12 New Shows To Binge
2019 was an amazing year for series, from Netflix’s The Witcher to Amazon Prime’s The Boys to Disney +’s The Mandalorian. With such a huge variety of amazing shows catering for every need, will 2020 live up to the high standards of last year? These twelve shows might just make 2020 the best year ever for series.
Messiah
Bringing in the new decade from the 1st of January, Netflix’s Messiah tells the story of a mysterious man that arrives in America claiming to be the chosen one, the true messiah. This chosen one starts attracting international attention and followers through acts of public disruption and it’s up to a CIA officer to investigate this mysterious stranger and uncover if he is indeed a divine entity or a dangerous con artist. This intense political and sci-fi thriller is set to get the heart racing and leave the viewer to make up their own mind about the authenticity of the new messiah.
AJ and the Queen
After the massive success of RuPaul’s Drag Races, the multi-talented performer returns with a scripted series for Netflix. RuPaul stars as Robert Lee, a.k.a. Ruby Red, a career drag queen who has hopes and dreams of finally opening her own drag club. After being swindled by a charismatic con artist, Ruby is forced to pick up the pieces and hit the road, doing shows in order to get her money back. Along the way, Ruby meets AJ, a scrappy orphan and the two come together for a road trip show you’ll never forget. Although the premise sounds painfully familiar, the unpredictability of RuPaul is sure to keep this show interesting.
The New Pope
A straight sequel to the Paolo Sorrentino series, The Young Pope, continues the story of Pope Pius XIII, again played by Jude Law, going head to head with the titular new Pope John Paul III, played by veteran John Malkovich. Although details are scarce as of writing, the trailers hint to two very different pope’s going head to head. Law’s young and audaciously modern pope compared to the old school ways of Malkovich’s more old testament pope. It has all the potential for high drama and the promise of seeing Sharon Stone and Marilyn Manson making guest appearances makes this show even more enticing.
The Outsider
Stephen King’s novels have always been ripe for TV and film adaptations and his most recent novel The Outsider is no exception. This new HBO adaptation is the ultimate tale of otherworldly nightmares creeping into our existence. It starts off seeming like a standard true crime story, but this is only the start of the nightmare. The Outsider begins with the discovery of a brutally murdered child in a small Georgia town. The case hits local detective Ralph Anderson extra hard, as he’s still grieving the sudden death of his own son. As Ralph and his fellow cops gather evidence and interview witnesses, a stark, disturbing, but unquestionable picture comes together.
Duncanville
Duncanville is a new animated sitcom from Parks and Rec star Amy Poehler and Simpson’s alumni Mike Scully. It’s centred around a spectacularly average 15-year-old boy with a rich fantasy life, and the people in his world. Like most 15-year-olds, Duncan can see adulthood on the horizon: money, freedom, cars and girls; but the reality is more like: always being broke, driving with one’s mom sitting shotgun and babysitting one’s sister. He’s not exceptional, but he has a wild imagination in which he’s never anything less than amazing. Duncanville is looking very promising especially with its strong voice cast of Modern Family star Ty Burrel, Rashida Jones, Wiz Khalifa and Poehler herself.
Little America
Apple TV+ has been mildly disappointing since launch but that looks set to change with the release of Little America, a series inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine about the inspiring and heartfelt stories of immigrants in America. Hollywood power couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, alongside Lee Eisenberg will write and produce this anthology series, so it’s guaranteed to have a lot of laughs, tears and a boatload of humanity. This might just be the show to make Apple TV+ an essential purchase.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Disney+ already had a huge hit on their channel with the supremely popular Star Wars story, The Mandalorian, largely thanks to the ridiculously cute “Baby Yoda”. Now Disney turns to its other big franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to establish itself as a major streaming service. Picking up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon and Winter Soldier will follow the lives of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes post the loss of Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. With the mantle or shield of Cap passed on to Wilson, we will experience the story and struggle of the former Falcon as he attempts to become the next Captain America.
Normal People
Based on the incredibly popular and fantastic novel of the same name by Irish author Sally Rooney, Normal People explores the fascinating connection between two people through various stages of their lives. At school, Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s a popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the side-lines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, and irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Another book adaptation sees Liane Moriarty’s seminal novel appear on the small screen to deliver her insanely great read to the masses. Starring Nicole Kidman as a spa owner who has nine strangers attend her spa for relaxation spread over ten days and get way more than they signed up for. Some are there to lose weight, some are there to get a reboot on life, some are there for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Run
Very little is known so far about HBO’s new series Run, yet there is a lot of hype behind this new show. Mostly because of the involvement of multi award-winning writer and actor Phoebe Waller-Bridges. Run sees Ruby, a woman living a humdrum existence, getting a text inviting her to fulfill a youthful pact promising true love and self-reinvention by stepping out of her life to take a journey with her oldest flame. The series stars Merrit Wever and Donhnall Gleeson as the star crossed lover with Waller-Bridge co-executive producing and co-starring. It hosts a stunning cast and incredible writing talent behind it. Run looks set to continue Phoebe’s amazing run of cleaning up at the Emmys.
Star Trek: Picard
One of the most surprising announcements from last year was the return of Star Trek’s favorite captain, the legendary Jean-Luc Picard. Set 18 years after Star Trek: Nemesis, when Picard is well into his retired life away from the Starfleet, spending his days on a vineyard, but his peace is shattered when a woman who is in serious danger asks him for help. It came as a massive surprise to all Star Trek fans, but one of the most heart-warming moments was seeing Picard himself, Sir Patrick Steward announce the reveal itself as well as his return to the seminal role. A big question on everyone’s lips, however, is which Picard will we see, the peaceful and wise Picard from the original series or the action-first reckless Picard from the films. The answer could make or break the show.
Snowpiercer
Initially, an underappreciated 2013 sci-fi film starring Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton about survivors on a train that endlessly circles the post-apocalyptic, frozen earth. It’s a ridiculous premise but the politics and social commentary of the film was masterfully handled by Korean director Bong Joon-Ho. TBS’ Snowpiercerwill pick up seven years after the events of the original film. Not much has changed. The titular train driving the remaining members of Earth in a post-apocalyptic world is still operating under some warped socio-economic structures. Ed Harris’ de facto conductor from the original film has been replaced by Jennifer Connelly, who spends her time ensuring that everything aboard Snowpiercer is going to plan. There will be no uprisings from the lower class on her watch, well, at least not right away.