20 Big Questions About 2017's Most Hotly Anticipated TV Shows

9. Can David Simon Strike Gold Again? - The Deuce

2017 TV Questions
Netflix

David Simon and HBO are a match made in storytelling heaven. From The Wire through Treme to 2015's mini-series Show Me A Hero, the journalist-turned-showrunner has produced furious and fantastic works of art.

He can make even the most mundane topic incredibly compelling, so should be on to a winner with his next show, which focuses on the legalisation and rise of the porn industry in New York through the 1970s and '80s.

Created by Simon alongside regular collaborator George Pelecanos, with scripts from the likes of Richard Price and the pilot directed by Michelle McLaren, it stars James Franco as a set of twins, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as a sex worker.

Tackling themes such as the drug epidemic and subsequent violence, HIV, and the boom-and-bust of the real estate, it sounds right up Simon's street, although Franco is a rather hit-and-miss performer. Can The Wire creator deliver yet again for HBO? If so, this should be one of the best shows of the year.

Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.