2017 is here, and the most important question of all must be asked: What must one do for entertainment this year? For those who enjoy watching a good story unfold on the small screen, this is a list to answer that exact question. Ranging from the grittiest picks to the most fantastical, here are six TV series to watch out for in 2017.
1. Stranger Things — Netflix
Those who can’t get enough of Eleven, the Upside Down, and everything Stranger Things won’t have to wait very long. A definite release date has yet to be announced, but with the teaser trailer out, crowds will be eagerly waiting the second season of this Netflix series this year. Just as well, as Stranger Things is just about the only thing anyone with a Netflix account ever talks about these days.
2. Game of Thrones — HBO
Emmy Award-winning series Game of Thrones’ seventh season is set for mid 2017, likely June. In an interview with Variety Magazine, David Benioff, co-creator of the series, has stated that the series is approaching its end, with an estimate of thirteen remaining episodes. Season seven will have seven, and season eight will have six.
The sweeter half of this bittersweet news is that HBO intends to increase runtime per episode. This will almost turn each episode of the final two seasons TV movies, with richer quality. Who takes the iron throne? Place your bets. The fate of Westeros will be revealed soon enough.
3. Star Trek: Discovery — CBS
With its pilot episode scheduled for May 2017, Star Trek: Discovery will consist of thirteen episodes. It will follow the starship USS Discovery on her own missions across space, likely continuing the classic motto: “to go where no one has gone before.”
This is a pleasant surprise for those Trekkies who have never been fond of the franchise’s big-screen adaptations. While the movies were generally good in their own right, perhaps Star Trek belongs where it was born: on the TV screen. Each episode will premiere on CBS before moving to CBS All Access.
4. The Defenders — Netflix
While technically a miniseries event, The Defenders deserves mention here. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, the Netflix production will be set in the same continuity as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The team will be comprised of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). If showrunners Marco Ramirez and Douglas Petrie can maintain the quality of their work, The Defenders could potentially rival the recent CW Invasion! crossover.
5. Iron Fist — Netflix
Having mentioned The Defenders, it’s time to take a look at the newest addition to the Netflix superhero roster: Iron Fist. The plot follows orphaned billionaire Danny Rand who, presumed missing, returns after fifteen years. Turned hero by circumstance, he takes the name Iron Fist, which also happens to be the name of his martial technique. The entire 13-episode season is scheduled for a March 17, 2017 release date.
6. Sherlock — PBS
PBS practically started the fourth year on a high note with Sherlock’s fourth season. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return to their roles and antics as the famed crime-solving duo. Without spoiling anything, season four of the Arthur Conan Doyle adaptation is set up to be one definite emotional and intellectual roller coaster, and should not be missed.