15. “Guerrilla”
Synopsis: A couple, active in the political underground of 1970s London, liberate a political prisoner and target the Black Power Desk, a branch of counter-intelligence aimed at suppressing black activism.
What You Need To Know: For someone of such mountainous charisma, Idris Elba’s big-screen roles have been somewhat disappointing — from “Pacific Rim” to “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” — and the cream of the crop “Beasts of No Nation” was itself mostly seen on small screens due to its Netflix provenance. But The Man Who Was Stringer Bell has been better used on television, from “The Wire,” obviously, to British cop show “Luther.” And now comes “Guerrilla,” a genuinely incendiary-sounding take on the little-seen London-based black resistance movement of the 1970s from “12 Years a Slave” writer John Ridley, who will also direct the first two episodes. It’s billed as a “limited event” series to air on Showtime in the U.S. and Sky in the U.K., and with Ridley having something to prove other than the “curse of Oscar” (his post-win writing credits include duds “Jimi: All Is By My Side” and “Ben-Hur“) and a cast including Freida Pinto, Rory Kinnear and rising star Babou Ceesay (“Free Fire,” “Eye in the Sky“) we’re hoping for something very special here.
Airdate: None so far, but it may air in the U.K. before the U.S..
14. “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Synopsis: In a dystopian future America of fanatical religion where the rights of women have been stripped away, a young woman kept for childbearing purposes begins an illegal affair with a commander.
What You Need To Know: Though they had growing success in 2016 with “11.22.63” and “The Path,” Hulu still awaits its “House Of Cards” or “Transparent” moment — the critical and/or commercial breakout that really carves out their place in the streaming landscape and makes them a must-subscribe destination. But it might come with their adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s well-loved classic of dystopian literature (though it will seem distinctly less dystopian in an age when an admitted sexual abuser with nauseatingly regressive views on women’s reproductive rights sits in the White House). Adapted for TV by “E.R.” and “Eureka” writer Bruce Miller and “Empire” showrunner Ilene Chaiken, it’ll be directed, at least at first, by the very talented “Meadowlands” helmer and DP Reed Morano, which can only be good news. And the great Elisabeth Moss will topline a strong cast, also including “Orange Is The New Black” breakout Samira Wiley, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd, Max Minghella and Yvonne Strahovski. Don’t expect an easy watch, but do expect a vital one.
Airdate: *Edited* Sooner than we thought (yes!) the show’s set to air in April 2017.
13. “She’s Gotta Have It”
Synopsis: Nola Darling, a Brooklynite artist in her late 20s, juggles her independence with the demands of her love life which features three very different men.
What You Need To Know: There couldn’t be a clearer signal of Netflix’s intentions to corner every market in moving-picture entertainment than that they’re the ones stumping up the cash for indie pioneer Spike Lee (in collaboration with his producer wife Tonya Lewis Lee) to rework his shoestring-budget debut into a prestige half-hour comedy-drama, 30 years after the film bowed. Set to star DeWanda Wise, who’s about to have a very big year as she’s also a major part of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “Shots Fired” (see above), in the role originally played by Tracy Camilla Johns, and co-starring Anthony Ramos, Cleo Anthony and Lyriq Bent as her lovers, it remains to be seen how much the sexually frank relationship drama will resemble the original, given that the Brooklyn of 2016 is a very different place from the Brooklyn of 1986. But with Lee directing all the episodes, we’re pretty confident he’ll find ways to provoke.
Airdate: None yet.
12. “The Young Pope”
Synopsis: A renegade yet hyper-traditionalist new Pope, the youngest in the modern era and an American with a shady past to boot, causes major upheaval amid the political infighting in the Vatican and among the Catholic faithful worldwide.
What You Need To Know: In most cases, we’re shooting a little in the dark with these entries, but “The Young Pope,” from Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino (“The Great Beauty,” “Youth“), debuted its first two episodes at Venice this year, so we know whereof we speak when we say it’s a subversive, wicked, great-to-look-at treat. Starring a career-best Jude Law as the Diet Cherry Coke-sipping, chain-smoking new Pope who lucks into the role as the result of a political maneuver that backfires spectacularly when he proves not to be the easily manipulable puppet the conclave had hoped for, it also features choice roles for a great international cast including Diane Keaton, James Cromwell, Javier Cámara, Ludivine Sagnier, Cécile de France and many more. Mordant, funny, twisted and edged with a heightened, surreal vibe that makes it creepy on top of it all, it’s a highly original take on a controversial, potentially blasphemous premise, and we can’t wait to devour the rest of it.
Airdate: Sunday, Jan. 15, 9pm ET on HBO.
11. “I’m Dying Up Here”
Synopsis: In 1970s LA, a tough comedy-club owner presides over her domain with an iron fist and tough-loves her up-and-coming comics through their personal and professional crises.
What You Need To Know: Produced by Jim Carrey, and starring Melissa Leo as the brassy club owner, Ari Graynor, Andrew Santino, RJ Cyler, Al Madrigal, Erik Griffin and Stephen Guarino star as the club’s regular stand-ups, Michael Angarano and Clark Duke as the newbies in from Boston hungry to make it big in the City of Angels, and Jake Lacy (“Girls“) as a substance-abusing young comic in this pretty star-studded affair. And that’s before you even take into account guest stars like Alfred Molina, Sebastian Stan, Robert Forster, Jon Daly, Dylan Baker, Brianne Howey, Ginger Gonzaga and Cathy Moriarty. Created by Dave Flebotte (“Masters of Sex,” “Will & Grace“) and William Knoedelseder, with Flebotte writing the series based on Knoedelseder’s novel of the same name, it promises to be a dark comedy (in the hourlong format) which may somewhat echo Carrey’s own career high with Andy Kaufman biopic “Man On The Moon” in terms of tone, milieu and era. Billed as an insider-y look into a fascinating period for the profession of stand-up comedian, it could go either way, but we’re hopeful it will be “Mad Men” with jokes rather than a stand-up version of “Vinyl.”
Airdate: Nothing announced, but the pilot was picked up to series way back in January 2016, so sooner rather than later, hopefully.