There’s a lot to look forward to on the box this year. Critical darlings like Bridgerton, The Pitt, EuphoriaandThe Boys are all returning for new seasons, while old fan favourites like Malcolm in the Middle and Scrubs are being dusted off, spruced up and preparing for the spotlight once again after decades off-screen.
But today, we’re not talking about any of those. No. Instead, we’ve compiled a bunch of the all-new TV shows coming out this year that we think should be on your radar.
Narrowing down to just 10 shows was no easy task, this could have easily been a Top 20 list without breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, hard decisions had to be made. So here are the 10 shows we consider the best of the year so far.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials.
Netflix
Clues and chaos abound in this lavish adaptation of Agatha Christie’s crime novel starring Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman. At a fancy house party in the English countryside, a murder spoils the vibe and turns all the guests into suspects. Described as “witty, epic and fast-paced,” the fun is in trying to deduce whodunnit from the trail of Christie’s expertly placed breadcrumbs. Promises to be a murderously good time.
Watch: Netflix. When: 15 January
Alley Cats
Noted cat lover Ricky Gervais has seemingly taken inspiration from the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Top Cat, with this new animated series about a bunch of stray cats and their daily hijinks and is said to be filled with Gervais’ “signature style of heart and social commentary”.
After the brilliance of The Office UK and Extras, can Ricky Gervais create TV sitcom magic for a third time? We don’t want to sound catty, but based on his recent stand-up efforts, the answer unfortunately leans negative. Nevertheless, we’ll be hoping for the best.
Watch: Netflix. When: TBC.
The Beauty
This body-horror thriller from uber-producer Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Glee) sounds deliciously dumb. It follows two FBI agents tasked with investigating a mysterious sexually transmitted virus that is killing supermodels in increasingly gruesome ways. With the risk of the virus escaping the beautiful people and infecting the world, the agents’ against-the-clock investigation leads them to a shady company helmed by Ashton Kutcher’s globe-trotting tech-bro billionaire and the crosshairs of his ruthless assassin, who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
Watch: Disney+. When: 22 January
Blade Runner 2099
The acclaimed Blade Runner movie franchise swoops onto the small screen in this new series. Set 50 years after Denis Villeneuve’s mindbending 2017 movie sequel, details about the sci-fi dystopian show are more closely guarded than a replicant’s true identity. All we know so far is that it stars Michelle Yeoh as a seasoned replicant facing the end of her existence. All going well, Blade Runner 2099 will replicate the recent success of franchise founder Ridley Scott’s other movie-to-TV franchise, Alien: Earth.
Watch: Prime Video. When: TBC
Crackhead
Holly Shervey in Crackhead.
Supplied
Described as an “edgy dark comedy,” this new local show stars Holly Shervey as the titular crackhead, who is sentenced to a stint in rehab after burning down her sister’s house while under the influence. While playing for laughs, the show is said to take its topics of mental health and addiction seriously. It’s a thin line to walk, so let’s hope it’s addictive viewing.
Watch: ThreeNow. When: TBC
Good Bones
Josh Thomson in the series Good Bones.
Neon
Comedian Josh Thomson stars in the series Good Bones, which puts a dark satirical twist on the home renovation genre. In this comedy-horror, Thomson stars as a chronic procrastinator and first-time father-to-be who finally gets started on his long-promised DIY around the house. But when the drywall comes down, it reveals a horrific crime scene, which forces him to investigate the case while still keeping the renovation progressing.
Watch: Neon. When: TBC
Lord of the Flies
Multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Jack Thorne (Adolescence) is behind this adaptation of the harrowing, classic novel of the same name. The four-part drama stays faithful to the source material’s 1950s setting and follows a group of young boys who find themselves stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash. As their hopes of rescue drift further away, their initial civility degrades into tribal violence.
Watch: TVNZ+ When: TBC
The Miniature Wife
There is no truth to the rumour that this show was originally titled Honey, I Shrunk The You. In this surreal rom-com, Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen (of Succession fame) star as a married couple who have to deal with the big problem of Banks’ character being shrunk after a technological mishap.
Watch: TVNZ+ When: TBC
Ms. X
Could this be Aotearoa’s answer to Breaking Bad? Probably not. But the makers of this action-dramedy aren’t hiding that Ms. X follows the “good person gone bad” tropes. Here, a suburban Kiwi mum breaks bad after suspicions of her husband’s infidelity set her on a collision course with organised crime, the law and, most fearsome of all, her school’s PTA. Melissa George heads the all-star local cast, which also includes Simone Kessell, Dean O’Gorman and, and Robbie Magasiva.
Watch: ThreeNow. When: TBC
Scarpetta
Nicole Kidman as Kay Scarpetta.
Amazon MGM Studios
Nicole Kidman dons the white lab coat of forensic pathologist Dr Kay Scarpetta, in this crime-thriller series based on Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling series of novels. The show sees Scarpetta return to her hometown to investigate a trail of grisly murders that point to a serial killer on the loose. But on her return, old crimes resurface as she navigates forensic science and psychological trauma. Jamie Lee Curtis also stars as Scarpetta’s sister, Dorothy.
Watch: Prime Video. When: 11 March
Small Town Scandal
Tom Sainsbury in Small Town Scandal.
Neon
Comedian Tom Sainsbury adapts his hit True Crime spoof podcast into this eight-part comedy series. He plays a podcaster investigating the suspicious death of his millionaire uncle and interrogating the eccentrics that live in the same small fictional town of Te Hōiho. The series also stars local Emmy-winning actress Morgana O’Reilly, award-winning comedian Rose Matafeo and Brit comedy icon Felicity Kendal.
Watch: Sky Comedy / Neon. When: 9 February
Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir will drop on Prime Video this year.
Prime
In a quirk of licensing, this live-action series based on the Marvel hero Spider-Man Noir has no connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Disney+. Which, depending on your view, is could be either a good or bad thing.
Instead, this 1930’s superhero series swings onto Prime Video as part of Sony’s dazzling and highly inventive Spider-Verse, er, universe. After voicing the down-on-his-luck private investigator in the animated films, Nicholas Cage returns as the titular character in the show that promises to blend classic detective drama with superhero elements.
Watch: Prime Video. When: TBC.
The Testaments
Lucy Halliday and Chase Infiniti in The Testaments.
Based on author Margaret Atwood’s Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, this new series returns us to the dystopian theocracy of Gilead around five years after the events of THT. The series, which went into production straight after the conclusion of THT, follows a new group of young women as they attempt to fight the patriarchy and a society conditioned to keep them down.
Watch: Disney+. When: April.
Karl Puschmann is an arts and entertainment journalist and the author of Screen Crack, a Substack dedicated to film and television: screencrack.substack.com.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand