As a new year approaches, there's plenty of new television programming to get excited for.
From a one-off reunion special of the Harry Potter cast and a Game of Thrones prequel, to an adaptation of popular video game franchise Halo and the return of Stranger Things and Bridgerton, there will be plenty to keep an eye out for in the coming year.
Here's the best:
'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts'
Date: January 1
The HBO Max special reunites stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to mark the 20th anniversary since the release of the first Harry Potter film.
The stars will share their memories from the decades-long franchise, which thrust them into the spotlight as children, making them some of the most recognisable stars in the world.
Other cast members set to appear include Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), director Chris Columbus, as well as more stars from the eight movies.
It'll be available to watch on OSN Streaming on the same day in the UAE.
'Peaky Blinders'
Date: February
Back for its final outing is this period drama set in Birmingham, England, that follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family in the aftermath of the First World War. The sixth season is rumoured to be coming out in February, following production delays owing to Covid-19, with a new trailer set to drop on New Year’s Day.
So far, a teaser was released earlier this month confirming the return of Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) and another one revealing that Stephen Graham (Line of Duty, Boardwalk Empire) would join the show, hinting that there would be a major clash with the Shelbys.
'Inventing Anna'
Date: February 11
The Netflix drama series is based on the real-life story of Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German who changed her last name and scammed those around her into believing she was a wealthy socialite in New York before being caught as a con woman. The show is created and produced by Shonda Rhimes and is based on the New York magazine article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People. Ozark's Julia Garner will star as the title character.
'Killing Eve'
Date: February 27
The British spy thriller show follows intelligence investigator Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) who is trying to capture assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer), and who develop a mutual obsession over the course of the series. Not much is known about the plotline of the fourth season, other than it promises to be a “pitch-black riot”, according to executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle. It’ll have eight episodes and be led by Sex Education’s Laura Neal (each season has a new female writer at its helm).
'Bridgerton', season two
Date: March 25
Shonda Rhimes’s hit Regency drama Bridgerton returns for its second season with a new focus: eldest Bridgerton son Anthony and his mission to find a wife.
Driven by his duty to uphold the family name, his search leads to sisters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), who have just arrived from India. Anthony decides to court Edwina, but when Kate discovers that true love isn't high on his priority list, decides to step in to try and stop the union. However, Kate and Anthony’s verbal sparring only brings them closer together, complicating matters on both sides.
'Ms Marvel'
Date: Summer 2022
The Disney+ show will star newcomer Iman Vellani, making her acting debut as Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager living in New Jersey. She's a good student, an avid gamer and loves to write fan-fiction. She has a special affinity for superheroes, Captain Marvel in particular. But Khan struggles to fit in at home and at school – that is, until she one day gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. The show will have six episodes in its first season.
'Stranger Things'
Date: Summer 2022
The anticipated fourth season of the hit Netflix show returns after more than three years. Taking place in 1986, the show picks up after the events of season three, with Eleven, Will, Jonathan and Joyce having relocated to California from Hawkins, Indiana.
Previous trailers seem to hint that not all is going well for Eleven at her new school, as she writes to Mike that she can't wait to see him over spring break. Meanwhile, other trailers offer potential other storylines, including the creepy Creel House that Steve, Dustin, Caleb and Max are shown exploring. Fans will also learn what has happened to Jim Hopper after a trailer revealed he is still alive.
'The Lord of the Rings'
Date: September 2
The epic drama from JRR Tolkien takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. Amazon Prime will release one episode weekly.
'Conversations with Friends'
Date: TBA
Based on Sally Rooney’s 2017 debut novel, this 12-part series will follow angsty Irish millennials Frances (the narrator), her best friend Bobbi and married couple Melissa and Nick as they navigate their way through the complexity of modern relationships. The show stars Alison Oliver, Sasha Lane, Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke.
'Halo'
Date: TBA
The popular video game franchise has been turned into a sci-fi TV adaptation starring Pablo Schreiber as the armoured super-soldier Master Chief, while Jen Taylor will reprise her role from the games as Master Chief’s AI companion, Cortana. The show is set to follow an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. However, it’s still not clear whether Halo will be adapting the games directly or tell its own story within the world of the franchise.
'House of the Dragon'
Date: TBA
This series is based on George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood, and is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It begins with the story of King Viserys sitting on the Iron Throne and his daughter Rhaenyra next in line. However, this leads to a civil war, called the Dance of Dragons, that soon marks the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, as briefly touched upon in Game of Thrones.
'Obi-Wan Kenobi'
Date: TBA
The plot for the Disney+ limited series has been kept under wraps but what is known is that the show will take place 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader.
'The Sandman'
Date: TBA
Years in the making, The Sandman is based on a popular comic book series by author Neil Gaiman, who’s also creating the show for Netflix alongside David S Goyer and Allan Heinberg. The premise centres around Dream, a wizard who’s just escaped after decades of imprisonment and sets about restoring his kingdom, The Dreaming.
Gaiman describes his story as a blend of “modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven”.
