Samuel Brace with six new TV shows to look forward to in 2018…
The year has almost reached its close. December is here and with it a great chance presents itself to look forward to what is to come in 2018. 2017 was a great year for new TV, with shows like The Young Pope, Mindhunter, Legion and The Punisher all impressing. But what about next year? Well, the good news is that there is plenty to excite on the horizon, a bevy of new series on the way to make 2018 one to remember. So with that being said, let us dive on in and discover six new TV shows to look forward to in the year to come.
Maniac – HBO
First up on our list is HBO’s Maniac, the highly anticipated dark comedy by director of True Detective season one, Cary Fukunaga. Boasting a cast that includes Emma Stone, Jonah Hill and Justin Theroux, this series revolves around a mental patient of a psychiatric facility who lives in a fantasy world housed inside his own mind in order to escape reality. If Fukunaga can bring his cinematic sensibilities to bare, this should be one attractive proposition.
The First – Hulu
While Beau Willimon hasn’t had much to do with House of Cards in a while, the series was obviously at its best under his control and as such his next TV project is certainly one to keep an eye on. The First will come our via Hulu and will see Sean Penn in a series regarding man’s first mission to Mars and the particulars of interplanetary colonisation. Sci-Fi and TV can be somewhat hit or miss but Hulu will be hoping The First is just one part of what promises to be a big year for the service.
Lost in Space – Netflix
The first of two big Netflix offerings in 2018 is the thoroughly intriguing remake of Lost in Space. The classic series is being reintroduced for a new audience and is reportedly one of the most expensive series of all time. The sci-fi adventure revolves around a family of space colonists whose ship crashes on an unknown planet after a rip in spacetime. Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones, Hannibal, Westworld) will be directing several episodes. This could be quite the affair.
Sharp Objects – HBO
Based on the novel by Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects is an eight part drama starring Amy Adams as a reporter who returns to her hometown after a stay in a psychiatric hospital, there assigned to the murder of two young girls. HBO have once again employed the services of Big Little Lies’ Jean-Marc Vallee to direct the series, perhaps helping to palliate fan pressure for that show’s second season.
Castle Rock – Hulu
Stephen King never really went anywhere but the legendary author is particularly popular in the present moment, with no small thanks to 2017’s cinematic sensation known as It. King adaptations are being greenlit left, right, and centre, and Hulu’s Castle Rock might be the most exciting of them all. Acting as a connected universe for King’s myriad creations, the fictional town of Castle Rock will see different themes from the author’s novels all manifest themselves in this one series.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – Netflix
Fans of Joel and Ethan Coen will already have this one marked down, as our final entry brings us the television debut of the famed and acclaimed director/writer duo. The Ballad of Bust Scruggs is a western anthology series, both written and directed by the Coens, and the show will contain six different tales focused on the American West. The series will star Tim Blake as the titular Buster Scruggs, being helped out by the seemingly ever present James Franco.
If all that’s not worth your excitement, television in 2018 probably isn’t for you. But for those whose heads are suitably screwed upon their shoulders, the year ahead should be another terrific TV adventure. And we should by no means prescind the slate of current programming already with us, making sure to mention the multitudinous returning series that have entertained us during seasons past.
After all, premium series such as Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, Mindhunter, Westworld and much more will all be available for our viewing consumption once again.
Samuel Brace
Originally published December 2, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
