One of the newest additions to the battle of streaming services is Peacock. NBC Universal jumped into the game with some of their own classic programs like The Office and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as a slew of quality movies. They also recently added the WWE Network to their impressive ranks.
Like every other major streaming service, Peacock is also bringing in original new content. That includes remakes, spin-offs of existing popular series, and totally fresh ideas. They span across several different genres with some premiering in 2021 and some having no release date yet. A handful of them have subscribers excited about the future.
MacGruber
The character of MacGruber is one who seems to pop up every few years in unexpected ways. He began as a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live, played by Will Forte, meant to be a parody of the old adventure series MacGyver. Of course, the comedy aspect was that things always went wrong for him.
His popularity led to a feature film released in 2010 directed by Jorma Taccone and co-starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Forte will reprise his role and the writers and director will be back for the eight-episode Peacock series. It is set to premiere in 2021.
The Best Man: The Final Chapter
Speaking of things returning after being gone for a while, there’s The Best Man franchise. It started in 1999 with the release of The Best Man in theaters starring Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and the debuting Regina Hall. There was an unexpected sequel that came out in 2013.
Peacock will once again bring these characters back together for a 10-episode miniseries. Diggs, Long, and Hall will be joined by Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, the rest of the cast, as well as creator Malcolm D. Lee. Alas, not much else is known about this right now.
Dr. Death
If there’s one thing that NBC has nailed in history, it’s crime drama television series. That’s why stuff like Law & Order and Chicago P.D. have been so popular for them. They’re trying their hands at another one for Peacock with the upcoming miniseries, Dr. Death.
The premise is centered around a surgeon who was convicted of malpractice when over two-dozen of his patients were injured and two dead after he operated on them. It is based on the podcast of the same name and is set to star the likes of Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and AnnaSophia Robb.
One Of Us Is Lying
Movies and television series based on young adult novels are kind of all the rage. That’s especially true when it comes to emotional tales like 13 Reasons Why or The Fault in Our Stars. Peacock will be taking on an intriguing one in One of Us Is Lying.
Based on the book by Karen M. McManus, the story is a fantastic mystery. It deals with a group of five students who go to detention but only four come out alive, making the rest into suspects. Fans of the novel are eagerly anticipating this, while those who don’t know about it are sure to be hooked by the suspense.
Girls5eva
The name of this show is likely to throw off a few people but once they hear about the concept and who is involved, they’ll probably be more invested. Girls5eva has the always fantastic Tina Fey as an executive producer and features a standout cast.
Grammy winner Sara Bareilles, Hamilton star Renée Elise Goldsberry, SNL writer Paula Pell, and Busy Phillips (Cougar Town) lead that great cast. The plot follows a girl group of pop singers from the ’90s who had one hit but decide to reunite in the present for another shot at success.
New York Undercover
When it comes to the aforementioned world of NBC crime dramas, the name Dick Wolf has become iconic. The man behind so many of these successful shows was also one of the creators of New York Undercover, which was a hit police drama from the ’90s.
Talk of a reboot has been in the works for a few years, with ABC being connected at one point before it was reportedly picked up by Peacock. Since it’s still in the early stages, there’s not yet any word on if original cast members will be returning.
Dan Brown’s Langdon
The fictional character of Robert Langdon has become one of the most famous in media history. The book series named after him includes the incredibly popular The Da Vinci Code and the novels were adapted into a trilogy of films starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon.
The movies weren’t well-received but grossed over $1 billion combined. Dan Brown’s Langdon will act as a prequel to the films, focusing on a young Langdon. Due to that, Tom Hanks won’t be back and Ashley Zuckerman (Succession) has been cast as the lead.
Battlestar Galactica
Among the many revivals being brought to Peacock, one of the most intriguing is Battlestar Galactica. The original series dates all the way back to the late 1970s but the most popular was probably the one that aired between 2004 and 2009, which was followed by a couple of spin-offs.
It looks like Battlestar Galactica will be back once more. This one is currently set to be part of the same continuity from the aforementioned 2004 iteration. New executive producer Sam Esmail has said that old showrunner Ronald D. Moore gave it his blessing.
Law & Order: Hate Crimes
If you’re wondering why there are so many Law & Order series, it’s because the audience is known to love that kind of stuff. Most viewers are looking forward to Law & Order: Organized Crime since it marks the return of fan-favorite detective Elliot Stabler.
However, there’s another series in the franchise arriving in 2021 titled Law & Order: Hate Crimes. It has been in development since 2018 but is finally coming to Peacock. There’s not much set in concrete about it but the title suggests the kind of stories that will take place.
Bel-Air
Unlike most reboots scheduled for Peacock, Bel-Air is going a different route. Will Smith initially felt that something like this would never happen but he was eventually impressed by something he found online. It was a trailer created by Morgan Cooper that was a darker take on the comedy series.
Smith eventually worked together with Cooper to develop a dramatic reimaging of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Various streaming services bid for it until Peacock picked it up for two seasons. It’s slated for a 2021 premiere and whenever it happens, fans are sure to flock to it.
