In 2023, we were treated to some TV delights from Liverpool’s Eurovision to the finale of one of the greatest dramas of all time – Succession, and even the reintroduction of the OG reality show, Big Brother.
It’s been pretty mad too, with a BBC newsreader giving the middle finger, and the ultimate climax to a year’s worth of storytelling on EastEnders, which was a welcome slow-burner to our typical binge-watching.
While it’s fun to reminisce, we’ve got plenty to look forward to in 2024.
We’ve got dramas, reality shows with unexpected twists, and films being given extra time in TV series.
Save us a spot on the sofa for these upcoming highlights…
Fool Me Once
If you’re after something to watch while you nurse your New Year’s Eve hangover then look no further than Fool Me Once.
Joanne Lumley is Judith – the mother-in-law to Michelle Keegan’s character Maya, and that sentence alone should convince you.
When Maya sees her husband, who she thought was murdered, on the Nanny cam things begin to unravel. The thriller is almost verging on soap opera in their treatment of their material, but it’s gripping nonetheless.
Netflix, January 1
Celebrity Big Brother
After five long years off-screen Big Brother returned and was welcomed into living rooms up and down the country.
In the first ITV series, won by lawyer Jordan Sangha, we were reminded just how beautiful TV can be when a bunch of strangers are shoved in a house and then forced to cohabit, which is why we were excited at the announcement that we’d be getting a celebrity version soon.
In previous years, the showbiz version has been better than its counterpart – it’s hard to beat series 17 (AKA David’s Dead), and so we look forward to seeing who they torture, sorry we mean, feature in the latest reboot. We’ve already got a few predictions.
ITV, approx March
Love Island: All Stars
Praise has been thrown on Love Island Games which involved chucking together previous islanders from around the world for a second round.
The aforementioned series didn’t air in the UK, but now we’ve got our chance to watch familiar faces give love a second go.
With Maya Jama back at the helm and a twist on the reoccurring formula perhaps this is exactly what we need to fall back in love with Love Island again.
ITV, January 15
Bridgerton
The regency-style drama re-invented the wheel in 2020 and showed a new audience the joy of period pieces.
Each season it gets saucier from the Duke’s tantalising moments with a spoon, to Antony and Kate’s almost kisses, they keep us fixed to our screen.
This time it’s the turn of Lady Whistledown (Nicola Coughlan), or Penelope to those not in the know, and Colin (Luke Newton), whom her feelings for have been unrequited up until now.
It’s a big year for Nicola who will also be playing the lead in Big Mood – a Channel 4 comedy series that puts female friendship at its heart.
Netflix, part one May 16 and part two June 13
True Detective: Night Country
Jodie Foster will be playing cop Liz Danvers in the frozen wilds of Alaska, who will investigate the mysterious disappearances of six people from a research station.
This new project is pretty special as it is Jodie’s first regular TV role since 1974, when she starred in Paper Moon, so you know it had to be good to convince her to sign on.
Now TV, January 14
The Traitors
It was the hit none of us expected but now can’t live without. Maddy’s ‘faithful, faithful, faithful, not sure, traitor’ lives rent-free in our minds over a year after the first series, and we are looking forward to hearing its replacement.
In the reality series, contestants have to work out who the ‘traitor’ is secretly ‘murdering’ faithfuls before they take all of the money. It’s a beautifuly simple concept that leads to incredible TV.
BBC, January 3
Doctor Who
Our brand new Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, had his first full episode on Christmas day, while Millie Gibson made her debut as the new companion, Ruby Sunday. The 15th iteration is already bringing something ethereal, joyous, and refreshing.
When asked what he tried to bring to the role, Ncuti simply said his ‘black and beautiful self’ and we can’t wait to see more of it in a whole series.
BBC, May
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
A reimagining of Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie’s 2005 film, is perfect for the month of love.
When two lonely strangers played by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are offered a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travels and a dream brownstone in Manhattan in exchange for working at a spy agency it’s a no-brainer.
The catch is they have to take on new identities – Mr. & Mrs. John and Jane Smith. What happens next? Of course, they fall in love but happily ever afters are never simple.
Amazon Prime, February 2
Breathtaking
Based on palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke’s memoir, this three-part drama will remind us all of the sacrifices NHS staff made during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With Joanne Froggatt taking the lead role, it promises to be equal parts thought-provoking, and gripping.
ITV, early 2024
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office
The drama will focus on how an IT error at the Post Office saw many of its workers wrongly accused of fraud.
550 postmasters and postmistresses were charged with theft, too, after faulty computer software threw up several incorrect accounting shortfalls.
The legal case was fought over more than a decade, with some of the wrongly accused even being sent to prison, and was only resolved in March 2019.
To tell the story, ITV has assembled an all-star cast including Toby Jones, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Will Mellor, and several other famous faces.
ITV, January 1
The Gladiators
Really strong people in unitards showing their brawn through a series of challenges is just great telly, so it’s unsurprising that BBC has brought it back. Previously hosted by Ulrika Johnson, this time it’ll be Bradley Walsh bringing the jokes. We’ve seen how quickly he can build rapport with The Chase contestants, so he’ll be a natural.
BBC, January 13
One Day
Based on the best-selling book of the same name by David Nicholls, One Day explores the relationship between student Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley on the same day every year for the next two decades.
In 2011, the novel was transformed into a blockbuster film, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess in the leading roles, but has now been given the TV treatment by Netflix more than 10 years later.
Stepping into the Devil Wears Prada actor and Jim’s shoes for the 14-part series guaranteed to be a tearjerker are This Is Going To Hurt star Ambika Mod and The White Lotus’ Leo Woodall.
Make sure you’ve got plenty of tissues nearby as it’s going to be a tear-jerker!
Netflix, February 8
Griselda
Sofia Vergara has transformed into Colombian drug cartel leader Griselda Blanco for this exciting new Netflix series.
The episodes, which come from the same creators and executive producers behind Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, will show Blanco’s reign of terror from the 1970s. At one point, ‘The Cocaine Godmother’ is thought to have earned around $80 million every month.
Netflix, January 25
Supacell
Set in South London, where creator Rapman is from, the series will ask what happens when ‘ordinary’ Londoners get given superpowers, and how they use them to improve their place in life.
The series is particularly exciting as it will be one of the first to use groundbreaking camera technology to flatter black skin.
Netflix, tbc
Rivals
Hold your horses as if you’ve ever enjoyed reading one of Jilly Cooper’s bonk busters filled with scandalous affairs and spanking, then soon you’ll get to see it come to life on the small screen.
The romantic lives of the show-jumping and polo-playing crowd of the British upper classes will jump off the pages, and be played out by some of our favourite British stars including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, Claire Rushbrook and Emily Atack.
Disney Plus, early 2024
Joan
Just one look at Joan’s (Sophie Turner) bob and we know she means business.
The life of the real-life notorious jewel thief will be put on full display. But rather than just see the crimes, we’ll also understand what drove her – including the desire to create a better life for her six-year-old daughter, Kelly.
ITV, tbc
House of the Dragon
The fantasy series, a prequel to one of the greatest series of all time – Game of Thrones, is back for a second round.
Enemies Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) will continue to battle it out in more tense and gruesome episodes.
Now TV, summer
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