It’s going to be a very good year for TV lovers.
A new year, some new TV shows.
While we’re very excited for returning favourites like Fargo, Succession, Ozark, Narcos: Mexico, Line of Duty, Brooklyn Nine-Nineand more, we’re solely focusing on the brand new TV shows coming your way in 2020 here.
This isn’t the place for documentaries either, keep an eye out for a separate feature on the best 2020 is going to have to offer tomorrow.
As far as some of the new stuff on the small screen goes, here are a few titles that have piqued our interest.
The Outsider
Plot: Investigators are confounded over an unspeakable crime that’s been committed.
Watch it because: As we’ve stated in our review, it’s the spiritual sequel to the outstanding first season of True Detective.
Released: It’s currently being shown on Sky Atlantic.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Plot: The spiritual sequel to The Haunting of Hill House, the horror series will be based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
Watch it because: We’re promised more ghosts by series creator Mike Flanagan. Bring it on.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it’s tipped to land on Netflix in time for Halloween.
Mrs. America
Plot: The true story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly.
Watch it because: Cate Blanchett is in the lead. Enough said.
Released: April 15, 2020 on FX on Hulu. No word on an Irish release date as of yet.
Little America
Plot: Inspired by the true stories featured by Epic Magazine, Little America will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America, when they’re more relevant now than ever.
Watch it because: It’s created by real-life married couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. They previously worked together on The Big Sick and if you’ve seen that film, you’ll know just how good they are at balancing laughs with pathos.
Released: 17 January on Apple TV.
Avenue 5
Plot: A sci-fi comedy set in the future, mostly in space. Onboard the interplanetary cruise ship the Avenue 5, a massive systems malfunction sends the titular vessel far off course. It’s estimated it will take the ship years to return to Earth, and with only enough supplies to sustain her many passengers for the intended month-long cruise, the crew of the Avenue 5 must struggle to maintain order and return the craft safely.
Watch it because: It’s the new comedy from Armando Iannucci (The Thick Of It, Veep, In The Loop). The man is a genius.
Released: 22 January on Sky Comedy and NOW TV.
Ratched
Plot: A young nurse at a mental institution becomes jaded, bitter and a downright monster to her patients.
Watch it because: Yep, it’s the origin story of one of – if not THE – greatest villain in cinematic history, Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Released: Scheduled for September on Netflix.
Lovecraft Country
Plot: Adaptation of the fantasy horror novel by Matt Ruff, combining the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft and racism in the United States during the era of Jim Crow laws, as experienced by black science-fiction fan Atticus Turner and his family.
Watch it because: HBO + Jordan Peele re-examining the issue of racism in the US = winner.
Released: Not confirmed as yet, but it’s coming to HBO in 2020, so Sky Atlantic should get it too.
Star Trek: Picard
Plot: Retired admiral Jean-Luc Picard – still deeply affected by the loss of Lieutenant Commander Data and the destruction of Romulus – steps into the next chapter of his life.
Watch it because: Season 2 of the show has already been approved before the show launches – a very good sign – and the early reviews are very strong.
Released: 24 January on Amazon.
The North Water
Plot: Four-part limited television series, based on Ian McGuire’s novel of the same name. Colin Farrell plays Henry Drax, a harpooner and brutish killer whose amorality has been shaped to fit the harshness of his world. Drax will set sail on a whaling expedition to the Arctic with Patrick Sumner (Jack O’Connell), a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as the ship’s doctor.
Hoping to escape the horrors of his past, Sumner finds himself on an ill-fated journey with a murderous psychopath. In search of redemption, his story becomes a harsh struggle for survival in the Arctic wasteland.
Watch it because: The wonderful Stephen Graham is in this one, making it one hell of a cast.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it will air on the BBC.
Gangs of London
Plot: A number of international gangs take over modern-day London.
Watch it because: 1) It’s created by the man behind The Raid films, Gareth Evans. 2) It has Colm Meaney in it. 3) it’s extremely violent – as the Irish actor told us below.
Bring it on!
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it will be shown on Sky in 2020.
The Plot Against America
Plot: Characters live in an alternative history in which Franklin D. Roosevelt was defeated in the U.S. presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh.
Watch it because: Author Philip Roth and David Simon (The Wire, The Deuce) combine for HBO’s new show. You know it’s going to be good.
Released: 16 March on HBO. We expect Sky Atlantic to be showing it shortly after.
The Plot Against America, a new six-part limited series, based on the novel by Philip Roth, arrives March 16. #PlotAgainstAmerica pic.twitter.com/oaZUKl6cEZ
— HBO (@HBO) January 15, 2020
Hunters
Plot: A diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City discover hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the United States. The eclectic team will set out on a bloody quest to bring them to justice.
Watch it because: Al Pacino goes hunting Nazis. What’s not to love? Whoooo-Haaaaaa!
Released: 21 February on Amazon.
The Serpent
Plot: Story of con-man and mass-murderer, Charles Sobhraj, who is discovered and trailed by a young embassy official in mid-70s southeast Asia.
Watch it because: The two leads in the show, Jenna Coleman and Tahar Rahim, are two extremely good actors and the BBC have a strong record of making gripping mini-series. Aside from this, the story sounds great because Sobhraj was a con man, thief, master of disguise and a psychopath all in one.
He regularly slipped through the net of police, eventually becoming Interpol’s most wanted man. By 1976 he had arrest warrants on three different continents.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it will be shown on the BBC in 2020.
Devs
Plot: A computer engineer investigates the secretive development division in her company, which she believes is behind the disappearance of her boyfriend.
Watch it because: Alex Garland (Dredd, Annihilation, 28 Days Later) is the creator of this one and the trailer gave us strong Ex Machina vibes – a film that Garland wrote and directed. That’s definitely not a bad thing.
Released: 5 March on Hulu. At present, it’s not known if Irish audiences will be able to see it.
Space Force
Plot: The people tasked with creating a sixth branch of the armed services: The Space Force.
Watch it because: A show that’s literally based on a Donald Trump tweet. However, Steve Carrell and Greg Daniels (Parks and Recreation, The Office) are reuniting on this one. Big, big potential.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it’s set to land on Netflix in the coming year.
The Undoing
Plot: Life for a successful therapist in New York begins to unravel on the eve of publishing her first book.
Watch it because: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland are in this HBO drama. David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Mr Mercedes) is on writing duties.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but set for release in 2020 on HBO; we presume it will be on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV shortly after.
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant star in upcoming limited series #TheUndoing. Directed by Susanne Bier and created by David E. Kelley, the psychological thriller premieres this May. pic.twitter.com/syw57amVN6
— HBO (@HBO) January 15, 2020
Run
Plot: Two ex-lovers activate a long-planned escape to disappear together.
Watch it because: It’s the new show from Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (they worked together on Fleabag and Killing Eve). If that wasn’t enough, Domhnall Gleeson is in this one too. We’re intrigued.
Released: At present, it’s scheduled to air in 2020 on HBO (Sky Atlantic/NOW TV in Ireland), although that may change.
Y
Plot: The show is based on the hit graphic novel series Y: The Last Man, which centres on the story of Yorick (Barry Keoghan), the last man left on Earth following an apparent androcide, AKA the death of every male on the planet, and the subsequent search for the cause and any potential cure.
Watch it because: Barry Keoghan takes the lead in a show that has been in development for quite some time. Here’s what the main man had to say about it.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it’s due to arrive on FX in 2020.
The Stand
Plot: After the world is in ruins due to a man-made plague, a battle of literally Biblical proportions ensues between the survivors.
Watch it because: Stephen King’s epic is finally getting the long-format adaptation it deserves.
Released: No release date has been set as of yet but it’s due to arrive on CBS in 2020. When Irish audiences will get to see it remains to be seen.
Impeachment: American Crime Story
Plot: Ryan Murphy’s latest opus will follow the furore surrounding the affair of 49-year-old US President Bill Clinton and 22-year-old Monica Lewinski, an intern at the White House.
The series will portray the repercussions of their liaison which started with a sexual harassment case (filed by Paula Jones) against Clinton that eventually spiralled into him being impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998.
Watch it because: OJ, Gianni Versace and now Bill Clinton. If you watched Murphy’s other shows, you’ll be watching this.
Released: 27 September on FX in the US; no release date or network has been released yet for Ireland. However, BBC is a likely station to air it as they previously aired the other versions of American Crime Story.
Snowpiercer
Plot: Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centres on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.
Watch it because: The film was outstanding and while the show has had a troubled production, it’s already approved for a second season. We’re hopeful.
Released: May 31 on TNT in the US, yet to be confirmed in Ireland.
Normal People
Plot: The adaptation of Sally Rooney’s beloved book follows Marianne and Connell, two people from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other’s romantic lives.
Watch it because: The book was nominated for a Man Booker Prize in 2018, while it was also voted as the 2018 Waterstones’ Book of the Year and won Best Novel at the 2018 Costa Book Awards. It also was placed at #25 in The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century.
El Presidente
Plot: Set against the backdrop of cities across Latin America, the United States and Europe, the series explores the sports scandal that rocked the world through the story of Jadue, a small‐time Chilean football club president who rose from obscurity to become a key player in a $150 million bribery conspiracy at the hand of the infamous president of the Argentine football association, Julio Grondona. The show is inspired by the true events behind the FIFA corruption case dubbed “FIFA Gate”.
Watch it because: It’s helmed by Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter Armando Bo (Birdman) and it aims to show how the most beloved sport in the world is just a multimillionaire business run by a ridiculous mob.
Released: Yet to be confirmed but it will be released on Amazon in the next 12 months.
Belgravia
Plot: Historical period drama that depicts the emerging nouveau riche in British society at the start of the 19th century, including the Trenchard family, as they rub shoulders with London’s established upper classes.
However, secrets from the past threaten to emerge.
Watch it because: The award-winning team behind Downton Abbey are making this one. In essence, it’s the spiritual sequel to Downton.
Released: It airs on ITV in 2020 but no exact date has been listed yet.
Secrets, lies & scandals behind the doors of London's grandest neighbourhood. Created by Julian Fellowes and from the producers of Downton Abbey.
First look of new drama #Belgravia 🎩
Coming in 2020 to @ITV pic.twitter.com/vbEcfJcFDS— ITV (@ITV) October 23, 2019
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Plot: TV series based on Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Watch it because: 2020 is the year that Disney + launches in Ireland and patient viewers will definitely be watching The Mandalorian. However, for fans of the MCU, we’re intrigued by this show, which unites Steve Rogers’ best friends. We’re sorrry WandaVision, this sounds better.
Released: Late 2020 on Disney +.
Showtrial
Plot: The team behind Bodyguard and Line of Duty are working on a brand new thriller. The six-part series will focus on a trial that grips a nation – and will look at how wealth, politics and prejudice can affect the quest for justice.
Released: NA but it will be available to watch on BBC.
Small Axe
Plot: Oscar and Bafta-winning director Steve McQueen (Widows, Twelve Years A Slave) brings us an anthology of hour-long stories with an all-star British cast including John Boyega and Letitia Wright involved. The series tells five stories set within London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early ’80s.
Released: NA but it will be available to watch on BBC.
Bridgerton
Plot: Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling series of novels, Bridgerton is set in the sexy, lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society. From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family.
Released: NA but it will be released on Netflix.
The English Game
Plot: The six-part drama charts the origins of football and how those involved in its creation reached across the class divide to establish the game as the world’s most popular sport. The series is written, and executive produced by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and produced by 42 (Watership Down, Traitors).
Released: NA but it will be released on Netflix.
The Deceived
Plot: Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee is back but she’s changing gears in this compelling, sinister narrative of lust, manipulation and betrayal. The series tells the story of Ophelia, a student who “falls in love with her timelessly attractive and charismatic, but married college lecturer, Dr Michael Callaghan.
Released: NA but it will be shown on Virgin Media.
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