Another year, another slew of TV/streaming options to dazzle, entertain and yes, overwhelm.
That’s both the blessing and the cursing of the current digital tsunami of content – a lot of it is very good and you want to watch it all but finding the time is a huge challenge.
Still, even though I know this year will, like all the years before it when I’ve failed to make even a dent in my extensive wishlist of shows to watch, only have 365 days in it, I am still hoping I can watch more of these wonderful programs and enjoy the rich, funny or dramatic storytelling inherent in them.
While I work out how to do that, please enjoy these trailers and have fun working out you will get to see them all too …
FOUNDATION (season 2)
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Based on the award-winning sci-fi novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. The premise of the stories is that, in the waning days of a future Galactic Empire, the mathematician Hari Seldon spends his life developing a theory of psychohistory, a new and effective mathematical sociology. Using statistical laws of mass action, it can predict the future of large populations. Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting 30,000 years before a second empire arises. Foundation is a TV series showrun by writer / filmmaker David S. Goyer (writer on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Terminator: Dark Fate). Executive produced by Robyn Asimov, Goyer, Josh Friedman, Cameron Welsh, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross. The series is produced for Apple TV by Skydance Television. Based on the book series by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1942 (and collected in 1951). (courtesy First Showing)
Foundation (season 2) screens on AppleTV+ starting northern summer 2023.
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The spinoff is set 1995, with Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) desperate for some adventure in her life or at least a best friend who isn’t her dad. When she arrives in Point Place to visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty, Leia finds what she’s looking for right next door when she meets the dynamic and rebellious Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide). With the help of Gwen’s friends, including her lovable brother Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan), his smart, laser-focused girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos), the sarcastic and insightful Ozzie (Reyn Doi), and the charming Jay (Mace Coronel), Leia realizes adventure could happen there just like it did for her parents all those years ago. Excited to reinvent herself, she convinces her parents to let her stay for the summer. With a basement full of teens again, Kitty is happy the Forman house is now a home for a new generation and Red is, well … Red.That ’90s Show sees Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman, alongside newcomers Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Maxwell Donovan, Reyn Doi, and Sam Morelos, with Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, and Don Stark set to appear as special guests. (courtesy Flickering Myth)
That ’90s Show is currently streaming on Netflix.
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The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive. (courtesy Flickering Myth)
The Ark premieres on syfy on 1 February.
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Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve. A new “mystery-of-the-week” series for streaming on Peacock in 2023. Poker Face is a whodunit series created by acclaimed filmmaker Rian Johnson (of Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Knives Out, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery). It’s written by Johnson in collaboration with Charlie Peppers. All of the episodes are also directed by Rian Johnson, following his work directing TV episodes of “Breaking Bad” and “Terriers” previously. Executive produced by Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Natasha Lyonne, Nena Rodrigue, Nora Zuckerman, and Lilla Zuckerman. (courtesy First Showing)
Poker Face debuts on Peacock (Stan in Australia) on 26 January with new episodes released weekly.
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The eternally optimistic Abby Stone follows in the footsteps of her revered late father, Judge Harry Stone, as she takes on the challenge of overseeing the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court.Abby always sees the best in people, and her passion for justice is undeniable. In her quest to bring order and dignity to the court and reign in its colorful crew of oddballs, she enlists former night court district attorney Dan Fielding to serve as the court’s public defender. Still exceedingly self-confident, Fielding must adjust to a new boss and a new job – defending the downtrodden. And, beneath his arrogant demeanor, there is an empathetic side to Fielding that Abby is determined to unearth.
They both must contend with Olivia (India de Beaufort), the court’s officious assistant district attorney. Driven and ambitious, she views the night court as a stepping stone on her way to bigger things. Neil (Kapil Talwalkar) is the court’s neurotic clerk who loved that his job came with low expectations. That is until a new idealistic judge showed up looking to push him out of his comfort zone.
Rounding out the staff is Donna “Gurgs” Gurganos (Lacretta), the night court’s sharp-witted bailiff. Gurgs takes her job very seriously and is fiercely protective of her night court colleagues. Nikolai (Dimiter Marinov) is the court’s maintenance man. A staple character within the building, Nikolai pops up in the day-to-day lives of the crew. He’s a mystery to everyone around the courthouse (and he likes it that way). (courtesy Bleeding Cool)
Night Court premieres 17 January with back-to-back episodes) on NBC.
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The Last of Us is an upcoming American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the 2013 video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog, the series will follow Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. It will feature Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother Tommy, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, and Anna Torv as Joel’s smuggler partner Tess. (courtesy Wikipedia)
The Last of Us premieres 15 January 2023 on HBO Max.
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Based on the critically acclaimed video game developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone to the Fireflies, a cure-searching organization. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as they both traverse across the U.S. & depend on each other for survival.Joining Pascal and Ramsey are Gabriel Luna (Tommy, Joel’s younger brother), Nico Parker (Sarah), Merle Dandridge (resistance leader Marlene), Jeffrey Pierce (Perry), Anna Torv (Tess), Nick Offerman (Bill), Murray Bartlett (Frank), and Storm Reid (Riley Abel). Lamar Johnson & Keivonn Woodard have also joined the cast, with Graham Greene & Elaine Miles set to guest star as characters original to the series (and not the video game). In addition, video game franchise voice actors Ashley Johnson & Troy Baker (Ellie & Joel in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II video games) will also be appearing in the series. (courtesy Bleeding Cool)