5 Biggest New TV Shows Still To Come In 2017

Now is the winter of excellent TV, as we move into the long, dark hours when there’s nothing better to do than watch hours of the stuff! Don’t you just love it? This year still has a lot to offer on the box, with a slew of new shows on the way, and it was hard to pick out only five of them. Hopefully, this little selection offers something for everyone.

 

Mindhunter (Netflix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gZCfRD_zWE

The buzz around this show has been pretty big, so much in fact that it has already been renewed for season two. Produced by David Fincher, known for a string of successes from House of Cards to Fight Club to Gone Girl, it has an excellent pedigree. Set in the 1970s, Mindhunter is based on a true story that details the beginnings of criminal profiling by the FBI, and the use of psychology to start catching serial killers.

Starring Jonathan Groff of Glee and Hamilton fame, and Holt McCallany (a name you might not know, but a face you definitely will), the trailer for Mindhunter looks suitably 70s-ish, with a lot of interesting looking suits and cars. It should appeal to fans of Criminal Minds in particular.

 

Alias Grace (Netflix)

Margaret Atwood fans have been spoiled so far this year, with The Handmaid’s Tale and Wandering Wenda already adapted into miniseries’, and the upcoming Alias Grace is riding on the success of those as it comes to Netflix in November. Based on a true story, it follows the conviction of Grace Marks and James McDermott for the murders of their master and fellow servant. Grace claims to not remember the murder and it is up to a doctor to help her try and find the truth.

Zachary Levi is probably the most well-known name to appear in this show, but the stars are Sarah Gadon and Edward Holcroft, as Grace Marks and Doctor Jordan. As with the other two Atwood adaptations, the production values on this show look incredibly high and sumptuous, and if it turns out anything like they did, it is definitely going to be one to watch.

 

Godless (Netflix)

Godless, set to hit Netflix at the end of November, is another historical drama that benefits from the attachment of big names. There’s Steven Soderbergh, with his lengthy list of successes, and Scott Frank (who, most recently, helped to birth the incomparable Logan). There’s also a huge list of stars, from Jeff Daniels to Jack O’Connell to Michelle Dockery, who are lending their names to what I suspect could become the big show of Winter 2017. If Netflix has taught us anything lately, it’s that shows with this pedigree tend to be great.

Godless is the story of an outlaw, Frank Griffin, who goes on the hunt for his old partner in the 1880s American West, and finds himself in a strange town that seems to be populated entirely by women. Netflix hasn’t done much in the Western genre yet, so this is new for them. There’s no trailer yet and the first look images are, honestly, nothing special, but I have faith enough in Scott Frank that this will be one to look forwards to.

 

Watership Down (BBC/Netflix)

Watership Down is an animated show set to hit the BBC sometime this season, although it weirdly still doesn’t have an exact date for that. It is, of course, based on the novel about the rabbits who escape the destruction of their home and go on a quest to find another place to build a warren. Watership Down is a kid’s story, but it is a scary one too, and at times heartbreaking. It was last adapted in quite a long series during the early 2000s, but this version seems to be only four episodes long, so we can expect a tight and pacy story.

With barely any promotional stuff around, we don’t know what the show is going to look like exactly, but the list of stars lending their voices to the animation is huge, and any joint venture between the BBC and Netflix is not going to be skimping on the budget. I expect this will be hitting our screens around Christmas, so there’s time yet to build the buzz for it.

 

Gunpowder (BBC)

Gunpowder, on the other hand, is a BBC show that has been buzzing and no wonder, seeing as it stars Kit Harington and is one of those historical dramas that the BBC just does so well. It tells the story of the gunpowder plot of 1603, and promises to be more than a show about Guy Fawkes – Gunpowder is about all of the conspirators who are so often forgotten, and the reasons they were driven to such lengths in the first place.

Robert Catesby is a suitably broody role for Kit Harrington, and with Liv Tyler in support, the BBC has spared no expense. The trailer looks good and they’ve timed it, of course, to be airing the last episode on the fourth of November, although all three episodes will be available on demand immediately after the airing of the first one. Gunpowder is evidence that the BBC is working hard to meet the demands of audiences increasingly used to binge watching, and I for one welcome their attempts. A must watch, I think, for fans of Game of Thrones.