The entertainment industry was shocked when Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in a decade in the first quarter of 2022. Wall Street lost faith in streaming and suddenly the days of unbridled growth and unprecedented budgets for big TV series seemed over.
Nevertheless, it will not be much less in the short term with the content supply and the associated series choice stress. Hundreds of new series will also compete for the viewer’s attention in 2023, the new economic reality may not be visible until later in the offer. Last year the conversation was a lot about very expensive blockbuster series like House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The success of a much smaller production like The Bear, one of the best series of 2022, proves that there is a demand for authentic stories with ‘real’ flesh and blood characters. That American drama series, about a tormented star chef who has to take over a simple sandwich shop after the death of his brother, stood out for its realistic depiction of kitchen life.
The streaming and TV highlights of 2023 are difficult to predict. For example, last year around this time hardly anyone knew The Bear was coming at all. Nevertheless, many productions have already been announced that look promising.
Fleishman is in Trouble
Writer and New York Timesjournalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner edited her debut novel Fleishman Is in Trouble to a miniseries and strict top actors Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes and Lizzy Caplan for the leading roles. Recently divorced Toby Fleishman, in his forties, enjoys modern Manhattan dating life. And then his ex-wife Rachel suddenly disappears. The series has already received rave reviews in the US.
Daisy Jones & The Six
Another book adaptation, this time based on a novel about the rise and fall of a fictional rock group in the 1970s that is very reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, a band that, despite great success, was constantly in conflict. In the series, the characters look back on their heyday twenty years after the end of the band Daisy Jones & The Six. Actress Riley Keough, a granddaughter of Elvis Presley, plays the role of the charismatic frontwoman.
CAST
After The Lice Mother a new satire by Ilse Warringa, about a casting tycoon similar to Job Gosschalk who is canceled after revelations about his transgressive behavior. A discussion about whether such a plot is still possible after all the revelations about NPO icons such as DWDD and NOS Sports seems inevitable. There are leading roles for Gijs Scholten van Aschat, Jacqueline Blom and Lykele Muus.
Arcadia
Ambitious futuristic co-production of NPO and VRT, set in a fictional society in the near future. After a major catastrophe, resources are scarce and a points system is introduced that measures people’s quality of life. Based on this so-called citizen score, it is determined what each person may or may not do in society. Tim Oliehoek (Hendrik Groen’s secret diary) directs Monic Hendrickx, Maarten Heijmans and Melody Klaver.
The White House Plumbers
Political miniseries about the Watergate scandal. The White House Plumbers tells the story from the perspective of E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, two loyal team members of President Nixon. They were nicknamed ‘the plumbers’. The two staged the break-in that ultimately marked the end of the presidency.
Queen Charlotte A Bridgerton Story
The success of costume drama Bridgerton is further expanded with a prequel series about the young Queen Charlotte. The story shows how Charlotte became powerful and influential. There is also room for the love story with King George. The young talent India Ria Amarteifio takes on the role of Charlotte.
1985
Belgian thriller series based on true events about the infamous Bende van Nijvel, which committed a number of gruesome robberies in the mid-1980s. The wave of violence is one of the major Belgian collective traumas of recent decades. The series follows three young adults – including young star Tijmen Govaerts – who accidentally end up in the eye of the gang’s storm.
Ferry The series
The fourth series of Netflix hit Under cover is a prequel that follows the film Ferry, which showed how the unpredictable Brabant drug king (Frank Lammers) met his great love Daniëlle (Elise Schaap). Old acquaintances such as Monic Hendrickx, Raymond Thiry and Yannick van de Velde return. A new face is Tygo Gernandt as Ricardo, Ferry’s unreliable business partner.
Masters of the Air
The creators of the war series Band of Brothers and The Pacific are back with another mega production. Masters of the Air is about pilots of the American Eighth Air Force. During World War II, they have the task of destroying strategic points in Germany. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg produce.
Macro Mafia season 5
It’s been five years Macro Mafia one of Videoland’s well-watched hobbyhorses. The series, with leading roles for Achmed Akkabi, Nasrdin Dchar and Robert de Hoog, tells about the battle between a number of leaders in the Amsterdam drug world. The young team of makers of the bloody series knows very well how to incorporate current developments in the criminal circuit into the story. MM5 will be the first season without Akkabi as showrunner.
Full circle
Steven Soderbergh’s new series (Ocean’s Eleven, Magic Mike and much more) is about an investigation into a failed kidnapping. We don’t know much more, but Soderberg’s work is almost always worthwhile.
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