BBC America's sci-fi drama Orphan Black was one of the biggest surprises of 2013. The smart, sexy and thrilling ten-episode first season was a fascinating exploration of the true nature of identity and science gone crazy, and proved itself to be a mystery worth getting obsessed over.

Orphan Black stars Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning, a young mother and orphan with a troubled past who, as the story opens, is attempting to pull her life together and reunite with her seven-year-old daughter while on the run from her thug ex-boyfriend, Vic (Michael Mando). When Sarah witnesses the suicide of a young woman who looks exactly like her, she takes on her identity and is suddenly thrust into a bizarre mystery involving a number of other women identical to Sarah who are all gentically-identical clones, with the question of who created them and why forming the heart of the mystery.

Fans have been in the dark all year when it comes to just when we can expect a second season. We've had very little to go on, but now Orphan Black's Facebook page has revealed a ten-second video with, at long last, the premiere date for Season 2: April 19, 2014.

Orphan Black Sarah and clones

Orphan Black impressed audiences by hitting the ground running with a fully-realized world and a host of clearly-defined characters worth caring about - including the scene-stealing Jordan Gavaris as Sarah's foster brother, Felix. Despite the intriguing central mystery about the origin of Sarah, her fellow clones and their purpose, the main draw of the series is Tatiana Maslany, who in her first major role has proven to be a powerful, charismatic lead who pulls off some amazing acting feats. Her future is bright, with her recent recurring role on Parks & Recreation proving she can switch gears and pull off an engaging comedic presence.

BBC kept us waiting for what felt like an eternity for the third season of Sherlockbut given the schedules of stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, the delay is not surprising. Roughly a year between seasons is normal, but the interesting thing about Orphan Black's second season premiere date is how soon it'll appear, given the complicated logistics involved in filming scenes where Manslany plays up to four different people - a single scene featuring Sarah and all the clones can take up to 17 hours to film.

So if you haven't delved into Orphan Black's many, varied pleasures, there's time to get caught up before the Season 2 premiere. There's no telling how many layers this conspiracy has.

_____

Orphan Black's Season 2 premieres on April 19, 2014 on BBC America.