The COVID-19 pandemic has been a blessing and a curse to television.
On one hand, TV has been one of our most faithful companions during these isolated, socially distanced months. Movie theatres are only now reopening but, since the world shut down in March, anybody with a screen, a cable account, internet access or an antenna has been able to fill their hours with TV shows.
On the other hand, TV production shut down along with everything else, putting a serious dent in networks and streamers schedules, leading to postponements and cancellations of numerous programs.
That being said, we havent run out of new things to watch just yet, nor are we likely to. And though the quantity has decreased, theres still quality to be found.
Ive been sampling new shows since last month and have chosen 10 to share with you. This is far from an exhaustive list but reflects my particular taste. The series are listed by premiere date.
The Sounds (Acorn TV, CBC)
I love a good twist, dont you? This Canadian-New Zealand co-production is full of them, including some that I doubt youll see coming. Its about a Canadian couple (played by Canadian Rachelle Lefevre and New Zealander Matt Whelan) who flee Vancouver for the small town of Pelorus, New Zealand, to escape his toxic, rich family and start an environmentally friendly business. Except husband Tom goes missing while kayaking in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. In the search for Tom, secrets are revealed and wounds reopened, including a 15-year-old murder case involving a local Maori teen. (Two episodes are now on Acorn, with weekly episodes coming Mondays beginning Sept. 7. Weekly episodes debut Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. on CBC.)
Away (Netflix)
Take the emotional appeal of a family show and meld it with the dramatic potential of a serial set in space. Thats what this big-budget series does. Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars as an astronaut leading a three-year, international mission to Mars. Talk about a tough work-life balance: overseeing the logistical and interpersonal demands of a dangerous mission while trying to be a wife and mother from afar as you hurtle through space. Swank is up to the task, as are the diverse actors who play her crew (Mark Ivanir, Vivian Wu, Ato Essandoh and Ray Panthanki), along with Josh Charles (The Good Wife) and Talitha Bateman as her husband and daughter. (Now streaming)
Brave New World (Showcase)
What does it mean to be human? This series, an adaptation of the dystopian 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley, takes another stab at the question. Futuristic New London where moods are controlled by happy pills, and monogamy and privacy are banned is contrasted to the so-called Savage Lands, where people are free to give rein to their emotions. Two charismatic leads, Jessica Brown Findlay of Downton Abbey and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), play Lenina and John, who represent the two sides of the divide. (Sept. 13, 9 p.m.)
The Third Day (HBO, Crave)
If youre in the mood for something creepy and mysterious, this six-parter should fit the bill. Movie star Jude Law leads the first three episodes as a man who essentially becomes trapped on a strange, foreboding island off the British coast when he does a good deed but you know what they say about no good deed going unpunished. In the second half, Oscar nominee Naomie Harris (Moonlight) is the outsider stirring up the locals. Emily Watson, Katherine Waterston and Paddy Considine also star. Dennis Kelly, the British writer and producer renowned for the U.K. version of Utopia (see below), created this one, too. (Sept. 14 at 9 p.m.)
Utopia (Amazon Prime Video)
Reviews of this drama are embargoed until Sept. 15, but you can connect some of the dots yourself by knowing its a remake of a violent British black comedy, also called Utopia, about a group of nerds obsessed with the unpublished sequel to a cult graphic novel believed to predict the future a novel also coveted by a secret organization willing to kill anyone who gets between them and it. The U.S. remake is by Gone Girl novelist Gillian Flynn, who describes it as The Goonies meets Marathon Man. It stars John Cusack, Rainn Wilson, Desmin Borges, Dan Byrd, Sasha Lane, Ashleigh LaThrop and Christopher Denham. (Sept. 25)
A Wilderness of Error (FX)
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TV viewers true-crime addiction isnt going away anytime soon and heres a new entry to feed the habit. It comes from the same producers who brought us the wildly popular The Jinx Jason Blum and Marc Smerling (the latter also directs). This one involves a shocking murder in Fort Bragg, N.C. in 1970: a pregnant woman and two little girls stabbed to death, and a convicted suspect (husband, father and army doctor Jeffrey MacDonald) who continues to maintain his innocence. The series is written by acclaimed documentary maker Errol Morris (Fog of War) and based on his book of the same name. (Sept. 25, 8 p.m.)
Fargo (FX)
Im cheating a bit here since Fargo is not a new show. However its anthology structure guarantees a new cast and new plot line every season, so its new enough. Im not allowed to review this one yet either. Just know that it maintains Noah Hawleys signature mix of violent crime drama, black comedy and quirky character study. Chris Rock and Jason Schwartzman lead the cast, which includes standouts like Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl), Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) and relative newcomer Emyri Crutchfield. (Sept. 27 at 10 p.m.)
War of the Worlds (CBC, CBC Gem)
One could argue we dont need yet another adaptation of the H.G. Wells story of alien invasion. One could also argue theres never been a better time for one, with the world still reeling from the coronavirus invasion. Setting the plot in the present day heightens its relatability in a way period pieces cant (the book came out in 1897, which is also when the TV version before this was set). These days, we can all relate to stay-at-home orders. Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern lead a mostly French and British cast that includes La Drucker, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Adel Bencherif. (Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.)
Trickster (CBC, CBC Gem)
There is a healthy tradition of TV shows that revolve around young people touched by supernatural forces. Trickster, based on the novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, joins that tradition while showcasing another: the Indigenous mythology of the supernatural being known as the Trickster. Such shows work best with a compelling protagonist at the centre, and producers here found a gem in newcomer Joel Oulette. He stars as teenager Jared, who navigates school, a part-time job and supporting his hard-partying mom (Crystle Lightning) and unemployed dad (Craig Lauzon) while dealing with the weird things hes seeing and the unsettling stranger whos come to town. (Oct. 7, 9 p.m.)
Departure (Global TV)
Air travel may be but a memory for most of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this event series has echoes of the not-so-distant past in its central mystery: a passenger plane en route from New York to London disappears over the Atlantic with 256 people on board. The British-Canadian co-production boasts a top-notch cast, including national treasure Christopher Plummer. Other Canadian talent includes Alias Grace and Frankie Drake Mysteries standout Rebecca Liddiard, Evan Buliung, Kris Holden-Ried, Allan Hawco and Mark Rendall, while the excellent Archie Panjabi and Shazad Latif, among others, hold up the British end. (Date TBA, although Americans will see it Sept. 17 on Peacock.)
Read the original:
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