NOVEMBER
“The Crown” (Netflix) – November 15
The monarchy, above all else, obviously. In Season 4 of everyone’s favorite British Royalty historical drama, about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and principally written by Peter Morgan, Gillian Anderson (Margaret Thatcher) and Emma Corrin (Lady Diana Spencer) join Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth II). So far, “The Crown” has spanned from 1947 all the way up to now, the 1980s, with the advent of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership. It’s a show full of irresistible drama, delicious scandals, reliably luxurious fashion, timeless pageantry, and the icy lashing from the whip of a haughty royal tongue. Presumably, all that continues in Season 4.
“No Man’s Land” (Hulu) – November 18
Co-creator Maria Feldman got the idea for this streaming drama after watching a news report about an all-female militia that fights ISIS in Syria. Sounds pretty badass. Somewhat surprisingly, the story is reportedly told through the eyes of a young man named Antoine (Felix Moati), whose search for his estranged sister leads him to a group of Kurdish female fighters. An interesting twist to this story based on truth is that ISIS believes that they will only go to heaven and get their 72 virgins if they die in battle at the hands of a man, making all-female fighting forces particularly terrifying for soldiers in the organization. Melanie Thierry and James Purefoy co-star.
“Animaniacs” (Hulu) – November 20
Wakko, Yakko, and Dot are back! The stars of the hit cartoon series from the ‘90s are being revived for a two-season offering with many of the original voice actors returning and even the involvement of one of the biggest directors of all time. Produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the new “Animaniacs” will likely look a lot like the old “Animaniacs,” featuring not only on skits based on the adventures of the Warner siblings but fan favorites Pinky and the Brain. The big news is that Steven Spielberg has returned as executive producer for a show designed to appeal to children of the ‘90s, many of whom probably have children of their own now.
“The Stand” (CBS All Access) – December 17
CBS has finally announced a launch date for their biggest non-“Star Trek” property to date, this high profile mini-series adaptation of the Stephen King epic of the same name. Already adapted into a mini-series once before, this version was directed by Josh Boone (“The New Mutants”) and features an incredible ensemble. A story of a group of survivors that bands together after the end of the world (relatable in 2020) stars James Marsden as Stu Redman, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, and Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg. The ensemble also includes Amber Heard, Greg Kinnear, Jovan Adepo, Daniel Sunjata, Nat Wolff, Heather Graham, and Marilyn Manson. There’s a reason that King’s 1978 novel has remained a fan favorite for over four decades. This could be one of the biggest TV events of the fall and a major moment of growth for a still-new streaming service.
“Your Honor” (Showtime) – TBD
Bryan Cranston returns to TV for this Showtime mini-series about a father who goes to extremes to protect his son after a fatal hit and run. Writers have been asking for years how far people would go to keep their loved ones out of jail—Apple TV+ just did it with their adaptation of “Defending Jacob” with Chris Evans—and that concept finds new life here in the story of a judge who knows exactly how to bend the law to protect his offspring. How far will he keep pushing his legal and judicial ethics to keep his family safe? Of course, lies always compound in these stories, this one based on an Israeli series called “Kvodo,” and running for ten episodes on the pay cable network sometime this Fall per a teaser released by the network. Michael Stuhlbarg, Hope Davis, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Carmen Ejogo, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. fill out an excellent cast for this 10-episode series written by Peter Moffat.
“Small Axe” (Amazon) – TBD
The festival scene was rocked this summer by the announcement that the first three episodes of Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated BBC project would launch the 58th New York Film Festival on September 25th, 2020. Sometime shortly thereafter, expect the series to drop on Amazon Prime stateside, although this is not your typical drama offering. It’s essentially five feature films from the director of “12 Years a Slave” and “Widows.” Two of them that will now launch at NYFF—“Mangrove” and “Lovers Rock”—were even slated to premiere at Cannes. The five films are connected in that they all focus on political and social unrest in London from the ‘60s to ‘80s. “Black Panther” star Letitia Wright headlines “Mangrove” (about the Mangrove Nine, a protest group tried for inciting a riot in 1970) while John Boyega stars in “Red, White, and Blue,” about an officer who joins the force to uncover systemic racism.
“Truth Seekers” (Amazon) – October 30
Given the number of productions that were shut down during the pandemic, it can be difficult to predict what exactly is being ramped up again and when it will premiere, but this one has an official poster and a preview that dropped at SDCC@Home, so it’s a safe bet that it will launch sometime this Fall. That’s good news for fans of Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy as this series reunites the lovable stars of “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “The World’s End,” not only on-screen but as show creators. Nick Frost plays Gus, the head of a team of paranormal investigators; Simon Pegg plays Dave, the man in charge of the broadband company at which Gus works, and someone with a secret or two himself. All that and Malcolm McDowell in a supporting role. Hopefully, the truth is out there sooner than later.
“A Teacher” (Hulu) – November 10
Hannah Fidell wrote and directed this adaptation of her own 2013 film of the same name, which starred Lindsay Burdge and Will Brittain. Much like the film, it’s about a sexual relationship between a young teacher and a senior at the high school at which she works. Kate Mara plays the teacher here and Nick Robinson the student that catches her eye, leading to an affair that tears their families apart. The 9-episode version of this film has been in development since 2014, where it was originally slated to run at HBO. Technically an FX production, this is one of the network’s partnership offerings with Hulu, much like “Devs” from earlier this year. No, we can’t keep track of it all either.
