. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Living in the Middle America town of Greendale, 15-year-old witch Sabrina Spellman finds herself caught between the worlds of the magical and the mortal on the eve of her 16th birthday when she is due to be transferred to an academy for the dark arts and give herself over to the dark lord, as is tradition. A tradition she is not too fond of. Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has cemented itself as the perfect witchy show. With a rich mythology of Satanic practices, a horror inspired aesthetic, a feminist discourse, and a strong cast anchored by Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka, Sabrina presented itself as the dark witchy feminist show we all needed.
. Virgin River
The second 10-episode season of this romantic drama premieres November 27 and this season the viewer follows Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) as she returns to Virgin River and Doc’s clinic. The first season, also 10 episodes, ended with Mel packing her bags and leaving town for good but she now realizes she must learn to come to terms with herself and her past before she can truly make this her home. Season one followed Mel, a Los Angeles-based nurse practitioner who sought a fresh start in life, as she answered an ad for a nursing job in a remote Northern California town called Virgin River.
. Tiny Pretty Things
Described as Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars, this series is set in the elite, and very dark, world of ballet. The story, based on the YA novel of the same name by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, will give the viewer an inside look into the highly competitive and extremely cutthroat world of dance as Neveah (Kylie Jefferson) starts at Chicago’s prestigious Archer School of Ballet where the quest for perfection is not only a requirement, it’s also deadly.
. Firefly Lane
The series is based on the novel of the same name by New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah, who serves as co-executive producer. The story follows as the pair meet at fourteen-years-old and, though opposites in many ways, quickly become inseparable. Tully is the confident and outgoing girl you can’t ignore, while Kate is the shy introvert many overlook.
. Lupin
Produced by Gaumont Télévision, Lupin takes its inspiration from the very popular fictional character in France, Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief, master of disguise, created by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s, and gives it a little contemporary twist. Lupin, created by George Kay (Criminal, Killing Eve), in collaboration with François Uzan (Family Business), made the clever choice not to reimagine Arsène Lupin in today’s Paris, but rather have its leading man be influenced by the fictional character.
. L.A.’s Finest
Adapting film franchises into in-universe television series is no easy task. To do it requires a fundamental understanding of how the mothership property operates. An understanding of what makes it tick, and an ability to spin it in ways that don’t violent that inherent understanding. Sadly, this idea of understanding is what’s missing from the TV take on the Bad Boys film franchise, L.A.’s Finest.
. The Queen’s Gambit
The seven-episode adaptation of Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel stars Anya Taylor-Joy, in a role/performance so on-point it almost qualifies as typecasting, as a young chess prodigy battling addiction, the pressures of fame and internal demons as she triumphs in a mostly male-dominated sport. It’s exactly what modern TV should be, partially because it was conceived as a mini-series. Ironically, its likely one-and-done status represents yet another example of a female, non-hetero and/or minority-led Netflix show that earns buzz and plaudits only to die after a single season.
