From live action reinventions of animated classics to prestige miniseries in the works.
Heading into 2023, there’s plenty of fresh, and anticipated television to look forward to.
In October 2022, AMC debuted Interview With the Vampire, the first of many series that
will adapt the novels of author Anne Rice. The first season premiered to rave reviews,
praising its adaptation of source material while also updating it
for a modern audience by delving into the novel's queer subtext. Suffice it to say,
the success of Interview with the Vampire has excited Anne Rice fans leading up to the
premiere of AMC's next series: an adaptation of her trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches.
The series, simply titled Mayfair Witches, is set to premiere in January 2023. Alexandra Daddario,
who received acclaim for her TV appearances in The White Lotus and True Detective,
plays Dr. Rowan Fielding, a woman who discovers her relation to a long lineage of witches.
"This power goes way back in your family."
"Do all the Mayfairs have gifts?"
Daddario co-stars alongside Harry Hamlin, who plays the current Mayfair patriarch.
After a preview of the series at New York Comic Con in 2022, Daddario expressed her
excitement about the show, as well as the show's portrayal of real-life witchcraft.
"And I've always wanted to play a witch. I feel like I have the complexion for it."
Co-creator and producer Michelle Ashford described Mayfair Witches
as a show about a family, albeit a dysfunctional one that's hiding
a lot of dark secrets. It may have a lot in common with Interview With the Vampire,
so fans of AMC's latest horror installment should definitely tune in to this spiritual successor.
Easily one of the most highly anticipated shows premiering in 2023 is HBO's adaptation of The
Last of Us, a video game originally released in 2013 for PlayStation 3. The game follows Joel,
a post-apocalyptic survivor who forms an unlikely partnership with Ellie, a teenage girl who may
possess the cure to the parasitic virus infecting humans. The series follows the same story,
with Game of Thrones alumni Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the game's dynamic duo.
"I think what really impressed them was the fact that I didn't turn into a monster."
Despite the initial skepticism of the game's diehard fans, The Last of Us has wowed audiences
with its first looks and trailers, which seem to be taking the job of adapting a video game
seriously. The cinematography truly resembles its source material, with Pascal and Ramsey
perfectly embodying the characters as well as the in-game actors, Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson,
as well as actors reprising their roles from the game, such as Merle Dandridge.
Given that The Last of Us received a video game sequel in 2020 – The Last of Us Part
II – this series could last for a while. That is, if fans of the original game are won over,
which is not a guarantee when it comes to video game adaptations. Perhaps The
Last of Us will break that tradition when it premieres in January 2023.
Movie audiences were divided about Rian Johnson's work, whether it be
his Breaking Bad bottle episode about a fly or his installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy,
The Last Jedi. Johnson won audiences back with his 2019 film Knives Out,
an Agatha Christie-inspired whodunit starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc,
the world's greatest detective. The film's success led to a sequel, titled Glass Onion,
which premiered in 2022, with Craig back as Blanc, along with a whole new ensemble cast.
"All right. When's the murder mystery start?"
Johnson plans to bring the murder mystery to the small screen in 2023 with Poker Face,
a case-of-the-week series led by Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne. The 10-episode
series is set to debut on Peacock in January. Lyonne plays Charlie,
a woman with the ability to tell when people are lying.
"I only know if something is a lie. The real trick of it is to figure out why."
Its rotating episode cast will include guest stars like Adrien Brody, Lil Rel Howery,
Stephanie Hsu, Jameela Jamil, and Nick Nolte, among others.
Given the praise Johnson's already received for his whodunit work,
Poker Face is set to impress audiences with its subversion of the genre. Viewers will
get to binge the series' first four episodes when they all premiere at once on Peacock,
then return to follow Charlie's adventures for the remaining six across the early weeks of 2023.
After 11 seasons, The Walking Dead finally concluded its run in 2022. The show premiered
in 2010, becoming one of the most popular television dramas of the decade. Sadly,
its viewership waned in its later seasons, particularly after the departure of longtime
cast members like Danai Gurira, Andrew Lincoln, and Steven Yuen.
But fans of The Walking Dead characters don't need to worry about saying goodbye. In 2023,
AMC plans to debut several spin-off series and TV movies centered on iconic characters from
the franchise. In April, The Walking Dead: Dead City will premiere on AMC,
following the adventures of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's infamous Negan alongside Lauren
Cohan's Maggie following the events of the original series.
Later in 2023, two more shows will premiere: one featuring Norman Reedus' crossbow-wielding
Daryl Dixon, the other a mini-series about departed characters Rick and Michonne,
with Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reprising their roles. While the premiere dates of these two
spin-offs are undetermined, Walking Dead fans will have lots to look forward to in 2023 and beyond.
Samuel L. Jackson has been a veteran of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since he made his first
appearance as Nick Fury in the post-credits scene of Iron Man all the way back in 2008.
Since then, he's popped up throughout the movies,
most prominently in 2012's The Avengers and in 2019's Captain Marvel.
"Excuse me, miss. You know anything about a lady
blowing a hole through the roof of that Blockbuster over there?"
For the first time, Jackson will star in an MCU project
with the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion.
Based on the comic book arc of the same name, the series picks up many of the storylines
set up by Captain Marvel, surrounding Fury's relationship to the shape-shifting Skrulls.
As Earth faces an invasion from a group of rebel Skrulls, Fury is the only one who can
stop them. He enlists the aid of his right-hand woman, Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders,
and the Skrull leader Talos, played by Ben Mendelsohn. The new cast members joining
the MCU in Secret Invasion include Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
During a Comic Con preview, Smulders teased fans,
claiming that Secret Invasion is a darker thriller than many other Marvel projects,
returning to the tone of previous entries like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
We know from the comics that the Skrull invasion has dire consequences for the Marvel universe,
so we expect this miniseries to take the Marvel Cinematic
Universe to places it's never been, setting up for the rest of Phase 5.
One of the most interesting MCU projects currently puzzling fans is the solo
adventure of Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness. Agatha made her debut in 2021's WandaVision,
complete with a Billboard-charting theme song. The character played a minor role in
the comic books as a mentor to Wanda Maximoff, as well as a nanny for the Fantastic Four. Now,
Agatha will be leading her own series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos,
set to debut in late 2023 or early 2024. Recent casting news has excited fans even more,
with newcomers including Aubrey Plaza, Eric Andre, Sasheer Zamata , and Joe Locke.
"So what now? You just gonna lock me up somewhere?"
It's unclear how Agatha: Coven of Chaos will fit into Phase 5 of the MCU. Perhaps it will give
fans closure regarding Wanda's fate after the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,
or maybe it will just be a fun romp with Hahn doing what she does best. Either way,
it’ll be interesting to see if it recaptures the magic the MCU found with WandaVision.
Star Wars fans also have plenty to look forward to in 2023. 2022 was a fruitful year for the
franchise, with the debuts of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. The latter has been praised as one of the
best shows of the year. In 2023, Star Wars will be expanding with a third season of The Mandalorian,
as well as live-action shows like Skeleton Crew starring Jude Law and The Acolyte.
Longtime Star Wars fans are especially eager for Ahsoka,
a series centered on the fan-favorite character from Star Wars: The Clone
Wars. Rosario Dawson was given the honor of carrying the character's live-action debut
in season 2 of The Mandalorian, then reappearing in The Book of Boba Fett.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
"I'm an old friend of the family."
Dawson's Ahsoka appears alongside many other characters from the worlds of Clone
Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Sabine Wren is confirmed to be appearing,
and there are rumors of Ezra Bridger making his live-action debut.
Furthermore, Ahsoka promises more of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. For fans
of Clone Wars, getting to see Ahsoka and Anakin share the screen will be quite the
spectacle in 2023. Hopefully, Dawson is able to live up to fans' expectations,
but with Dave Filoni as co-creator, she shouldn't have much to worry about.
Sam Levinson has taken the social media world by storm with his stylish TV series Euphoria,
which follows a group of teenagers and their troubles with drugs, sexuality,
and relationships. The show is HBO's standard fare cranked up to 11. It's resulted in plenty
of meme-able moments, as well as a pair of Emmys for star Zendaya. It's also brought stardom to
its ensemble cast, which includes the likes of Sydney Sweeney and Angus Cloud. Naturally,
this makes fans of the series excited to check out Levinson's next project on HBO.
The Idol sees Levinson teaming up with Abel Tesfaye, known to the public as pop and R&B
singer The Weeknd. In The Idol, Tesfaye stars as a self-help guru/cult leader who
forms a peculiar relationship with Lily-Rose Depp's character, an up-and-coming pop star.
"Why don't you just be yourself?"
"Because there's nothing about me that's relatable."
The supporting cast includes Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, and Suzanna Son.
Though little is known about the series or its premiere date in 2023, viewers
can probably anticipate what they're in for given Sam Levinson's track record. The show will likely
be perfect for the social media age, with as many iconic moments as Euphoria has had in 2022 alone.
Orphan Black was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the 2010s, starring Tatiana
Maslany as Sarah, a woman who discovers she's one of many clones created via in vitro fertilization.
"Do you even know who you're talking to?"
The sci-fi series attracted a passionate and loyal fan base, but eventually came to
an end in 2017. Ever since, however, AMC has made plans to return to the universe of Orphan Black.
While Tatiana Maslany is hulking out over on Disney+, AMC plans to revive Orphan Black
with the spin-off series Orphan Black: Echoes, set to premiere in 2023. In Maslany's place,
the show will star Krysten Ritter, known for her work in the second season of Breaking Bad,
as well as the Netflix MCU series Jessica Jones. Ritter will appear alongside Keeley
Hawes and Avan Jogia, though who will be the clone this time around remains to be seen.
Very little is known about Orphan Black:
Echoes or its connection to the original AMC series. However, given how much acclaim and
fan support Orphan Black had, Echoes will find its audience, however big or small.
Speaking of AMC, Bob Odenkirk had an incredibly acclaimed bow on the network in 2022 with the
sixth and final season of Better Call Saul. By the end of the season's 13th episode, Odenkirk had
not only proved he's one of TV's greatest dramatic actors, but his performance also capped off almost
15 years of television that began in 2008 with Vince Gilligan's critical darling Breaking Bad.
However, Odenkirk is far from done with AMC, as he'll return to the network in 2023 to star in a
brand-new series. Straight Man is an adaptation of Richard Russo's novel of the same name,
which centers on the mid-life crisis of an English professor facing threats to his job,
marriage, and reputation. Odenkirk's co-stars on the series include Diedrich
Bader and Suzanne Cryer, who, like Odenkirk, have prior experience in
television comedy. Straight Man may take the place of Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul
as an AMC drama with intense stakes but many brilliant comedic moments.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly about the new series, Odenkirk confirmed as much,
calling the show a blend of drama and comedy that he predicts will interest fans of Better
Call Saul. At the very least, Straight Man will be a great new show to tide fans over
as they wait for new projects to come from Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Michael Mando.
In the past few years, Elizabeth Olsen has completely captured the attention
of television audiences. After years of starring in indie movies between
stints as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Olsen starred in Sorry For Your Loss,
a drama exploring a young woman's life following the sudden death of her husband. Olsen then took
her MCU role to Disney+ with WandaVision, a series that garnered critical acclaim
for its treatment of the story of Wanda processing a life of trauma and grief.
Love and Death, Olsen's next television project, will be quite a departure from her previous
two performances. The HBO mini-series will star Olsen as Candy Montgomery,
a real-life housewife-turned-axe murderer in 1980s Texas. There's plenty to be mined
from the story in a TV adaptation, although it's technically already been done with the
Jessica Biel-led Hulu series Candy, which released in 2022. However,
given Olsen's acclaim in recent years, audiences are excited to see this new take on the story.
"Would you be interested in having an affair?"
It also helps that Elizabeth Olsen has quite the supporting cast in Love and
Death. Jesse Plemons plays Allan Gore, Candy's neighbor, with whom she begins the affair that
eventually leads to her alleged murder of his wife. The show also stars Elizabeth
Marvel and Krysten Ritter as other figures in Candy's doomed neighborhood. When Love
and Death finally premieres in 2023, viewers can expect it to become a future Emmy nominee.
In the current age of TV reboots, audiences are often drawn in by new interpretations of classic
properties. This is certainly the case with the upcoming HBO Max animated series Velma,
which finds the glasses-wearing know-it-all of the Scooby-Doo franchise taking center stage.
"Unknown caller? Spooky. Hello? Velma Dinkley speaking."
The iconic character will be voiced by The Office alum Mindy Kaling and feature an entirely new
design. The rest of Mystery Incorporated has also received a modernized makeover,
as the series follows the gang prior to their beginnings as a mystery-solving team.
"What part of the word 'mystery' didn't you understand?"
It may seem like sacrilege to create a series in the Scooby-Doo franchise that doesn't feature
Scooby-Doo. However, fans may be surprised by how endearing this new Mystery Inc. team will be,
especially with great comedic voice talent behind them. Shaggy will be voiced by Detroiters star
Sam Richardson, while Daphne and Fred will have the voices of Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton,
respectively. The first season's guest stars include talent like Nicole Byer,
Stephen Root, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
While some diehard Scooby-Doo fans were initially skeptical of this new series
it has the full support of Scooby-Doo legends. Matthew Lillard voiced his
support for the new cast, which means a lot coming from him after he expressed
disappointment with not being cast in the 2021 animated film Scoob.
Clone High originally debuted on MTV all the way back in 2002, as one of the first projects
of writing and directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It takes place in an American
high school populated by clones of various historical figures, including Abe Lincoln, Joan
of Arc, and Cleopatra, with voice actors including Will Forte, Michael McDonald, and Nicole Sullivan.
The show aired for one season of 13 episodes before it was abruptly canceled by MTV following
controversy surrounding their portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi, which prompted protests in India.
Despite its short tenure on the air, Clone High gained a cult following and retrospective acclaim,
eventually leading to conversations about a reboot as early as 2014. Since the series, Phil Lord and
Christopher Miller have gone on to more success in the animation world, with films like Spider-Man:
Into the Spider-Verse, The Lego Movie, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Finally,
after almost 10 years, two seasons of a revival series of Clone High were picked up at HBO Max.
Christopher Miller confirmed via Twitter that the reboot would premiere sometime in 2023,
though an official release date hasn't been confirmed. Gandhi will likely be absent from
this reboot, but fans of the show can probably live with this change. It's even possible the
show will feature an entirely new cast of historical clones and voice actors.
Speaking of reboots, there's plenty of interest in Netflix's upcoming live-action reboot of Avatar:
The Last Airbender. The original animated series premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005,
running for three seasons and spawning a spin-off with the highly successful The Legend of Korra.
The series takes place in a world where people can control one of four elements:
earth, air, fire, and water. Aang, the series' bald-headed protagonist,
is the only remaining Airbender in the world. He's hunted by the vengeful Fire Nation.
Given the fact that Avatar: The Last Airbender is regarded by many as one of the greatest animated
series of all time, a Netflix reboot is subject to lots of scrutiny — especially on the heels of
the last live-action adaptation of the series, a film directed by M. Night Shyamalan that was
universally panned. Fans were even more concerned about Netflix's series when the
original creators of the Nickelodeon series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko,
left the project due to creative differences with the streaming service.
Nevertheless, Avatar: The Last Airbender has also shown promise for diehard fans of the
franchise. It features a diverse cast from Asian and Native-American communities, which Shyamalan's
film notably lacked. Little is known about what will be different in its version of the series,
but casting rumors have suggested that Aang may not be the only Avatar in this iteration.