FRANKLIN
Apple TV+
Michael Douglas takes on the role of Benjamin Franklin in this fact-based story of how the great diplomat of the Revolutionary War helped make the nascent United States into a world force. In this eight-part miniseries, Franklin is 70, in France and using all his intellectual prowess to bring about the Frano-American alliance that changed the course of that war for independence. Eddie Marsan co-stars as John Adams in this historical thriller.
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW
Paramount+/Showtime
Ewan McGregor stars as the titular hero in this miniseries based on the 2016 novel of the same name. He’s part of the Russian aristocracy, a gentleman who finds himself alive, but under house arrest, as the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 unfolds. How he navigates the war in the streets, romance, and avoiding getting knocked off makes for a dramatic tale that co-stars his actual wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
MARY & GEORGE
Starz
More historical drama comes to the small screen, this time set in the Jacobean court of King James, as Julianne Moore stars as Mary Villiers. She is a social-climbing aristocrat who schemes to put her gorgeous son (Nicholas Galitzine) into the king’s bed – and succeeds. Think The Great and if you love that series, this one’s for you, too, with its heady mix of intrigue, dark comedy, and, of course, sex. Tony Curran co-stars as the king
SUGAR
Apple TV+
Colin Farrell hasn’t been a TV series regular since 1998; with Sugar, it’s the first time he’s the star of the show. He is the executive producer, too, in this modern take on the classic hardboiled L.A. private detective (think Philip Marlowe, Jake Gittes, Easy Rawlins, Jim Rockford). He’s working a Hollywood mystery in this eight-episode opener, with Dennis Boutsikaris, Amy Ryan, and James Cromwell along for the ride.
THE SYMPATHSIZER
HBO
It’s the end of the Vietnam War, and a communist spy (played by Hoa Xuande) slips into the USA and keeps up his espionage activities, but these days he’s not sure exactly what side he’s working for. This dark satire is at times deadly serious, at others comically absurd, with Robert Downey, Jr. leading the craziness (and producing the show as well). Sandra Oh turns up, too, as does a host of Asian actors, all determined to keep you guessing as the action unspools.