It’s a big year for streaming, with many of our fave shows returning—but there’s also a whole bunch of new series that will be sure to get everyone talking.
From post-apocalyptic horror to iconic book adaptations and female-centred spin-offs, here are the debuts Jenna Guillaume most looking forward to in 2023…
The Last of Us
While The Last of Us is inspired by the blockbuster 2013 game of the same name, the post-apocalyptic drama has a broad appeal that will draw non-gamers in too. Game of Thrones breakout stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey team up as a smuggler and his teenage charge as they journey across a United States that is overrun by the Infected, zombie-like cannibalistic creatures that have overrun humanity.
Expect a lot of horror with a surprising amount of heart, thanks primarily to the relationship that develops between the lead duo. Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Storm Reid, and Melanie Lynskey also star.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Based on the hugely popular book Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Read, this 10-episode limited series is a documentary-style drama about a fictional rock band in the 1970s who rise to the top and then fall apart. Partially inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the series promises to be a juicy and compelling ride.
Produced by Reese Witherspoon and created by (500) Days of Summer co-writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, Daisy Jones and the Six stars Riley Keough, the granddaughter of rock royalty Elvis Presley, as the titular Daisy. She’s joined in the cast by Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, Josh Whitehouse, and Timothy Olyphant.
The Idol
Another show exploring the highs and lows of the music industry, this time in a modern setting, The Idol follows an up-and-coming pop star named Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, who gets caught up with a self-help guru and cult leader played by The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye. Tesfaye also serves as the series co-creator alongside Sam Levinson, the brains behind smash hit Euphoria.
The cast features a lot of actual musicians and pop stars, including Troye Sivan and Blackpink’s Jennie Kim (credited as Jennie Ruby Jane), alongside actors like Dan Levy, Eli Roth, and Hank Azria. The tagline “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood” pretty much sums up the vibe of the show.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Horror series master Mike Flanagan is back, this time with an adaptation of several Edgar Allan Poe works, including of course that titular short story. Like several of Flanagan’s previous series, the show centres on a haunted house and will no doubt be a very loose adaptation that enables him to explore complicated relationships and emotional character arcs.
A few minutes ago we wrapped production on THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, closing a huge chapter of my life. I've worked in Vancouver almost nonstop since BLY MANOR in 2019. We made 4 series in 3 years, only taking a short break for the COVID lockdown in early 2020.
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) July 9, 2022
The Usher cast sees the return of Flanagan faves Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Annabeth Gish, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, and Rahul Kohli, while also bringing in new cast-members Mary McDonnell, Mark Hamill, and Bruce Greenwood.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
Marvel is all in on the TV front to expand their cinematic universe, with frequently mixed results. Perhaps their best offering so far has been WandaVision, with Kathryn Hahn as the villainous witch Agatha becoming a large reason for the show’s success. It makes sense, then, that she is now getting her own spin-off, a dark comedy called Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer returns as head writer, while Debra Jo Rupp reprises her role of Sharon Davis and Emma Caulfield Ford returns as Sarah Proctor alongside Hahn. Joining them will be Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. If it’s anything like its predecessor, it will be quirky, fun, and more than a little dark.
The Three-Body Problem
Depending on your feelings about Game of Thrones (and the last season in particular), the fact that its showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss created The Three-Body Problem may be a draw card — or a total detractor. Still, even if you are one of the many fans who were frustrated by what D&D did with their mega-hit fantasy series, there’s no doubt their follow up is a topic of enormous curiosity.
Working in its favour is the fact that it’s an adaptation of the award-winning The Three-Body Problem by Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin, with True Blood writer Alexander Woo also on board to write the series. The series explores the past, present, and future of humanity through the lens of alien contact and its impact and will no doubt be intense and visually impressive. Benedict Wong stars alongside Game of Thrones alum John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, and Jonathan Pryce.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
There have been hints in the mega-successful Bridgerton about a touching love story between the drama-obsessed Queen Charlotte and the chronically ill King George. After all, in Bridgerton lore, theirs is a love strong enough to obliterate all racism.
It’ll be, uh, interesting to see how Shonda Rhimes’ prequel Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story handles that particular bit of information, although it will no doubt focus more heavily on the love and angst of it all, just as the original series does. Queen Charlotte will also explore the earlier lives of Bridgerton dames Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton.
We’re thrilled to share the news that the @PrimeVideoAUNZ Original drama series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is now in production! It stars Sigourney Weaver, Asher Keddie, Leah Purcell and Alycia Debnam-Carey.
Huge, heartfelt congratulations to the amazing @hollyringland! pic.twitter.com/YJhtCvkgwy— HarperCollins Aus (@HarperCollinsAU) October 28, 2021
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a beautiful, moving and layered story about a young girl who is sent to live with her grandmother after she loses both her parents in a mysterious fire, leading her to discover dark family secrets. Based on the bestselling Australian novel of the same name by Holly Ringland, with Love Child creator Sarah Lambert serving as showrunner, the series stars Sigourney Weaver, Asher Keddie, Leah Purcelle, and Alycia Debnam-Carey. Keep the tissues handy for this one.
Boy Swallows Universe
Another bestselling Australian novel adaptation, this time based on the debut work of Trent Dalton, Boy Swallows Universe is set in Brisbane in the 1980s and focuses on 12-year-old Eli Bell and his trouble family as he comes-of-age, falls in love, and tries to break his mother out of jail. Joel Edgerton is a producer for the show, with Bharat Nalluri, Jocelyn Moorhouse, and Kim Mourdant on board to direct.
The full deck of Australian stars includes Travis Fimmel, Phoebe Tonkin, Simon Baker, Anthony LaPaglia, Bryan Brown, and Deborah Mailman. With all those ingredients, there’s a very high chance this show will be incredible.
