There are some great titles on the way over the coming months.
We're at the halfway stage of 2019 and as far as small screen offerings are concerned, it's very likely that the superb Chernobyl will not be topped in terms of quality and impact.
However, TV fans will be very curious to know what's coming up in the next few months.
With new seasons of Glow, Stranger Things, Big Little Lies, Peaky Blinders, Mindhunter, The Crown, Money Heist, Mr. Mercedes, The Handmaid's Tale and more to come, it's going to be an excellent few months ahead, but we're going to be focusing on some of the new titles audiences will be watching.
On that note, here are some of the new shows that piqued our interest.
His Dark Materials
Plot: Much like the beloved series of books, the show is set in an alternate world where all humans have animal companions called daemons, which are the manifestations of the human soul.
The series follows the life of young Lyra (Dafne Keen), who is an orphan living with the teachers at Jordan College, Oxford. Like in Pullman's novel, Lyra discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) and Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson). In her search for her missing friend, Lyra also uncovers a slew of kidnappings and their link to the mysterious substance called Dust.
Station and date: BBC and possibly Sky Atlantic (HBO are co-financing the show). There is no definitive date yet but it's arriving in late 2019.
Watch it because: The books are outstanding and the cast in this show is excellent.
The Terror: Infamy
Plot: The new instalment takes place on the west coast of the United States during World War II, and according to the synopsis, the story will "centre on an uncanny spectre that menaces a Japanese-American community from its home in Southern California to the internment camps to the war in the Pacific".
Station and date: It premieres in the US on AMC on Monday, 12 August. At present, no Irish broadcaster or date has been announced.
Watch it because: The first season was one of the finest horrors ever made.
City on a Hill
Plot: Set in Boston in the early '90s when the city was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies, when corruption, tribalism and "taking it to the street" was the norm, until it all suddenly changed.
This is a fictional account of what was called the 'Boston Miracle'. The change agent is District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge), who comes from Brooklyn and forms an unlikely alliance with Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon), a corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran who is deeply invested in maintaining the status quo.
Station and date: The show is airing in the US on Showtime. At present, no station and date has been set for Ireland.
Watch it because: We've had our eyes on this one for a while and were getting strong vibes of The Wire meets The Town here.
Watchmen
Plot: A continuation of the acclaimed graphic novel, this HBO original series takes place in contemporary America, where costumed heroes are outlawed and the doomsday clock continues to tick.
Station and date: Given that this is a HBO production, we expect it to arrive on Sky Atlantic. The date hasn't been announced yet.
Watch it because: Spearheaded by Lost and The Leftovers writer Damon Lindelof, the original graphic novel is a seminal text and this has massive potential to be an epic.
Euphoria
Plot: The show follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship.
Station and date: Like many HBO productions, we expect this on Sky Atlantic.
Watch it because: HBO and a modern drama. They know a good script when they see it.
The Boys
Plot: A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers.
Station and date: Amazon, 26 July.
Watch it because: The comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson is excellent and this should flip the superhero genre on its head.
The Dublin Murders
Plot: The show is an adaptation of Tana French’s internationally bestselling Dublin Murder Squad novels and each book is led by a different detective from the same team. Their signature is an intense emotional connection between cop and crime.
This eight-part series is created and written by Sarah Phelps (And Then There Were None; Ordeal by Innocence) and blends the first two novels, In the Woods and The Likeness, to deliver a dark psychological mystery with a tap root that drops deep down into Ireland’s past, foreshadows the future and brings insight to its present.
Station and date: RTÉ One and BBC One in late 2019,
Watch it because: A murder-mystery set in Ireland with some decent money behind it. Aside from this, Element Pictures are also working on this one and they've an incredibly impressive track record of identifying great features.
World on Fire
Plot: WWII drama based on the lives of ordinary people affected by the war.
Station and date: BBC2, no date as yet.
Watch it because: The drama portrays the first year of World War II told through the intertwining fates of ordinary people drawn from Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States as they grapple with the effect of the war on their everyday lives. Historical drama is a tricky genre to perfect but we like the fact that it's not confined to one country.
The Mandalorian
Plot: The travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
Station and date: Disney +, 12 November.
Watch it because: STARRRRRRR WARRRRRRRRS!
Too Old To Die Young
Plot: Detective Martin Jones (Miles Teller), who leads a double life as a killer for hire in Los Angeles' deadly underground, suffers an existential crisis which leads him deeper into a blood-splattered world of violence.
Station and date: Amazon, 14 June.
Watch it because: It's from the mind of Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Drive and the Pusher trilogy.
The Witcher
Plot: Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Station and date: Netflix, late 2019.
Watch it because: There's a massive Game of Thrones-sized hole in our lives. Here's the first contender for the vacant title of best fantasy show on TV.
Exhibit A
Plot: This true crime series shows how innocent people have been convicted with dubious forensic techniques and tools such as touch DNA and cadaver dogs.
Station and date: Netflix, 28 June.
Watch it because: Because we all need to feed that true crime addiction.
The Politician
Plot: Payton Hobart, a student from Santa Barbara, has known since age seven that he's going to be President of the United States. But first he'll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape of all: Saint Sebastian High School.
Station and date: Netflix, September 27
Watch it because: It's the new show from Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story). Enough said.
Temple
Plot: The eight-part series is an adaptation of the acclaimed Norwegian drama series Valkyrien
about the workings of an illegal and subterranean clinic.
Station and date: Sky Atlantic, September.
Watch it because: Playwright Mark O’Rowe is the man responsible for this one. The cast is very good too with Mark Strong (Kingsman), Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) and Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) all starring.
Catherine the Great
Plot: Story of the greatest tsarina, Catherine the Great and the Hermitage.
Station and date: Sky, date to be confirmed.
Watch it because: Helen Mirren in the leading role. There's a very strong vibe of The Crown off this one.
