The most anticipated
From epic Holocaust tales to Jewish housewives solving mysteries in Baltimore, these are the shows that Lior Zaltzman is looking forward to.
(KVELLER) 2023 was a great year for Jewish TV, from new Netflix movies to Hallmark Chanukah specials and some amazing new limited series. Looking at 2024, there are some pretty promising new Jewish-themed shows coming our way, along with new seasons of crowd favourites. Let’s look at the most anticipated Jewish small screen productions of this year.
New shows:
The Lady in the Lake (Apple TV+)
OK, we’re just as excited for this show, starring the amazing Natalie Portman as Jewish housewife-turned-journalist Maddie Schwartz in 1950s Baltimore who becomes obsessed with the murder of local waitress Cleo Sherwood, played by Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit). Based on a novel by Laura Lippman, it tackles racism, classism and sexism. Directed by Israeli Academy Award nominee Alma Har’el, it’s bound to be a truly mesmerising show.
We Were the Lucky Ones (Expected to be on Disney+)
This is by far the show we’re most excited for in 2024. Based on the Georgia Hunter novel, which is loosely based on her own Polish Jewish family’s tale of Holocaust survival, it stars an wonderful cast including Joey King, Logan Lerman, Amit Rahav (Unorthodox, Transatlantic), Israeli star Lior Ashkenazi, Hadas Yaron and her Shtisel co-star and love interest Michael Aloni.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Stan)
The upcoming series based on the somewhat controversial book by Australian author Heather Morris about Lale Sokolov, the tattooist of Auschwitz, has an incredible cast including Harvey Keitel, Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid) and Melanie Lynskey. It will also be scored by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.
Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
Producers Steven Spielberg ,Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman – the men behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific – are bringing us a new World War II TV series about the 100th Bomb Group of the air force, known as the “Bloody 100” for the number of soldiers these bomber pilots and airmen lost during the war. The show features some of the Jewish members of the group, including Major Robert Rosenthal (played by Nate Mann) and Lt. David Friedkin, played by Freddy Carter.
Kugel (Distributor TBA)
This much-anticipated Shtisel prequel was supposed to come out in 2023, but unfortunately its release has been delayed. We’re still very excited to spend some time with Libby and Nuchem in Antwerp, especially after watching Rough Diamonds last year.
The Big Cigar (Apple TV+)
The Big Cigar is based on a 2012 Playboy article about how one Jewish producer helped the founder of the Black Panther Party escape to Cuba. Alessandro Nivola, whose paternal grandmother was a German Jewish refugee, plays producer Bert Schneider. Jewish actor Noah Emmerich, whose aunt was classmates with Anne Frank, plays Schneider’s brother. Jewish actress Jaime Ray Newman, wife of Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv, plays Roz Torrance.
No Good Deed (Netflix)
There’s a new series from Dead To Me creator Liz Feldman coming, and No Good Deed, about a real estate dispute, sounds just as potentially addictive. We don’t know yet if there will be any Jewish content in the show, but Feldman did give us some Jewish rep in Dead To Me, and Abbi Jacobson plays a queer character named Leslie Fisher, who could be Jewish? Either way, we’ll be watching.
Bros (Netflix)
This Israeli show was meant to premiere on Netflix last November, but its release was delayed after the October 7 attacks, in which the show’s sound engineer, Lior Waitzmann, was killed. A Netflix exclusive, it tells the story of two childhood friends who co-own a bar and love soccer. Troubles with their business, and an upcoming big game for their team, Beitar Jerusalem, puts their friendship in peril.
Fire Dance (ChaiFlicks)
This mesmerising show about an insular Haredi community is coming to the Jewish streaming service in March, and we can’t wait.
Before (Apple TV+)
Before is another show with no known Jewish content as yet, except that it stars Judith Light and Billy Crystal, who plays a child psychiatrist named Eli, so we feel like it should be on this list.
New seasons:
Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
Season seven of our favourite Jewish gourmand, Phil Rosenthal’s delightful food and travel show, is coming to Netflix sometime this year and we can’t wait to watch (and drool) along.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Binge)
It is the end of an era. The last season of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm is airing this year and we’re pretty, pretty, pretty sad about it.
Photo: Getty Images via Kveller
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