The 12 most exciting Netflix Originals coming in 2017
Heaps of home-grown telly to fuel your binge-watching
It’s a funny old thing, the Netflix binge.
Working through one series has many stages. Finishing it, though, is perhaps the worst. You think you’ll never watch again. You can barely face moving from the sofa.
Then, slowly, tentatively, you seek out a new thing to consume with a ravenous appetite for streamed TV. Soon, the previous series is forgotten, replaced by a new food for your entertainment-hungry eyes.
So it is with 2017. It might seem that there’s more here than you could ever handle getting excited about. But – munch munch – you’ll work you way through it and, boy, is there some good stuff coming.
Additional words by Chris Rowlands
Star Trek: Discovery
OK, so it’s not strictly a Netflix Original, given that it’s being produced by CBS Studos. Still, with weekly episodes, Star Trek’s highly anticipated return to the small screen should be well worth beaming up for.
We don’t know much about what’s in store, except that it takes place around the same time as the current Star Trek films but will feature a new ship and crew, with The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green taking centre-stage as Lieutenant Commander Rainsford. Hannibal TV series creator Bryan Fuller and Star Trek reboot writer Alex Kurtzman are creators of the new series, which gives it a good deal of pre-release credibility, too.
The new series is set for release in May 2017. Until then, you should have no trouble getting your Trek fix: all epsidoes of the the original series, the animated series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise are available on Netflix – as well as Star Trek: First Contact and the second of the three reboot films, Star Trek Into Darkness.
Stranger Things – Season 2
Is Eleven alive? Who is Hop leaving the Eggos for? Will Nancy dump the brain-dead Steve for the weirdo Jonathan Byers? And, most importantly, what about Barb?
Haven’t got a clue what we’re talking about? Get over to Netflix now to watch the near-perfect Season 1, then come back with your excitement properly piqued.
Netflix tends to commission a new season of their own shows when it proves to be popular. It held off from announcing Stranger Things Season 2 for months. In fact, for a time, there was a real fear that we wouldn’t get a second season.
Mercifully, we now know that Stranger Things will have a second coming. Some can’t wait. Others are wary. Will it live up to the hype? All we can do is wait and, eventually, watch.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Based on the books by one Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events has been subject to several adaptations – with the 2004 film adaptation, starring Jim Carrey, arguably the most well-known.
It was dark, a little disturbing and, at points, funny. It didn’t quite nail it, though – which is why we can’t wait to see what Netflix does with the series in its 8-episode adaptation.
Directed by Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld, each of the 13 books is covered by two episodes, so you can expect the show to enjoy a three-season run.
With Neil Patrick Harris taking up the mantle as Count Olad, evil uncle to the Baudelaire twins and ceaseless inheritance thief, we’re hoping for a devilish dash of dark humour to carry Snicket’s excellent stories.
House of Cards – Season 5
When show creator Beau Willimon left the show, fears abounded that House of Cards wouldn’t see a fifth season. Thankfully, we now know that it will – and it’s coming in 2017.
Why is that good news? Well, if you’ve never seen the pulsing political drama, you’re missing out. Kevin Spacey’s Democrat delivers intrigue, manipulation and power plays in spades, as he attempts to climb the greasy pole of American politics.
It’s a brooding, simmering playing out of the seedy underbelly of American politics – albeit one based on a British mini-series – and it’s seriously easy to get hooked on. It’s got a host of talent on-board, too, which only makes it more addictive.
We won’t share any spoilers but, if rumours are to be believed, season five could have several shocks in store. And if you’ve never seen the show before, click here to get caught up.
Marvel’s Iron Fist
Spoiler alert: Netflix is premiering three new Marvel shows in 2017 – and they all made this list.
Game of Thrones alumnus Finn Jones (more recognisable as Loras Tyrell) plays Danny Rand, a rich kid who returns to New York City after a 15-year absence to reclaim Rand Enterprises, his parents’ company.
He didn’t spend those 15 years playing Counter-Strike, either. Because that wouldn’t make good telly. Instead, he lived in a Buddhist monastary, learning kung fu.
What possible use could that be? Well, aside from contending with his parents’ former business partner, there’s an ancient evil on the horizon that threates the world as we know it. Intrigued? Iron Fist is set for release on March 17, 2017.
War Machine
Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment is partnering with Netflix to bring their movies to the streaming platform before both cinemas and TV. For film fans outside the US, this is huge.
For this same reason, Netflix is getting films such as War Machine. Based on Michael Hastings’ best-selling book The Operators, it’s penned as a black comedy about the US war in Afghanistan – and it should be excellent.
Directed by critically acclaimed Australian director David Michôd, it stars Pitt as General McChrystal, alongside the likes of Ben Kingsley and Tilda Swinton. We can’t wait.
Watership Down
Perennial favourite Watership Down has seen many an adaptation since it was published in 1972, most famous among which is the 1978 animated movie.
Will this 4-part animated mini-series live up to the classic status of the original film? Well, a voice cast that includes James McAvoy, John Boyega and Ben Kingsley certainly puts it in good standing – not to mention the fact that it’s a co-production between Netflix and the BBC.
With a budget of £20 million, here’s hoping it retains the warmth of animation of the first film, as producers seek to recreate the bunny culture, language and mythology so delicately crafted by creator Richard Adams.
There’s no fixed release date, yet, but we know it’s coming this year.
Okja
One girl. One massive animal. One quest by the former to save the latter from the clutches of a multi-national company.
Meet Okja: from the heart and mind of director Bong Joon-Ho, it’ll be released this year by Netflix.
Filmed in South Korea and starring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano, the ingredients are there for it to be an intriguing tale.
There’s little else we know at this point, except that it will focus on the aforementioned relationship between human and animal and, if Joon-Ho’s previous efforts are anything to go by, it should be a pretty thing to behold.
Marvel’s The Punisher
Netflix must have known it had something unique in John Bernthal because, while The Punisher made a big splash in season 2 of Daredevil, development on this series actually began before that season premiered.
Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castle was very well received and, ahead of a series of his own, he’s been quoted as saying that he plans to study previous versions of the character as he develops his own interpretation.
While Marvel’s vigilante hero has appeared thrice on the big screen, this is the first time a TV series based on the character has been greenlit.
There’s no fixed release date, yet, though we know it’ll hit little screens this year.
Mute
Before he directed the Warcraft movie, Duncan Jones made his name on a 2009 independent sci-fi movie called Moon.
Mute is the spiritual sequel to that sci-fi movie. Starring Alexander Skarsgård and Paul Rudd, it takes place on Earth – more specifically, Berlin – 40 years from now.
A mute bartender is looking for a girl. He’ll have to journey deep into Berlin’s underbelly to find her, with the help of surgeon Paul Rudd.
If you like what you see when it’s released, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s part one of a trilogy.
Marvel’s The Defenders
The bad news: Daredevil Season 3 premieres in 2018. The good news: The Man Without Fear is appearing in The Defenders, Marvel’s superhero team series for the small screen. And not as some recurring character, either: Daredevil is part of the main cast, along with Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage.
The episodic format of TV shows allow for more character-driven stories, something that’s hard to pull off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The result? Characters get more room to breathe. How this kind of storytelling is used in a series about a superhero team, though, is an interesting question. We can’t wait to see what Netflix does with it.
Orange is the New Black – Season 5
It’s the sort of show that must have had a hard sell in the pitching room. ‘A comedy-drama about a mid-30s woman going to a women’s federal prison.’
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, though, it actually turned out to be a hit. A huge hit. In fact, it’s Netflix’s most-watched original series, not to mention the raft of award nominations it’s received over the years.
Threaded with a dark humour, much of what makes OITNB so watchable is the engaging cast of characters, constantly and perfectly contrasted with the uneasy setting of a prison.
Throw in some observations about the justice system and some very clever plot happenings and you’ve got a real treat. Which is precisely why we’re so keen to see season 5, expected to hit screens towards the second half of the year.
Master of None – Season 2
Aziz Ansari’s Netflix pet project didn’t fail to disappoint when it started streaming in November 2015, bringing the Parks & Recreation star’s unique brand of funnies to tellies everywhere.
The only disappointing thing? That we’ve had to wait this long for a sequel. Thankfully, it’s now confirmed that we’re getting one in 2017 – which means more humorous escapades as Ansari’s hapless actor Dev attempts to get through life in New York City.
Expect wise-cracks, sideways jokes and off-beat observations. Basically, all the good stuff.
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