Hollywood is digging deeper to find stories that resonate with a larger audience, and it is taking steps to represent stories for all racial, caste, sexual, and other identities. Gone are the days when television’s best shows had an all-white cast with cast members from other communities playing side characters. The pandemic has resulted in a multitude of stories coming to the forefront.
The year 2023 was no different. It gave rise to multiple breakout stars and helped some different stories find their audience. There was the heart-warming ‘Abbott Elementary’, which took the audience by surprise with its gripping comedic tale of a public school in Philadelphia. ‘The Bear’, starring Jeremy Allen-White, was the best culinary drama in contemporary times. While there were limited releases in 2023 due to the writer’s strike, the fan-favorite series and some new titles will be released in the new year 2024.
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10) Masters Of The Air (AppleTV+)
There have been many retellings of World War II stories on celluloid, but rarely have there been any stories told about the wars in long format. But one of the most ambitious streaming projects, ‘Masters of the Air’, will be helmed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. The story is based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same moniker.
The series will premiere on AppleTV+ on January 26, 2024. It is the story of the 100th Bomb Group and the valor of airmen who enter Hitler’s Nazi Germany territory. The series stars Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, Ncuti Gatwa, Callum Turner, and others.
9) Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime)
In 2005, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie starred in an electrifying spy-comedy thriller written by Simon Kinberg. The film was a blockbuster, and after many failed attempts to translate the story into the long format, almost after two decades, Donald Glover and ‘Pen15’ star Maya Erskine are reprising the roles of John and Jane Smith.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ follows the story of two assassins who are given a life of luxury and a dream life in Manhattan. The two are put together for a mission with different identities through an arranged marriage. While John and Jane are given tasks each week, the two start to develop feelings for one another. This Donald Glover-led project will start streaming on Amazon Prime on February 2, 2024.
8) The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
After the huge success of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, Michelle Yeoh will be seen as a matriarch in Brad Falchuk and Bryon Wu’s ‘The Brothers Sun’. The series will start streaming on Netflix on January 4, 2024. It stars Justin Chein, Sam Song Li, and Michelle Yeoh.
‘The Brothers Sun’ is a story about family, brotherhood, and the complexities of having a family. It follows Charles Sun, played by Justin Chein, to Los Angeles after his father gets killed, who is the head of a powerful Taiwanese gang.
His mother, Eileen, played by Michelle Yeoh, left that life with her younger son, Bruce, to move to the States. Now, the three are united as there is a rise in underworld conflicts.
7) Expats (Amazon Prime)
Lulu Wang is back with another interesting project, ‘Expats’, after the success of her 2019 film ‘Farewell’. The series will be streaming on Amazon Prime on January 26, 2024. It stars Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo. ‘Expats’ is an adaptation of the 2016 novel ‘The Expatriates’.
‘Expats’ revolves around the lives of three women—Margaret, played by Nicole Kidman; Ji-young Yoo, played by Mercy; and Hilary, played by Sarayu Blue. They migrate from America to Hong Kong, and their lives get intertwined after their paths meet, and the events pose a threat to their relationships and personal lives.
6) The Regime (HBO Max)
There is another political drama on the horizon after ‘West Wing’, ‘Veep’, and ‘Parks & Recreation’. Will Tracy bring us into the dictatorship life of the Chancellor of a Middle European country? ‘The Regime’ stars Kate Winslet in the role of the chancellor, along with Matthias Schoenaerts, Hugh Grant, Andrea Riseborough, and others. The series will premiere on HBO Max on March 3, 2024.
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5) Ripley (Netflix)
After starring alongside Paul Mescal in the heartbreaking tale of love ‘All of Us Strangers’, Andrew Scott will be back on the small screen as a con man in Netflix’s thriller ‘Ripley’. The Steven Zillian-directed film ‘Ripley’, is adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels.
It is a story about Tom Ripley, who is assigned the task of bringing Dickie Greenleaf, a powerful, wealthy man’s son, back to New York from Italy. The journey poses instances of murder, treachery, and mystery. It also stars Dakota Johnson and Johnny Flynn.
4) Abbott Elementary Season 3 (Hulu)
Philadelphia’s most chaotic and amazing public school, ‘Abbott Elementary’, will be in session on February 7, 2024. The show gained momentum in the second season, with the love story between the two teachers, Janine Teagues, played by Quinta Brunson, and Gregory Eddie, played by Tyler James Williams, being the most liked.
‘Abbott Elementary’ had the best year during the 2023 awards season, with Sheryl Lee Ralph winning big during the awards season. In the new season, as it was delayed, there will be fewer episodes. We might see if Draemond will turn the school into a charter, and will Janine and Gregory’s romance see the fruition that the makers have edged over the audience for two seasons?
3) Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)
After Nickleodeon’s failed attempt to tell the story of Aang, Netflix has taken the duty to make ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ into a live-action series. The series will star Gordon Cormier as Avatar Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, and Ian Ousley as Sokka. It will be streaming on Netflix on February 22, 2024.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ is a story about the four nations—the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdoms, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. There is a bender who has mastered the art of bending one nation’s element to their will. Aang is the avatar who can master all four elements, and he goes on a quest to master them while the Fire Nation goes on a war with the rest of the world.
2) Griselda (Netflix)
The story of one of the most successful drug cartels in the world, led by the Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, is the subject of Netflix’s upcoming drama ‘Griselda’. The series stars the talented Sofia Vergara, along with Gabriel Sloyer, Martin Rodríguez, Vanessa Ferlito, and others. The series will stream on Netflix on January 25, 2024.
1) The Bear Season 3 (Hulu)
After two anxiety-driven seasons of the finest culinary drama of our times, ‘The Bear’ will be back for its third season. The series does not have an official date, and it stars Jeremy Allen White, who has sexualized the term ‘Yes, chef!’ on the internet, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, L-Boy, and others.
‘The Bear’ follows the story of Michelin-starred chef Carmen, who comes back to Chicago to revive his brother’s beef sandwich shop after his death. While reviving the restaurant, Carmy faces many obstacles as he navigates resurrecting the business while dealing with personal traumas.
In season one, when he tries to resurrect the shop, the attempt goes in vain. But, in the second season, he assembles his old team to start a Michelin-starred restaurant. The chaos, adrenaline-rushing shots, and the complex nature of humans and families have made the series one of the most-awaited ones of 2024.
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