30. “The Mandalorian” Season 2 (Disney+)
Synopsis: The continuing adventures of the Mandalorian (not Boba Fett) and his friend, Baby Yoda as they navigate the galaxy and try to presumably evade Moff Gideon, the former Empire’s secret police chief, now on their tale.
What You Need To Know: ‘Mandalorian’ Season 1 is both entertaining and frustrating television, immersing us in the compelling bounty hunter underworld of the “Star Wars” galaxy, and yet, acting more like “Bonanza:” each week a special guest appearing on the show, a new gunslinger-like showdown and very little in the way of plot. It’s a very episodic series, which is the opposite of how modern-day TV works (more like long-form cinematic storytelling). Season 1 ended with the revelation that Moff Gideon has the black lightsaber, aka the Mandalorian Dark Saber last seen in “Star Wars: Rebels” with Sabine Wren (did they cross paths and he stole it at some point over the ‘Star Wars’ timeline?). What Season 2 desperately needs is to meaningfully reckon and engage with what the story is really about: a ruthless bounty hunter who finds his humanity in a helpless baby and abandons his code of honor in favor of a newfound morality. That’s the show, but the one they’re currently avoiding in the name of meaningless week-to-week plot. Dare to dream that Lucasfilm, and show creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have some more depth in store for viewers in Season 2 (and bet that Filoni will continue to work out his directing career on the show, as long with the appearance of top-shelf filmmakers to helm episodes)
Airdate: Late fall 2020 on Disney+.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1210678250231365632
29. “Madam C.J. Walker” (Netflix)
Synopsis: “Madam C.J. Walker ” tells the untold and highly irreverent story of how Black hair-care pioneer and mogul Madam C.J. Walker overcame hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages, and some family drama to become America’s first Black, self-made female millionaire.
What You Need To Know: From showrunners Janine Sherman-Barrois and Elle Johnson comes Netflix’s “Madam CJ Walker,” based on A’Lelia Bundles’ book “On Her Own Ground.” An origin story about America’s first Black woman millionaire, “Madam CJ Walker” will star Tiffany Haddish, Blair Underwood, and Carmen Ejogo, with Octavia Spencer in the titular role. Of note is the fact that this will be the first series from LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment production company. SpringHill has a whole host of films in development, including the much-anticipated “Space Jam 2,” but it will be essentially launching its brand with “Madam CJ Walker.” It speaks highly of the Netflix series that James has decided to introduce the world to his creative brand through this particular project. In any event, we’ll be curious to see how this one turns out.
Airdate: TBD 2020
28. “Black Narcissus” (BBC/FX)
Synopsis: A nun sent to establish a branch of her order with her fellow sisters in the Himalayas struggles to temper her attractions to a World War I veteran they meet.
What You Need To Know: Based on the classic 1939 literary novel by Rumer Godden, “Black Narcissus” is an old-school melodrama involving illicit sexuality, forbidden love, princesses, suicide, and possibly ghosts. This three-hour miniseries hails from writer Amanda Coe (“The Trial of Christine Keeler,” “Apple Tree Yard”) and director Charlotte Bruus Christensen (previously a prolific cinematographer, having served as DP on “A Quiet Place,” “Molly’s Game,” “The Banker,” and more). It stars Gemma Arterton and Alessandro Nivola as a nun and her dangerous love interest respectively. Nivola, in particular, is coming off a tremendous turn in Riley Stearns’ “The Art of Self-Defense,” and we’ve been looking forward to his follow up for some time now (no, Netflix’s “Red Sea Diving Resort” doesn’t count). In any case, this a great cast and an intriguing premise.
Airdate: TBD 2020
27. “Euphoria” Season 2 (HBO)
Synopsis: The further adventures of Rue and Jules and their coterie of troubled high-school friends. Presumably, sex and drugs will make an appearance.
What You Need To Know: Sam Levinson’s teenage fever-dream is returning to HBO to further terrorize paranoid parents everywhere. It has long been the opinion of this writer that whatever narrative flaws “Euphoria” might have, it is far and away the most visually ambitious show on television, and it is, therefore, one of the most important. Levinson infuses his high-school drama from A24 with such aesthetic flair as to make every other show on TV look lazy by comparison. There’s really no excuse for television to look as dull as it tends to, in a world where every individual shot in “Euphoria” is as meticulously staged and thought-out as it is. Kudos to Levinson Jr. and the rest of the “Euphoria” team. Excited for its return.
Airdate: If it’s ready, summer 2020 sounds like a safe bet.
26. “Tokyo Vice” (HBO Max)
Synopsis: Jake Adelstein, an American journalist, embeds himself into the Tokyo Vice police squad to reveal corruption. The series will chronicle Jake’s daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo, where nothing, and no one, is truly what or who they seem.
What You Need To Know: Based on Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir, “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan,” HBO Max’s “Tokyo Vice” serves as Michael Mann’s first time back behind the camera since the massive misfire that was 2015’s “Blackhat” (a movie that has its passionate defenders). Mann shares directing duties here with Destin Daniel Cretton (“Just Mercy,” “The Glass Castle”). They’ll be working with stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe. We’re noticing some pretty obvious parallels here with last year’s “Too Old to Die Young:” corrupt cops, Japanese crimelords, directors known for hyper-stylization, young up-and-coming stars who may already be losing a bit of their sheen, etc. It’ll be fascinating to compare the two series once “Tokyo Vice” premieres.
Airdate: HBO Max launches May 2020, so perhaps then.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1186745179169886209
25. “Industry” (HBO)
Synopsis: Set inside an American bank in London’s financial quarter, the series will follow the young generation just coming into the banking system and how they cope and adapt in the wake of the 2008 financial and banking collapse.
What You Need To Know: From Executive Producer and pilot-director Lena Dunham comes “Industry,” HBO’s latest cynical, button-pushing financial drama. One imagines this to be HBO capitalizing on the success of “Succession,” its current cynical, button-pushing financial drama. And if “Industry” is anything near as good as “Succession,” then these types of shows can keep on coming. Dunham hasn’t directed anything since the final season of “Girls” in 2017, and it will be interesting to see what she’s getting back in the game for, especially considering the fact that “British financial drama” isn’t exactly what we would have expected her next move to be. Dunham is an underrated force as a director, and we’re excited to see what she does with a project this markedly different from her prior work.
Airdate: TBD 2020
24. “The Power”
Synopsis: A group of teenage girls mysteriously develop a special power that allows them to electrocute people at will.
What You Need To Know: “The Power” is created for Amazon by Naomi Alderman, based on her award-winning 2017 science-fiction novel of the same name (former President Obama named “The Power” one of his favorite books of that year). All ten episodes of this timely alternate-history series will be directed by Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” the underrated “I Think We’re Alone Now,” 2020’s “The Rhythm Section.”) It will star Leslie Mann, in her first regular TV role. Mann, who most recently appeared in Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn,” will play Margot Cleary-Lopez, a longtime politician and current mayor of Seattle. After spending her whole career in a man’s world, Mann’s character will now have to reckon with the newfound superpower of teenage girls everywhere.
Airdate: TBD 2020
23. “Snowpiercer” (TNT)
Synopsis: Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.
What You Need To Know: What you need to know is that this show, which is based on the 2013 film of the same name by “Parasite” filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, has been punted around from network to network (TNT to TBS to TNT again), has been through a high-profile showrunner change, and has been postponed from a 2019 premiere date to 2020. It has also already been picked up for a second season. So yeah, this may be extremely terrible. But the strength of the source material, a strong series cast (including Daveed Diggs and Jennifer Connelly) and straight-up morbid curiosity solidify this as one of the most anticipated shows of 2020.
Airdate: Spring 2020.
22. “The Old Man” (FX on Hulu)
Synopsis: Dan Chase absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
What You Need To Know: This adaptation of Thomas Perry’s 2017 book was originally announced as an FX series. However, in the recent FX/Hulu partnership-shuffle, “The Old Man” became one of several FX shows now destined to premiere exclusively on the streaming service. The series boasts a prestigious cast including John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Alia Shawkat, and Jeff Bridges in the lead role. It is executive-produced by Jon Watts (“Spiders-Man: Homecoming” and “Far From Home”), who also directs the pilot. We’re excited to see Watts get back to his roots in the world of (relatively) grounded thrillers. He’s been so consumed with his work at the Marvel Cinematic Factory that it seems like he hasn’t had a chance to do anything interesting since “Cop Car,” which was half a decade ago at this point.
Airdate: FX on Hulu debuts March 2020, so they’ll want to launch with this show if it’s ready.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1214937787323080704
21. “WandaVision” (Disney+)
Synopsis: The plot is under wraps, but this much seems clear: the Marvel Comics “House of M” storyline–where the Scarlet Witch goes nuts–appears to be the basis of the “WandaVision” show. Much of it rumored to take place in her mind–hence the sitcom vibe and the reason the Vision is still alive.
What You Need To Know: If the rumors are accurate, “WandaVision” may actually veer slightly out of the Marvel mold and therefore hold some value outside of being yet another chapter in this neverending superhero saga. The show, which is also meant to lead into the events of “Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness,” looks like part 1950s sitcom with a darker edge and presumably that’ll be revealed later. In any case, the cast is interesting. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are obviously the stars of the show returning as Wanda Maximoff and Vision, but we’re more excited about the supporting players. Randall Park and Kat Dennings reprise their roles from previous MCU films, and Kathryn Hahn (coming off a great performance in HBO’s “Mrs. Fletcher”) makes her government-mandated MCU debut.
Airdate: TBD 2020.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1212404627750055937
