What a relief it is to close the door on 2023, an annus horribilis for the entertainment industry (and the world).
After the dual strikes effectively shut down most production from May through November, the doors have reopened again onto a landscape that’s been forever changed. The realities of the streaming bubble and the rifts between legacy media v. Silicon Valley companies were put into stark relief during the strikes, and whether some of the legacy studios survive next year intact is a very real question. (As we were finishing writing this introduction, as if to emphasize the point, the news broke of a possible merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global.)
In the practical terms for this 2024 TV preview, consumers should start seeing fewer shows as of next year: But whether people will even notice when there’s still just so much content is an open question — especially when the beginning of the year is stacked like never before.
That’s because one tangible result of the strikes is that shows that would have premiered in fall 2023 — such as HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” and FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” — were pushed into the new year, and the result is an insane pile-up in January, as you will see below (and we’re not including everything, obviously).
Another by-product of the strikes is that network TV programs, most of which went into production as soon as the actors strike ended, will also be rolling out in the first quarter of the year, with shows like ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and NBC’s “One Chicago” lineup premiering in slots normally allocated for midseason replacements. What the effect of this shift will be on tried-and-true network shows is anyone’s guess.
While we’ve included 34 shows in this preview, the new methodology in the streaming age (even for non-streamers) is to continue to play hide-the-ball with premiere dates in order to preserve maximum flexibility. So the latest date that’s been announced at all is for the split third season of Netflix’s “Bridgerton” (May 16 and June 13). Beyond that, other than the Olympics in July, there’s just “summer” for Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” on HBO and “fall” for Disney+’s “Agatha: Darkhold Diaries” (the “WandaVision” spinoff revolving around Kathryn Hahn’s breakout villain).
The outlet with the most high-profile projects without dates is, naturally, Netflix, since the dominant streamer still has the greatest number of shows, period. Viewers can anticipate the final seasons of “Cobra Kai” and “Umbrella Academy,” along with Andrew Scott in “Ripley” (likely within the Emmys’ window of the spring). Eventually, among many other new and returning shows, Netflix’s audience will also see “Dead Boy Detectives,” Hayley Atwell as the title star of “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” and David E. Kelley’s long-awaited adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s novel “A Man in Full,” starring Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane.
HBO and Max also have a number of highly anticipated undated shows, starting with the Robert Downey Jr. satire “The Sympathizer” (likely this spring, for Emmys purposes), to be followed later in the year by the huge IP plays of the Batman-offshoot “The Penguin” (with Colin Farrell!) and “Dune: Prophecy,” a prequel series to the blockbuster movie franchise — both of which are on Max. Returning for new seasons on Max will be Season 2 of “Tokyo Vice,” and the third seasons of both “Hacks” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
We have a number of Apple TV+ shows on this list, but still to be slotted are “Dark Matter,” Blake Crouch’s adaptation of his own novel, led by Joel Edgerton, and “Lady in the Lake,” the Natalie Portman-starring limited series (based on Laura Lippman’s 2019 mystery) — among many others. And then there’s the small matter of the return of the Emmy-nominated “Severance” for Season 2, which despite reports to the contrary, we’ve heard is going to be excellent.
Netflix, Apple TV+ and HBO/Max aren’t alone in not frigging announcing dates for shows we’re excited to see: someday. The date for Hulu’s adaptation of Georgia Hunter’s bestselling novel “We Were the Lucky Ones” — starring Joey King and Logan Lerman — about a Jewish family during World War II, is TBA. That’s also the case for Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown,” Charles Yu’s adaptation of his own 2020 novel that used a screenplay structure to serve as a commentary on race and representation in popular culture. In addition to “Agatha,” Disney+, Hulu’s corporate sibling, will also feature Leslye Headland’s take on “Star Wars” in “The Acolyte,” and, with the animated “X-Men ‘97,” Marvel Studios will dip its toes into that franchise for the first time.
Those are just some of the undated shows from the dominant players. We’re also looking forward finally to seeing “Orphan Black: Echoes” on AMC, which will also have Season 2 of “Interview With the Vampire.” Speaking of second seasons, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” should also return next year — and we hope it won’t run right up against “House of the Dragon” again this time, if only for its own sake. There’s also Showtime’s “Gentleman in Moscow,” starring Ewan McGregor. And speaking of star power, Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine play mother and son in the Starz acquisition of “Mary & George,” which we nominate as having the most batshit trailer of a period series in years. (Watch it here!)
Now, let us turn our attention to those shows who’ve done us the courtesy of announcing their dates! They’re in chronological order — and we wish you all a happy New Year, with much excellent watching in your futures.