30. “Dune: The Sisterhood” (HBO Max)
Somewhat troubled behind-the-scenes (the showrunner was let go just as production started, after a second co-showrunner, Alison Schapker, was brought on board and took over), let’s hope that’s the end of problems for the Bene Gesserit “Dune” spinoff. Set 10,000 years before Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster film, the series stars Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson, Indira Varma, Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, and Chris Mason, with music by Sigur Rós‘ Jónsi. “Chernobyl” filmmaker Johan Renck directs the pilot.
Airdate: Given VFX, likely late 2023 at the earliest.
29. “The Idol” (HBO)
Sam Levinson is back! The creator of “Euphoria” has another fascinating HBO project that has already had a tumultuous production. Amy Seimetz had to step off the project earlier this year, and it was reportedly completely overhauled, with whole episodes that Seimetz shot getting scrapped. Just a producer at the time, Levinson stepped in to direct the series that stars Lily-Rose Depp as a rising pop star who falls from grace and has to fight her way back to stardom with the help of a cult leader played The Weeknd. Yes, you read that right. It also stars Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, and many more. No matter what happens, there’s no way this will be boring.
Airdate: TBD – BT
28. “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Putting aside the fact that Jason Segel’s character in this Apple comedy is reportedly named Jimmy Johns, this project certainly sounds like one of the most interesting of the new year. The pedigree behind it is insane, including creators Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein (those two dudes made a little show called “Ted Lasso”) and direction from the wonderful James Ponsoldt (“The Spectacular Now”). And there’s the little fact that, even though “1923” will premiere first, this was technically the first TV assignment for one Mr. Harrison Ford. The living legend plays a therapist who basically loses it, telling all his patients what he thinks about them all the time. It leads to chaos.
Airdate: January 27, 2023 – BT
27. “The White House Plumbers” (HBO)
Based on public records and the book “Integrity” by Egil Krogh, this big-budget political drama miniseries has one of the most impressive casts of 2023. It’s led by Woody Harrelson, Domhnall Gleeson, Lena Headey, and Justin Theroux, returning to the network that broadcast his great work on “The Leftovers.” It gets better. Harrelson plays Howard Hunt and Theroux plays G. Gordon Liddy in the five-part true story of how they “accidentally toppled the presidency they were trying to protect” when they masterminded a little thing called Watergate. As the country continues to process what happened during the election of 2020 and in the months that followed, a dramatic mini-series about corrupt, stupid political allies might be just the thing.
Airdate: March 2023 – BT
26. “Expats” (Amazon)
Now that the midsized budget drama has all but evaporated, and following “Big Little Lies,” “Top of the Lake,” “The Undoing” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” it almost seems official that Nicole Kidman has moved into the realm of TV. Her latest follows the vibrant lives of a close-knit expatriate community: where affluence is celebrated, friendships are intense but knowingly temporary, and personal lives, deaths, and marriages are played out publicly.” Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Sarayu Blue, and Brian Tee co-star. Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) is an exec-producer and writes and directs multiple episodes.
Airdate: TBD via Amazon. – RP
25. “Mrs. Davis” (Peacock)
This one sure is odd but bold, but maybe that’s what we should expect from creators and producers Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez. The story? “Mrs. Davis” is the world’s most powerful A.I. algorithm. Betty Gilpin stars as Simone, the nun devoted to destroying Her. Strange enough for you? Jake McDorman and Andy McQueen star and the supporting cast includes Ben Chaplin, Margo Martindale, David Arquette, Elizabeth Marvel, and more.
Airdate: April 20, via Peacock. – RP
24. “Daisy Jones & The Six” (Amazon)
Cameron Crowe’s “Roadies” just couldn’t connect on Showtime, and Martin Scorsese’s “Vinyl” got canceled early, but maybe “Daisy Jones & The Six” can break the curse of rock n’ roll on TV. Based on the novel of the same name, ‘The Six’ centers on “a rock band in the 1970s from their rise in the LA music scene to become one of the most legendary bands in the world.” Told in faux-documentary style, Riley Keough plays the band’s frontwoman, and Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, and Nabiyah Be co-stars. Reese Witherspoon executive produces alongside “500 Days of Summer” scribes and series writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.
Airdate: March 3, via Amazon. – RP
23. “Fargo” Season 5 (FX)
Doing a Coen Brothers series spinoff that the brothers wanted nothing to do with shouldn’t have worked, but five seasons later, Noah Hawley’s anthology series there’s still lots of gas in the tank with stories about crime, absurdity, and the existential doom chasing you for your sins. Not much is known, but it’s apparently set in 2019 and asks the questions: when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours? Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, Richa Moorjani, and Dave Foley star.
Airdate: TBD, via FX. – RP
22. “Extrapolations” (Apple TV+)
Writer/director Scott Z. Burns is known for a lot of genre work (the ‘Bourne’ series, working with Steven Soderbergh), but people tend to forget the filmmaker is an Academy Award winner for producing the documentary, “The Inconvenient Truth,” aka combating climate change is one of his personal passions. So, Burns has created a star-studded anthology show that depicts the effects of climate change through interconnected stories. The cast is major: Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard, Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Gemma Chan, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Eiza González, Forest Whitaker, and many, many more with cinematographer/filmmaker Ellen Kuras as one of the directors.
Airdate: TBD, but most of the writing credits are out, which is a good sign. – RP
21. “Succession” Season 4 (HBO)
What is there to say about Jesse Armstrong’s “Succession” that hasn’t already been said? This family dynasty satirical black comedy-drama is one of the best shows on television full stop. Its cast, including Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun and Alan Ruck, is amazing (there’s about another dozen amazing ensemble members too). Its writing and direction are off the charts and it’s so damn entertaining and engrossing. In Season 4, we find out how all the betrayals and double-crosses of the Waystar RoyCo, global media company go down.
Airdate: Spring 2023 – RP