Only three of the eight series I listed on my last anticipation post actually made it to air in the year I made the post for, but that doesn't bother me much. The idea here was always to get myself to take a closer look at projects working their way through the production pipeline, and remind myself that there are titles I'm looking forward to. Still, this time around I'm putting down fewer titles and being a little more careful about timing.
This year in particular is going to see even more scheduling chaos because of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The entries below are listed in no particular order, and I'm doing away with my prior rule to limit picks to only one title per streamer or network. After all, I'm not subscribing to all of these services anymore for the foreseeable future.
True Detective: Night Country (HBO) - Jodie Foster will lead this latest installment of HBO's crime anthology series, centering around an investigation into why all the scientists at an Arctic outpost were found dead. John Hawks, Christopher Eccleston, and Fiona Shaw are part of the ensemble. I'm especially interested in the showrunner being Issa Lopez, who made the wonderful "Tigers are Not Afraid" a few years back. Since this was delayed from 2023, the trailer has already been in circulation for a long while.
Anansi Boys (Prime) - This one's been in post-production since 2022, so I'm hoping it pops up sometime this year. Based on a Neil Gaiman novel, and technically part of the "American Gods" universe, this is a fantasy series about a man who discovers that he has a double, as well as family ties to some powerful, and incredibly aggravating magic users. Malachi Kirby and Delroy Lindo will head an all-star cast. I'm a Gaiman fan who liked reading "Anansi Boys" much better than "American Gods," and I'm hopeful that this comes off well.
Skeleton Crew (Disney+) - I skipped "Ahsoka" because I wasn't keen on navigating a "Star Wars" show that functioned as a sequel to all the animated series I hadn't watched. "Skeleton Crew," however, is reportedly designed to be an entry point for younger viewers new to the "Star Wars" universe. The guys behind "Spider-man: Homecoming" are creating a show about four lost kids just trying to get home, and Jude Law will be in the mix somewhere as a "Force user." I have no idea who any of the characters are, and neither does anyone else. Perfect.
Zero Day (Netflix) - This one had its filming interrupted by the strikes, but is shaping up to be a pretty high profile prestige title. Described as a limited-series conspiracy thriller about an unfolding world crisis, "Zero Day" follows characters played by Robert DeNiro, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Joan Allen, and more as they try to untangle the truth about a situation spinning out of control. The script is co-written by Eric Newman from "Narcos," and Lesli Linka Glatter, best known for her work on "Mad Men" and "Homeland," is directing.
The New Look (Apple TV+) - Here's an interesting one. I have no idea if Ben Mendehlsohn playing Christian Dior will work, but I certainly want to see him try. Juliette Binoche and John Malkovitch appearing in supporting roles as Coco Chanel and Lucien DeLong doesn't hurt either. The series will focus on efforts to revive the French fashion industry post-WWII. A first season has completed filming, and a second was planned before the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed it.
Shogun (FX/Hulu) - James Clavell's popular Japanese historical fiction novel is one of the few properties out there that can actually be accurately described as being like "Game of Thrones," and it sure looks like FX has committed the resources to adapt it properly. Hiroyuki Sanada is in the role of Toranga, originally played by Toshiro Mifune in the 1980s miniseries. Justin Marks, formerly of the gone-too-soon "Counterpart," and Rachel Kondo will be showrunning.
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