2017 has been a great year for television so far. There have been surprise classics like The Young Pope, departing shows ending on an all time highs like The Leftovers, and series that have never been better, such as the third season of Better Call Saul. Game of Thrones has also just kicked off, and is already shaping up to be rather special, but there is also a plethora of content to come over the coming months. 2017’s second half promises a lot, there are new shows, returning shows, and shows back from the dead. It’s all happening between now and December, but let me give you a rundown of the most exciting prospects to look out for.
The Defenders
At last it’s here, the prospect that seemed to be perpetually on the horizon, the Marvel/Netflix team up show bringing together all that we’ve seen since Daredevil wowed audiences in what feels like a lifetime ago. Will The Defenders manage to fuse the best elements of these Netlfix shows, retaining what’s great and discarding what’s not? Maybe. Hopefully. The only worry is the show’s focus on The Hand/ninja storyline, which to date, hasn’t been particularly strong. Though the fact that the miniseries will only be eight episodes long is certainly cause for optimism.
Date: August 18th
BoJack Horseman
One of Netflix’s best shows is perhaps one of its least talked about. BoJack Horseman was a true surprise upon its debut and has only continued to impress since that time. Who would have thought an animated series about a washed up sitcom horse would be such a touching and dramatic affair? Some of TV’s deepest moments have been found in BoJack’s first three seasons, and by blending the awfully sombre dilemmas its characters face with genuine comedy, BoJack is always one to look out for.
Date: September 8th
The Deuce
From creator of The Wire, David Simon, The Deuce might be the most anticipated new show of them all. His work on 2015’s Show Me a Hero was another example of the quality this man can achieve, making the prospect of a new series from Simon tantalising indeed. Revolving around the mob, the legalised porn industry, the rise of HIV, and the real estate boom of 1970s New York, this series certainly looks to be up Simon’s alley, and should provide some memorable moments and fascinating characters should all of its components come together.
Date: September 10th
Curb Your Enthusiasm
It’s back. After finishing its run in 2011, one of TV’s funniest ever shows is back for a ninth season on HBO. TV hasn’t been quite the same since Larry David departed our screens; we’ve certainly missed the impossibly awkward, largely improvised look into this fictionalised version of the Seinfeld creator. Will the magic still be there upon its return? It’s hard to imagine it won’t be. David is an innately funny man and the cast around him so immensely talented that Curb’s place back atop the television comedy heap is all but guaranteed. It should be pretty good, and oh so infuriating.
Date: October 1st
Mindhunter
Another prospect to get excited over, Mindhunter is a show that once again comes by the way of Netflix and while their products are indeed becoming more and hit and miss, the two trailers for this FBI focused show have certainly whet the appetite. Set in 1979, the show’s story will revolve around two FBI agents whose task it is to interview serial killers, hoping to understand how they think and then apply it to ongoing cases. On paper it seems to resemble the likes of Hannibal and Silence of the Lambs, along with a David Fincher type feel emanating from the trailers. If all this comes to fruition, and it’s also able to add its own unique spin, this could be quite wonderful indeed.
Date: October 13th
Stranger Things
With its sheer number of quality shows, Netflix has a heavy influence on this list (spoilers: there’s another to come), but no effort of this kind would be complete without mentioning the hotly anticipated Stranger Things. Season 1 was a delight, and thoroughly surprising. Its 80s vibe and deep sense of nostalgia was the hook, and its engrossing storyline being what kept us around. Season 2 will hopefully offer more of the same, while also progressing the story in new and inventive ways. There’s a lot of pressure here however, everyone expects this to be great, so fingers crossed it delivers, because the prospect of a dud is depressing indeed.
Date: October 31st
The Punisher
Sure, The Defenders will be fun, but The Punisher is what it’s all about. The character’s debut on Daredevil was a stunning affair; Frank managed to steal the spotlight from an already enigmatic Matt Murdock, turning the show’s second season into an effective teaser trailer for his own show. But a true solo adventure is what fans demanded after seeing Jon Bernthals’s devastating portrayal of the tragic vigilante, and that’s just what we’ve got. And with Steve Lightfoot of Hannibal fame orchestrating proceedings, The Punisher is a tantalising prospect indeed. Will it deliver? Will it get over the 13 episode Netflix/Marvel curse? Cross all your fingers, gang. Please don’t mess this up.
Date: November
Samuel Brace
Originally published August 5, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
