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The new hit television shows you’ll love in 2015

From free-to-air to video on-demand and pay TV, the amount of premium television available these days is both glorious and daunting.

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Fear the water cooler no more. Here are The New Daily’s top five picks for 2015, guaranteed to please everyone from critic to the most discerning colleague.

Peaky Blinders

For fans of: Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Deadwood, Downton Abbey

A bloody waltz into the real-life exploits of Birmingham’s Peaky Blinders gang, this TV series follows the notorious urban youth mob at the height of their infamy.

In his bid to escape the demons of his past and forge a future devoid of the threat of incarceration or worse, Thomas Shelby leads his gang from the lows of misdemeanours to the heights of criminal notoriety and the occasional legitimate business venture.

With multi-award winner Cillian Murphy as the calculating gang leader, the tale is as riveting as it is brutal: fellow cast members Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Dish) and Helen McCrory (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hugo) offer dramatic foil and sinister matriarch respectively.

Debuting in late 2014, Peaky Blinders has quietly grown in popularity with BBC viewers to become this year’s period drama du jour.

Where to watch: BBC First (on Foxtel) and Netflix.

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American Crime

For fans of: True Detective, Ray Donovan, Homeland, Breaking Bad, Dexter

When a war veteran is murdered and his wife brutally attacked in a home invasion, the lives of those either side of the crime are thrown under the microscope as the trial and aftermath expose their true values.

From the writer of 12 Years a Slave and Three Kings, American Crime is a sprawling exploration of America’s complicated racial issues that throws various shades of light on the country’s criminal justice system.

Where to watch: For now, the series is only available online and is yet to get an Aussie air date.

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The Last Man on Earth

For fans of: The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development

Starring comedy heavyweights Will Forte (30 Rock, SNL) and Kristen Shaal (30 Rock, Bob’s Burgers), this irreverent apocalypse tale makes for delightfully awkward viewing.

With no fellow survivors, no zombies and no concern about societal judgement, Phil Miller (Forte) travels America assuming himself the only person left on the planet.

Having given up on any hope to repopulate the human race, Miller is free to treat the world like his own private bachelor pad. That is until he meets Carol (Shaal), his perfect mismatch.

Rest assured the story is played for laughs, not for lessons, so don’t go digging beneath the pathos for redemption.

Where to watch: For now, the series is only available online and is yet to get an Aussie air date.

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iZombie

For fans of: Veronica Mars, Dollhouse, Smallville, The 100, Under the Dome

Based on the comic book of the same name, iZombie promises to inject life (pun definitely intended) into the tiring zombie trope, with Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas behind the wheel.

Following in the stylistic footsteps of shows like Buffy and Veronica Mars, Rose McIver (Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) plays Liv Moore, medical examiner and zombie.

Upon ingesting the decaying grey matter of her autopsy subjects, Moore temporarily gains the memories and abilities of her meal, which she then uses to aid Police investigations into various crimes.

While it may seem a little lightweight for premium TV, iZombie is already making big waves overseas. BRAAIIINNSSSSSSS.

Where to watch: GO!

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Westworld

For fans of: Person of Interest, Arrow, Almost Human, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

In the 1973 film Westworld Yul Brenner stalked a dusty wild west town as a crazed cyborg gone rogue, gunning down anyone in his path, a literal cold-hearted executioner.

This modern television version sees Ed Harris in the role of deadly antagonist, strapping on some iron to terrorise two hapless victims at large in the amusement park. Even Anthony Hopkins makes an appearance as the doctor in charge of the amusement park’s robot inhabitants.

Created by the writer of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, expect a roller coaster ride (again, pun intended) of malevolent foes, heart-pounding suspense and the occasional, ‘You were a robot all along?!’

HBO is yet to set a release date, but it teased footage of the show in its 2015 promo reel (you can watch it below).

Where to watch: Most likely Foxtel, although it is yet to hit US screens.

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There is more amazing TV coming out later in 2015, so check back on The New Daily for future announcements.

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