Skulduggery Pleasant, but it does signal that the end is coming for Skulduggery and Valkyrie. As the threat of Darquesse looms upon the Earth, a final battle must ensue ahead of her arrival to secure the safety of the planet, when the dead begin to rise and the magical world starts to crumble. As ever, it's a typically ludicrous premise, yet in response author Landy would probably ask fans this question- would you really want it any other way? (Thursday 29th)
4. RAYMAN LEGENDS- And it's another big video game release coming in August! Apologies, the novelty of that notion is still taking its good time to wear off. Rayman Legends is a bonafida successor to 2010's hit platforming reboot Rayman Origins, featuring the same visually stunning platforming gameplay that fans know and love along with a host of musical-themed sequences such as none other than Eye of the Tiger. If that isn't a selling prospect in itself, then I truly don't know what is. (Friday 30th)
3. KICK ASS 2- First reviews of Kick-Ass 2 are proving extremely positive, which should be something of a positive omen for those fans concerned that it may not attain the same cult status of success as its immediate predecessor. This time around, the narrative focuses on Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl rallying an army of pseudo-superheroes to best the growing ranks of super villainy in New York, leading to a comedic yet brutal final battle in New York which could well be one of the filmic highlights of 2013. Just wait until Red Mist's new title is uttered for the first time- hilarity will ensue...(Wednesday 14th)
2. DOCTOR WHO LIVE: THE NEXT DOCTOR- Who will it be? That's the question on the minds of millions of viewers right now, as we eagerly anticipate the newly-announced live Doctor Who special programme set to feature the announcement of the actor playing the Twelfth Doctor. Just as the surprise of discovering Matt Smith and David Tennant as new Doctors since the show's 2005 revival was extremely thrilling for fans and newcomers alike, so too should this transitional programme prove a captivating watch eight years on from Doctor Who's return. Enter Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, then, and more than anything, enter the future! (Sunday 4th)
1. THE NEWSROOM- No doubt it will have become apparent that selecting a victor to sit atop the throne of our Most Anticipated releases in August 2013 was extremely challenging. However, we've made a decision, and the release you see in first place more than warrants its position. The Newsroom turned out to be an absolutely stunning US television drama upon its debut this year, challenging the morals and beliefs of its audiences both domestic and international over the course of ten superb initial episodes. The stakes have only got higher for Season Two, though, when the News Night team leaks a story that could change everything, and in a nine-episode arc we discover the ramifications of this calamitous event through flashback sequences, lawyer firm discussions and the show's trademark innovative storytelling techniques employed by The Social Network's Aaron Sorkin. Without beating about the proverbial bush, this could be one of the defining television seasons of 2013. No pressure...(Tuesday 20th and 27th)