After a rocky period of Hollywood strikes and production delays, TV is back, baby. 2024 is already shaping up to be an excellent year for the small screen, with everything from a Batman spin-off to a star-studded World War II drama slated to keep us entertained.
True Detective: Night Country
Release date: 15th January
The fourth instalment of True Detective has landed, starring Jodie Foster in the lead as the prickly and sardonic Detective Liz Danvers. Set against a frozen landscape in the near-perpetual darkness of Ennis, Alaska, the six-episode thriller is nothing short of chilling. Literally.
Expats
Release date: 26th January
Chinese-born American filmmaker Lulu Wang made a name for herself with The Farewell, a beautifully bittersweet film about family and identity. So it’s safe to say that we have high hopes for Wang’s first foray into television. Her Hong-Kong-set mini-series Expats, starring Nicole Kidman, follows three women against a backdrop of the 2014 protests, depicting their experiences of privilege and tragedy. High hopes indeed.
Masters of the Air
Release date: 26th January
Hank and Spielberg’s Band of Brothers follow-up boasts a jam-packed cast that reads like a rolodex of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, including Barry Keoghan, Austin Butler and Ncuti Gatwa. The gripping World War II drama follows the US Army’s 100th Bombardment Group, as they take to the skies to help destroy Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
The New Look
Release date: 14th February
Another World War II series, this time with a completely different slant. The New Look is a stylish Apple TV+ number that charts the rise of Christian Dior (played by Ben Mendelsohn) and his contemporaries (Juliette Binoche plays Coco Chanel) amidst the horrors of war.
The Regime
Release date: 3rd March
After a multiple award-winning performance in the excellent Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet is returning to the small screen in a limited series called The Regime. She stars as the Chancellor of a modern European authoritarian regime that she’s desperate to maintain control of as it unravels.
Doctor Who
Release date: May
The latest season of Doctor Who sees up-and-comer Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by a new companion Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson). There’ll be hijinks aplenty, as the two travel through space and time to fight monsters. With Russell T. Davies at the helm, it’s guaranteed to be the topic of much water cooler chat.
The Penguin
Release date: Autumn
This spin-off of Robert Pattinson’s 2022 The Batman film stars Colin Farrell packed in prosthetics as the Penguin aka Oswald Cobblepot. The eight-episode series will follow the villain’s rise to power in the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Originally slated for an early 2024 release, The Penguin, like many other projects, was pushed back because of last year’s actors’ strikes. Fingers crossed it won’t suffer any more set-backs.
Dune: Prophecy
Release date: TBA
Sci-fi favourite Dune is getting its own spin-off TV series at some point in the second half of 2024. Little is known about it right now except that it’s a prequel set 10,000 years before the book took place, and will focus on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, an exclusive sisterhood of superhuman members.
Ripley
Release date: TBA
Andrew Scott promises to seduce and scintillate in his upcoming turn as Tom Ripley in this year’s small screen adaptation of the classic Patricia Highsmith novel. It’s a story we know so well, but that won’t stop us from watching Scott’s stylish version.
This Town
Release date: TBA
Set amidst the 1980s ska explosion in the Midlands, This Town explores the ways in which creative genius can emerge from chaos and violence. Starring Michelle Dockery, Jordan Bolger and Geraldine James, it also features original music by Dan Carey and Kae Tempest. Peaky Blinders’ Stephen Knight is the lead writer, so it’s safe to say expectations are high.
For more 2024 culture recommendations, check out our pick of the year's best books...
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