ON THE SMALL SCREEN

By Jenny Peters

SCIENCE-FICTION FAVORITES

DUNE: PROPHECY
MAX
Dune fans will find an origin story in this prequel story set 10,000 years before the events that happen in the story created by Frank Herbert. Following the origin story of the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of women whose power is an important force in the world of Dune. Emily Watson and Olivia Williams star, with the ever-reliable Mark Strong lending his gravitas to the proceedings.


STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW
Disney+
This new chapter in the Star Wars saga is designed to continue the stories told in the time of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, but with a distinct appeal to both the tweener set. It stars Jude Law and Kerry Condon, but really centers on four young kids whose adventures in the galaxy far, far away seem awfully familiar. That’s because the creators love Spielberg and have filled this fun adventure series with tons of reference to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and beyond.


CHILLER THRILLERS

CROSS
Prime Video
Aldis Hodge takes on the role of homicide detective Alex Cross in this new series based on the novels of James Paterson, played by Morgan Freeman on the big screen. This series digs even deeper into the minds of the killers Cross is tracking across the streets of Washington, D.C.; the plot of this first season may just remind you to lock your doors and stay off the streets! Isaiah Mustafa, Ryan Eggold, Alona Tal, and Johnny Ray round out the cast.


A MAN ON THE INSIDE
Netflix
Four years since The Good Place ended, Ted Danson and show creator Michael Schur are teaming up again, this time in a comedic crime series that taps a retiree into becoming a private investigator. He’s looking to solve crimes inside a nursing home, which doesn’t sound all that funny, but these two creative minds know just how to keep our attention. Stephanie Beatriz and Kerry O’Malley bring some younger energy into the story.


THE DAY OF THE JACKAL
Peacock
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne brings an old favorite back to a new audience in this series based on the Frederick Forsyth novel about a chameleon-like assassin only known as The Jackal. A real original of its time in the 1970s, this may be a story that’s been told once too often (think Killing Eve), but with Redmayne in the lead, it’s got a lot going for it. Lashana Lynch costars as the British agent determined to bring him to justice, a nice twist on the original story.