xIn 2022, TV was awash with the creatures of fantasy: dragons, elves, hobbits, Jedi, superheroes. How many of us, after all, tuned in to watch Princess Rhaenys soar through the floor of the Dragonpit astride her dragon, Meleys?
The coming year in television, however, seems to veer away from fantasy and more toward a reckoning with reality—or at least some parallel version of it. In The Palace, Kate Winslet—queen of the HBO limited series—will grapple with the inner workings of an authoritarian regime as it begins to crumble. Lily-Rose Depp and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye will, perhaps somewhat ironically, draw star power to The Idol on HBO Max, which could prove to be a scathing critique of the dark draw of fame. On Amazon Prime Video, The Power will reverse the existing gender power balance by giving all teenage girls in the world the sudden power to electrocute people at will. And in The Last of Us, also on HBO, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will craft a testament to the sheer human will to survive.
On the other side of the coin, some may seek out escapism through mystery, comedy, or the thrills of romance. Natasha Lyonne lends her signature bravado to the “case-of-the-week” mystery Poker Face on Peacock. In Bupkis, Pete Davidson—somehow always the man of the hour—will spin a fictionalized, heightened version of his life for Peacock viewers. And Golda Rosheuvel will confer her iconic charm upon the Netflix spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. (Not to mention the upcoming third season of Bridgerton this year.)
Here are the TV shows we’re most looking forward to in 2023.
New Releases
The Lying Life of Adults
Jan. 4 on Netflix
Based on the 2019 Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, the Italian-language series follows Giovanna (Giordana Marengo) as she comes of age in 1990s Naples. Giovanna overhears her father tell her mother that she is ugly—and that she is starting to look like his estranged sister, Vittoria (Valeria Golino). This sends Giovanna on a quest to meet Vittoria—and to unravel the web of lies around her.
Copenhagen Cowboy
Jan. 5 on Netflix
Director Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher, Drive, The Neon Demon) is back with a neon-noir series that returns to his native Danish tongue. Mia (Angela Bundalovic) navigates the Copenhagen criminal underworld while on a quest for vengeance against her nemesis, Rakel (Lola Corfixen). Nebulous supernatural elements merge with the rivalry to show both women something entirely new.
The Mayfair Witches
Jan. 8 on AMC
Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus) joins the world of gothic author Anne Rice in The Mayfair Witches as Dr. Rowan Fielding, a neurosurgeon who realizes she is the heiress to the Mayfair dynasty—a line of powerful witches haunted by something sinister.
The Makanai
Jan. 12 on Netflix
Based on the manga series Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House, The Makanai follows Kiyo (Nana Mori) and Sumire (Natsuki Deguchi), childhood friends from northern Japan, as they move to Kyoto to become maikos, or apprentice geishas. While Sumire trains to maiko, Kiyo realizes that she is far better suited for the kitchen, and learns to love cooking.
The Last of Us
Jan. 15 on HBO
Based on the wildly popular 2013 video game of the same name, The Last of Us follows 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who is immune to the brain infection that created the apocalypse, and Joel (Pedro Pascal), the survivor who must smuggle her out of a quarantine zone and west across the United States.
Poker Face
Jan. 26 on Peacock
Natasha Lyonne earned her stripes as a detective of sorts in the mystery-comedy Russian Doll, and now she’s back for more with Poker Face. Created by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), this “case-of-the-week” mystery is also tinged with comedy. Charlie (Lyonne) can always determine when someone is lying, and she deploys extraordinary ability alongside a cast of rotating characters, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda.
Shrinking
Jan. 27 on Apple TV+
A therapist (Jason Segel) grieving the loss of his wife begins to break his own rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Hijinks, of course, ensue, and bring massive changes to his clients’ lives—and his own. Shrinking also stars Harrison Ford and was written by Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein (who both also wrote for Ted Lasso).
Wolf Pack
Jan. 26 on Paramount+
Based on the 2004 book of the same name by Edo van Belkom, this young adult series follows four teenagers—Everett (Armani Jackson), Blake (Bella Shepard), Luna (Chloe Rose Robertson), and Harlan (Tyler Lawrence Gray)—as they all realize they were attacked by a werewolf. The supernatural teen drama was developed by Jeff Davis (Teen Wolf).
The Company You Keep
Feb. 19 on ABC
Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim star as series leads Charlie and Emma in this ABC drama based on the South Korean series My Fellow Citizens! Charlie is a con man, Emma is an undercover CIA officer, and the two meet in a night of passion. Soon, their lines of work will tangle their fates together.
White House Plumbers
March on HBO
Based on the 2007 book Integrity, White House Plumbers follows the White House Plumbers—a covert White House Special Investigations Unit established in the wake of the Pentagon Papers to stop leaking of classified information to the press. Former operatives of the group, also known as “Nixon’s fixers,” carried out the Watergate break-in. E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), accidentally brought down the presidency they were trying to protect.
Ironheart
Fall on Disney+
Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk, Judas and the Black Messiah) plays Riri Williams, who has created the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, Ironheart also introduces Anthony Ramos (In the Heights, Hamilton) as Parker Robbins/The Hood, an ally of Ironheart’s.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
Winter on Disney+
It was Agatha all along! The witch we love to hate, played by a wry Kathryn Hahn, had a breakout role in WandaVision and is now getting her own spinoff. Few plot details have been released, but the first season, Agatha: House of Harkness, stars Emma Caulfield Ford, Joe Locke, and Aubrey Plaza alongside Hahn.
The Power
Spring on Amazon Prime Video
In 2016, English novelist and game writer Naomi Alderman wrote The Novelist, which the New York Times named as one of the 10 best books of 2017. Seven years later, Alderman created the TV version of her story. In the show—starring Toni Collette, Auli’l Cravalho, and John Leguizamo—all teenage girls in the world suddenly develop the power to electrocute people.
Ahsoka
TBD on Disney+
We first met Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the character made her live-action debut in the second season of The Mandalorian, played by Rosario Dawson. Dawson will reprise the role in Ahsoka, to be written and co-directed by Dave Filoni (Avatar: The Last Airbender).
All the Light We Cannot See
TBA on Netflix
Based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, this four-part series examines the crossing paths of Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French teen, and Werner (Louis Hofman), a German soldier in occupied France during World War II. Loberti, a disability rights advocate, landed the role after a global search for low-vision and blind actresses.
Beef
TBA on Netflix
Steven Yeun and Ali Wong star in this comedy created by Lee Sung Jin (Tuca & Bertie, Dave) for Netflix. Beef follows two people in the wake of a road rage incident that slowly consumes their every waking moment.
Black Cake
TBA on Hulu
Based on the 2022 book by Charmaine Wilkerson, this drama takes place in the wake of the death of a widow named Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung). Bennett’s two estranged children, Byron (Ashley Thomas) and Benny (Adrienne Warren), are left with a flash drive full of previously untold stories of their mother’s journey from the Caribbean—home to black cake—to America.
Bupkis
TBA on Peacock
A fictionalized, heightened version of Pete Davidson’s real life, Bupkis stars Davidson, Edie Falco (as Davidson’s mom), and Joe Pesci (as Davidson’s grandfather). Guest stars on the half-hour comedy will include Charlie Day, Brad Garrett, Simon Rex, Ray Romano, Kenan Thompson, and Chase Sui Wonders, with Dave Sirus co-writing.
Citadel
TBA on Amazon Prime Video
Starring Richard Madden as Citadel agent Mason Kane and Priyanka Chopra as Citadel agent Nadia Singh, Citadel was created by the Russo brothers alongside Patrick Moran. The spy thriller has already launched a couple of local spinoffs—one Italian and one Indian—and has slowly become one of the most expensive shows ever produced.
Faraway Downs
TBA on Hulu
Australian director Baz Luhrmann is re-visiting his 2008 period piece Australia to turn it into a limited series for Hulu. The original film starred Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, an English aristocrat who inherits the cattle station Faraway Downs after her husband dies, and Hugh Jackman as The Drover, who helps Lady Sarah Ashley move the cattle across the station. Kidman and Jackman will return in the Hulu series alongside Brandon Walters, who plays Nullah, a bi-racial Indigenous Australian child.
Gen V
TBA on Amazon Prime Video
Since 2019, The Boys has shown us that superheroes aren’t always what they seem. Now, in a new spin-off starring Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, and Lizzie Broadway, we get to see where they came from: Godolkin University, America’s only college for young adult superheroes.
History of the World, Part ll
TBA on Hulu
Since its release in 1981, Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part I has become a cult classic. Brooks wrote, produced, and directed the comedy—and he also stars as Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Spanish inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, and Jacques, le garçon de pisse. Now he’s finally back with a sequel series, starring Brooks (of course), Wanda Sykes, Nick Kroll, and Ike Barinholtz.
Love & Death
TBA on HBO Max
In 1980, Candy Montgomery was accused of the brutal axe murder of her friend Betty Gore. Now, Elizabeth Olson will play Montgomery in this true crime miniseries, with Lily Rabe set to play Gore. (Patrick Fugit will play Pat Montgomery, Candy’s husband, and Jesse Plemons will play Allan Gore, Betty’s husband—with whom Candy was having an affair.)
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
TBA on Netflix
Golda Rosheuvel will return to her iconic role as Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte in this spin-off series. This time around, though, we’ll get to see the love story that was her marriage to King George—and the societal shift it catalyzed, creating the Ton that we know and love in Bridgerton today. India Amarteifio (Sex Education) will star as young Queen Charlotte.
Rain Dogs
TBA on HBO
There are four Rain Dogs: single mother Costello Jones (Daisy May Cooper), Costello’s daughter Iris (Fleur Tashjian), Iris’ godmother Gloria (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo), and Costello’s soulmate and tormentor Selby (Jack Farthing). Together, this ragtag chosen family meets poverty and prejudice with dark humor and a punk-adjacent attitude.
The Palace
TBA on HBO
Hot on the heels of Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet is back at HBO with another original series: The Palace, which she will star in and executive produce. The Palace zooms in on one year during an authoritarian regime (inside, of course, a palace) as it starts to crumble. Winslet will be joined by Matthias Schoenaerts, Andrea Riseborough, and Hugh Grant in a guest starring role.
The Idol
TBA on HBO Max
Guaranteed to make a splash due to its creative team alone, The Idol examines the complicated relationship between Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a rising pop star, and Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a self-help guru and leader of a contemporary cult. Troy Sivan, Dan Levy, and Rachel Sennott appear in supporting roles, and the drama was created by The Weeknd, Sam Levinson (Euphoria), and Reza Fahim.
Velma
TBA on HBO Max
In Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!, released this October, it finally became canon that Velma Dinkley was a lesbian. In Velma, though, things get more complicated: The animated series was pitched as a love quadrangle between Velma (Mindy Kaling); Fred Jones (Glenn Howerton), whom Velma has a crush on; Norville “Shaggy” Rogers (Sam Richardson), who has a crush on Velma; and Daphne Blake (Constance Wu), who has “complicated feelings” for Velma.
Tiny Beautiful Things
TBA on Hulu
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 essay collection of the same name, Tiny Beautiful Things follows Claire (Kathryn Hahn) as she reluctantly becomes the anonymous advice columnist Dear Sugar. Although Claire’s own life is falling apart, she plumbs its depths for the struggle, beauty, and humor that prove that no one is beyond repair.
Returning Shows
You, Season 4, Part 1
Feb. 10 on Netflix
In the first batch of episodes of the fourth season of You, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgely) has fled to Europe to escape his past. The tables turn, however, when Joe realizes that another killer is on the loose in London, and now it’s up to him to find out who it is—and to stop them. Part 2 of Season 4 will air on March 10)
Bel-Air, Season 2
Feb. 23 on Peacock
Season 1 of Bel-Air ended with a bang: Will realized that his father did not, in fact, abandon him 13 years ago, but rather was sent to prison—and that the rest of his family has been lying to him this whole time. Season 2 will pick up where that tangled plot left off.
Shadow and Bone, Season 2
March 16 on Netflix
Based on two series of fantasy books by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphan and cartographer, as she realizes that not only is she a Grisha (someone with magical abilities), but that she’s a uniquely gifted one at that. Season 2 picks up after Alina, Mal, Zoya, and the Crows escape the Fold.
Succession, Season 4
Spring on HBO Max
In October 2021, at the end of the third season of Succession, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) decided to consider Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgård) offer to buy the family business. The fourth season will pick up in the wake of this shocking decision, as Kendall, Shiv, and Roman deal with the fallout.
Loki, Season 2
Summer on Disney+
The first season of Loki introduced us to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and a much more emotionally complex version of the trickster figure we love to hate, played to perfection by Tom Hiddleston. Season 2 will continue to cover “new emotional ground” for Loki, as Ke Huy Quan joins the cast as a TVA archivist.
The Witcher, Season 3
Summer on Netflix
Based on the fantasy series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher tells the story of its namesake, the witcher or magically enhanced monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, originally played by Henry Caviil. The third season will mark Caviil’s last with the show, with Liam Hemsworth set to take over as the titular witcher.
Bridgerton, Season 3
TBA on Netflix
Bridgerton’s third season will finally focus on perhaps the most interesting character of the series: Lady Whistledown herself, a.k.a. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). Penelope gives up her long-standing crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) to pursue the marriage market, but lacks confidence. Colin takes on a role as her confidence tutor, which perhaps works a little too well.
Dr. Death, Season 2
TBA on Peacock
Based on the hit podcast from Wondery, the first season of Dr. Death told the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), whose neurosurgery patients piled up dead around him. The second season will focus on Paolo Macchiarini, known as “Miracle Man” for his surgical abilities, and his relationship with investigative journalist Benita Alexander.
Starstruck, Season 3
TBA on HBO Max
To the tune of “Return of the Mack,” Starstruck is back. This time, creator and star Rose Matafeo (who plays Jessie) and co-writer and star Alice Snedden will direct all six episodes. When we last saw Jessie—a New Zealander living in London—and Tom (Nikesh Patel)—an A-list actor and Jessie’s unlikely love interest—they had just reconciled after a temporary breakup.
Final Seasons
Firefly Lane, Season 2, Part 2
June 8 on Netflix
The final part of the last season of Firefly Lane is slated for this spring, and we may not be ready for it. Lifelong best friends Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl), a famous talk show host, and Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke), a journalist trying to rejoin the workforce after a divorce, have been through it all, but the cliffhanger ending of Season 2, Part 1 could test that bond.
Never Have I Ever, Season 4
TBA on Netflix
The third season of Never Have I Ever—Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s coming-of-age rom-com—left audiences hanging in perhaps the best way. Protagonist Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) finally got her moment alone with Ben (Jaren Lewison), her nemesis-turned-friend—who might be something more in Season 4.
Riverdale, Season 7
TBA on The CW
The seemingly never-ending teen drama-mystery is finally grinding to a halt with its seventh season. Based on the characters of Archie Comics, Riverdale has taken a turn toward the supernatural and… musical? in recent installments. With a first episode titled “Don’t Worry, Darling,” who knows what Season 7 has in store.
The Crown, Season 6
TBA on Netflix
A perennial fan favorite, The Crown will abdicate its throne in 2023. The final season is expected to focus on the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Imelda Staunton returning as Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Debicki back as Princess Diana.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 6
TBA on Hulu
While details haven’t been released about the upcoming capstone of The Handmaid’s Tale universe, the end of Season 5 seemed to hint at a few potential narratives. As they escape from Canada, June (Elisabeth Moss) and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), now a mother, run into each other on the train. Where will they—and their relationship—go from here?
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5
TBA on Amazon Prime Video
The producers of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it seems, had always intended for the show to last five seasons. In this final chapter, keep an eye out for answers: Where will Midge’s (Rachel Brosnahan) career take her? What about her relationship with Lenny (Luke Kirby)? And would Mei (Stephanie Hsu) ever consider converting to Judaism?
More Must-Reads From TIME
