January has been and gone, but for the Alt:Mag team the excitement is just beginning. The new year promises a landslide of new hits, and we've all been busy choosing which ones to talk about in a series of features covering things to watch out for in 2020! In our first feature, we talked about four video games making their way to our consoles this year. This time, we're gonna discuss some TV series we're waiting to tune into in the coming months! Whether they're brand new series or upcoming seasons of established shows, we're all keen to see them - and after reading this feature, you will be too!
Uzumaki - Production I.G., TBD 2020 (Picked by Lewis Cox)
Our big boss was afraid that his choice may not count because it's an anime - but we had no objections to Lewis choosing the upcoming series Uzumaki. The four-part series is based on the manga by Junji Ito and is set to release first not in Japan, but in the US on Adult Swim's Toonami block! "It's hard to believe that I didn't know about Uzumaki until 2018," says Lewis. "I'd heard about Ito's other manga, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, in college and never thought to delve deeper into his work. But now, his cult hit Uzumaki is starting to get the attention it so rightfully deserves! The finely detailed art is grotesque yet beautiful, and the plot surrounding a town obsessed with spirals is deeply fascinating and unique." Ito's work has been adapted for TV before, but 2018's Junji Ito Collection failed to capture what made his work so legendary and terrifying. Uzumaki, on the other hand, looks far more promising - it's coming from the animators of Ghost in the Shell, who look to be doing their best to stay as faithful to the source material as possible, even going as far as making the art black and white, just like that of the original manga. Lewis was particularly happy with this choice: "the lack of colour always really added to Junji Ito’s work more than it took away, making the tormented worlds of his creations feel alien and devoid of joy. It will look incredibly jarring when aired alongside full colour cartoons on Adult Swim, but that's exactly how Uzumaki should make people feel."
Uzumaki will also include an eerie soundtrack by composer Colin Stetson, who previously scored the terrifying 2018 horror movie Hereditary. "The music in the teaser trailer was the biggest surprise of all," says Lewis. "The perfect accompaniment to the unnerving yet mesmerising images that swell onscreen. If the rest of the soundtrack follows suit, it'll give the likes of Akira Yamaoka or Boards of Canada a run for their money!" International release dates have yet to be set, but we'll have more info on Uzumaki as it develops.
Uzumaki will also include an eerie soundtrack by composer Colin Stetson, who previously scored the terrifying 2018 horror movie Hereditary. "The music in the teaser trailer was the biggest surprise of all," says Lewis. "The perfect accompaniment to the unnerving yet mesmerising images that swell onscreen. If the rest of the soundtrack follows suit, it'll give the likes of Akira Yamaoka or Boards of Canada a run for their money!" International release dates have yet to be set, but we'll have more info on Uzumaki as it develops.
His Dark Materials Season 2 - BBC, Winter 2020 (Picked by Harrison Fleming)
Harrison doesn't watch much TV nowadays, but there's one series he can't wait to see again. Based on the epic fantasy book series by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials reintroduced audiences to a world both like, and unlike, our own - and, to quote a line from Monty Python, there was much rejoicing! "I first discovered Pullman's work through a film called The Golden Compass," says Harry. "It was an ill-fated attempt to turn the books into a children's film trilogy. The film strayed from the books' mature elements and incurred the wrath of fans and critics, along with a crippling take at the box office. I'm one of many people who waited in vain for a sequel - and now, our wish to see Lyra Belacqua's next adventure onscreen is about to be granted!" Last year's phenomenal first season was written by Jack Thorne (co-writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), who set out to give us a new vision of Lyra's world and right the wrongs of the Golden Compass film. He succeeded on both counts spectacularly, and now a second season is almost ready to air! "Viewers are in for a treat, and the newcomers don't even know it yet," says Harry. "What began as an Arctic rescue mission is about to turn into something much, much bigger. I finished reading the books last year, so I know exactly where Lyra's going next - and I hope Jack Thorne and the BBC will get to follow her to the very end!" Season 2 of His Dark Materials will air this winter on BBC One in the UK, and on HBO in the US.
The Boys Season 2 - Amazon Video, TBD 2020 (Picked by Ben Williams)
Last year, Amazon Prime viewers received the first season of The Boys, a superhero series developed by Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural). Based on the comics by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson, the series painted a darker picture of superheroes - or "supes" - than we've grown used to in recent years. Ben was one of the eight million viewers who made it one of Amazon Prime's biggest hits. "The Boys is an absolute freight-train, smashing through those preconceived assumptions about superhero series with its unfiltered violence and storytelling. Season one stayed true to its premise, ending on a sombre yet somewhat hopeful cliffhanger." The new season is set to continue right where it left off, going deeper into a world where superpowered beings are just another part of our morally grey, consumerism-obsessed society. Karl Urban leads the charge as Billy Butcher, the head of a gang bent on putting renegade supes back in their place. "When it first hit," says Ben, "The Boys asked an interesting question: 'What can normal people do against those who are practically gods?' Billy Butcher answered it, and if you've seen or heard anything about his nemesis Homelander (the series' sadistic, sexual predator version of Superman), you'll know that Billy and the Boys will not be holding back this year!" Season 2 is due to arrive at any time on Amazon Prime. In the meantime, you can subscribe to Prime and catch up with Season 1 right now! Or, if you can't afford to subscribe, you can buy the first season on Blu-ray and DVD from May 11th!
Are you excited to see Lyra or Billy again? Or are you eager to see Junji Ito's chilling work brought to life on our screens again? Are there any other series or new seasons you're waiting for as well? Leave us a comment here or on Facebook and Twitter, and tell us which upcoming shows you're tuning into this year!
The Boys Season 2 - Amazon Video, TBD 2020 (Picked by Ben Williams)
Last year, Amazon Prime viewers received the first season of The Boys, a superhero series developed by Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural). Based on the comics by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson, the series painted a darker picture of superheroes - or "supes" - than we've grown used to in recent years. Ben was one of the eight million viewers who made it one of Amazon Prime's biggest hits. "The Boys is an absolute freight-train, smashing through those preconceived assumptions about superhero series with its unfiltered violence and storytelling. Season one stayed true to its premise, ending on a sombre yet somewhat hopeful cliffhanger." The new season is set to continue right where it left off, going deeper into a world where superpowered beings are just another part of our morally grey, consumerism-obsessed society. Karl Urban leads the charge as Billy Butcher, the head of a gang bent on putting renegade supes back in their place. "When it first hit," says Ben, "The Boys asked an interesting question: 'What can normal people do against those who are practically gods?' Billy Butcher answered it, and if you've seen or heard anything about his nemesis Homelander (the series' sadistic, sexual predator version of Superman), you'll know that Billy and the Boys will not be holding back this year!" Season 2 is due to arrive at any time on Amazon Prime. In the meantime, you can subscribe to Prime and catch up with Season 1 right now! Or, if you can't afford to subscribe, you can buy the first season on Blu-ray and DVD from May 11th!
Are you excited to see Lyra or Billy again? Or are you eager to see Junji Ito's chilling work brought to life on our screens again? Are there any other series or new seasons you're waiting for as well? Leave us a comment here or on Facebook and Twitter, and tell us which upcoming shows you're tuning into this year!
