The new year is almost upon us, and that means a crush of fresh TV shows for our consideration.
Netflix, Hulu and co. may be tightening their belts following the actors’ strike, but that won’t stop original content coming our way over the next 12 months. What promises the most bang for our streaming buck?
Note: The just-wrapped actors’ strike could push a title or two into 2025.
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (Netflix) — I loved both Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Kora” animation shows. The live-action “Avatar” adaptation looks pitch perfect in casting, story, and tone… so I think we can forget about M. Night Shyamalan’s disastrous 2010 feature.
“Babylon Berlin” (Netflix) — This amazing show from Germany follows Detective Gereon Rath (from the Gereon Rath Mystery Series by Volker Kutscher) as he solves crimes in the Weimar Republic. We’ve had three seasons so far, and the fourth takes us up to the start of Nazi Germany. No official word from Netflix, but it has to make it to the U.S. this year, right?
“Fallout” (Prime) — I don’t play the video game, so I have no idea about the source material. Still, the game’s biggest fans are pumped about this series, and their enthusiasm is infectious. Let’s hope it’s more than just another post-apocalyptic show. Fingers crossed.
“True Detective” (HBO) — The fourth installment of a show featuring ill-partnered detectives looks promising. With Jodie Foster leading the cast, the expectations are heightened that this will be the best season since Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey kicked things off, although admittedly I’ve enjoyed all the seasons so far. The Northern Alaskan setting is perfect for a detective story.
“The Regime” (HBO) — There’s talent aplenty with Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts leading the cast, and the subject matter – the fall of a European regime – also inspires hope for this limited series.
“Masters of the Air” (AppleTV+) — From the producers of “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” (Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks) comes a tale of fighter pilots in the European Theater of war during WWII.
“Squid Game” (Netflix) — Season two has a high bar to meet following its spectacular debut. Where do they go from here? This show struck a nerve with its anti-capitalist message, and season two may double town on that theme.
“The Three Body Problem” (Netflix) — Based on the sci-fi book by Chinese author Cixin Liu, the show will hopefully keep the eeriness of the source material, both as social commentary and the dangers of a First Contact situation.
“Monsieur Spade” (AMC) — Clive Owen playing a retired Sam Spade living in Europe who is suddenly involved in a murder mystery? YES.
“Wednesday” (Netflix) — Season Two will rise or fall depending on how much the show’s creators listened to “Addams Family” fans who did nothing but pick season one apart. I liked the show’s debut and would be fine with more episodes with the same characters and setting, but I doubt that’s what we’re going to get. Production delays could push this show into early 2025.
“The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix) — Hard to say if season three of this wonderful show will drop in 2024 as we just had season two in 2023, but here’s hoping we’ll see it soon. I really like this low-key, low-stakes show about an L.A. lawyer and his band of merry misfits.
“The Boys” (Prime) — Arguably TV’s best show returns in 2024 for its third season. Its spinoff, “Gen V,” did so well it earned a second season before its first completed. From early trailers for “The Boys” it looks like Homelander (Antony Starr) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) fight for the soul of America. Should be epic, As an aside, if you were to ever to reboot “The Terminator” universe Starr would make a fantastic T model, just saying.
“Shogun” (FX) — The story of a Westerner in Shogunate Japan (from about 1192 until 1868) was too good a property to not remake. Everyone in the ’70s and ’80s read the book by James Clavell and watched the so-so TV adaptation from the 1980s. All that is in the rearview and, with tweaks here and there, it should play wonderfully for a new audience.
“Expats” (Prime) — This Nicole Kidman series follows expats living a grand life in Hong Kong. Looks fantastic.
“The Penguin” (MAX) — Colin Farrell reprises his role from the 2022 movie “The Batman” as a gangster on the rise in Gotham. It’s hard to say how any Batman show exists without Bruce Wayne. It is, after all, his universe. Personally, it’s hard to watch any show set in Gotham without expecting the Dark Knight to make an appearance.
“Time Bandits” (AppleTV+) — Based on the beloved 1981 movie, the show starring Lisa Kudrow promises to be a humorous romp through time and space.
“The Legend of Vox Machina” (Prime) — This series will grow on you. Season one was very funny while season two served up a solid story. What does season three hold?
“The Recruit” (Netflix) — Between “The Recruit” and “The Night Agent” you have two pretty good shows.. “The Recruit” is a bit more James Bond-like with an international flair and it ended with a pretty good cliffhanger, so I’m tentatively looking forward to season two.
“The Night Agent” (Netflix) — This is a fun show and like “The Recruit” it scratches that James Bond itch as you can think of this show as “James Bond: Year One.”
“House of the Dragon” (HBO) — Not sure I need any more stories from the “Game of Thrones” universe, but I guess I’ll tune in. And I won’t be alone.
“The Gentlemen” (Netflix) — Not a huge fan of the Guy Ritchie movie with Matthew McConaughey about pot empires and London thuggery, but it was enjoyable enough to want to see how a show based in that world plays out.
“Griselda” (Netflix) — Can I admit to you that I am all drug-dealered out? It’s from the team that gave us the excellent “Narcos” series, but I’m not sure I have another crime family series in me at this point.
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