I don’t know what the odds were of me writing something again, but it happened. Good for me, I guess. Maybe good for you as well.
Two shows of note are premiering tonight: Max’s The Pitt and Netflix’s American Primeval. I have not seen these shows yet. I will certainly watch them, but at the moment, I know about as much as you do when it comes to whether they’ll be any good. So, I figured this calm before the 2025 storm might be a good time to highlight a few shows that should be appointment viewing for you later this year.
Below are five shows I’m really excited about. If you’re looking for a television-related reason to wake up in the morning this year, I’m confident one of these shows will do the trick.
Severance (Apple TV+)
Season 2 Premiere Date: Friday, January 17th
We’re so back. A three-year wait is thoroughly ridiculous, but if any show is worth that wait, it’s Severance.
I just finished a season one rewatch to prepare myself for next week, and this show is even better than I remember. Everything in Severance operates at a high level: the production design is stunning, the ensemble cast refuses to stop throwing gas, and the direction from Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle constantly has you asking, “How in the world did they film that?”
The prolonged wait between seasons has stopped us from asking the questions that filled our minds back in the winter of 2022 when this all started. When did certified good actor Adam Scott decide to become great? Why is renowned “that guy” Zach Cherry the funniest person I’ve ever seen? Who is Tramell Tillman, and why can’t I look away when he’s on screen? How did they get Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken to say yes to this weird, haunting, hilarious, thrilling, perfect show?
The thing I find most exhilarating about this show is its balance between fun and medicine. Severance simultaneously leaves you enraptured by its plot while also exploring more ideas about our world than one could summarize in a single blog post. Themes of greed, work, love, and connection are beautifully laced throughout a show bursting at the seams with Easter eggs and WTF moments. The last show I saw pull something like this off was Lost, and while I hesitate to compare the two, there is something similar in their DNA.
My excitement for this season is boundless and has only grown with every casting announcement for season two. Whether it’s the incredibly talented Alia Shawkat, my boy Bob Balaban, or Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (coming off a great performance in Somebody Somewhere—which you should also be watching), Severance continues to add absolute hitters to its ensemble. If you’re not watching this show yet, you kind of have to. This one might be generational.
Too Much (Netflix)
Release Date: TBD
Admittedly, I have less to go on for this one. Too Much is the upcoming series from Lena Dunham and her husband, Luis Felber. Described as a romantic comedy, it stars Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe in the lead roles, known for their work in Hacks and The White Lotus, respectively. The cast also boasts more powerhouses than I can name, including the fantastic Richard E. Grant and the ever-perfect Andrew Rannells.
While it’s typically unwise to get carried away with a show before a teaser has even dropped, I’m going to allow myself that luxury. Embarrassingly, I didn’t watch Dunham’s masterpiece Girls until this past year, but we are in dire need shows like that back on our screens. It’s incredibly rare—and at times feels impossible—to find a series as brilliant, sharp, and utterly singular as her HBO hit. Although there’s no guarantee that Too Much will meet the same high standard as her earlier work, I’ll still be there the day this drops. Dunham is always worth betting on.
Too Much might also be the kind of show we need right now. In recent years, romantic comedies have shifted from the big screen to the small screen, and more often than not, I’ve found them lacking. Whether it’s Nobody Wants This or The Sex Lives of College Girls, most of these attempts have felt like “tweeners”—stuck somewhere between a Fleabag and a How I Met Your Mother, struggling to find their footing. I have faith that Too Much could be the show that proves it was meant to be a series, not a movie, and finally cracks the code on what the tone of a TV rom-com should be.
The Rehearsal (HBO)
Season 2 Premiere Date: TBD
I can’t believe it’s really happening. Frankly, the first season of The Rehearsal exploded my brain. The basic premise involved Nathan Fielder helping real people rehearse life events to better prepare for them, but the show became so much more than that. With each passing episode, it evolved dramatically in exciting and challenging directions, making you both crave and revile the institution of reality TV.
Fielder is eternally controversial. Many consider him the comedic voice of a generation, while others abhor what they see as “gotcha” TV. Personally, I fall into the former camp. Yet, even if you’re in the latter, you can see him wrestling with the ethics of his creative choices in real time throughout the first season of The Rehearsal. Regardless of where you stand on the morality of his productions, it’s undeniable that Fielder possesses something very few creators have: ideas. Honesty, presence, intimacy, parenthood, aging, comedy, religion, and art itself are all placed under the microscope in this series.
What excites and unnerves me most about the idea of a second season is that it could be anything. Will Fielder revert to the “monster of the week” style he originally planned? Or will the success of the first season inspire him to create another ever-changing rollercoaster ride? If I’ve learned anything from Fielder’s past work, the answer is: both and neither. Nothing gets me more revved up than when a show delivers something I’ve never seen before, and if any show can do that, it’s this one.
The White Lotus (HBO)
Season 3 Premiere Date: Sunday, February 16th
I know I’m stating the obvious, but the third season of The White Lotus is going to be a big deal. HBO’s anthology smash hit is coming back next month, this time taking us to Thailand, and I’m more than ready to dive back into a world of class satire, wealth porn, and murder.
The previous seasons of The White Lotus had casts any other show would kill for, but this one feels like it was made just for me. Personal favorites of mine are in the mix this time, namely Carrie Coon. Maybe this is a hot take, but Coon delivered one of the ten best performances in the history of scripted television on The Leftovers, and I can’t wait to see what she brings to the table here. Walton Goggins is also joining the cast and is quietly becoming one of the most decorated TV actors in history. These two alone would be enough, but they’re joined by a laundry list of incredible performers, including Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan, and Jason Isaacs. To top it all off, Natasha Rothwell is returning to reprise her role as Belinda, the masseuse from season one.
Maybe this cast speaks to you as it does to me, or maybe it doesn’t. The one thing I do know is that with Mike White at the helm, the sky’s the limit for this show. I’ve enjoyed every ounce of it in the four years since it premiered, and I doubt this season will be any different. The second season somehow exceeded the heights of the first, and while I don’t want to get my hopes up, the third installment has the potential to reset the standard for this series.
Wycaro (Apple TV+)
Release Date: TBD
This one might even have a different title by the time all is said and done. Wycaro, also referred to as Wycaro 339, is the upcoming series from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan. The series stars Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul) and Karolina Wydra (House, True Blood). While little is known about the plot, it’s expected to be a grounded sci-fi series set in modern-day Albuquerque, and it will not focus on an anti-hero, as many of Gilligan’s past works have.
Apple TV won the bidding war for this series in 2022 and greenlit it for two seasons. Much of what we know about the show at this point is still conjecture, but when Gilligan, one of the seminal figures in 21st-century television, has a new project, everyone should take notice. Not only is one of the most brilliant minds in television history returning, but he’s once again collaborating with Seehorn, who delivered a visionary performance in his last series, Better Call Saul.
For the past year and change, I’ve been struggling to contain my excitement about this series. Apple has been tight-lipped regarding any details about the project, and rumors about filming locations and co-stars are constantly swirling. We know we’re returning to Albuquerque, and we know this time we won’t be focusing on crime and morality. But for me, all I needed to hear was that Vince was back. No matter what this show ends up looking like—or what the title ends up being—I can’t wait to learn more. If you need me, I’ll be refreshing Variety for the rest of the year.
joe-tv.com 