Can you ever have enough private detective stories?
The TV landscape was once filled with them, but now, they’re few and far between.
Lovers of the genre will be all over Sugar, starring Colin Farrell as the titular character.
Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for the new drama, which will make its global debut with the first two episodes of its eight-episode season on Friday, April 5, 2024, on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday.
Starring and executive produced by Farrell, Sugar is a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture, and television history: the private detective story.
Academy Award-nominee Colin Farrell stars as John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel.
As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.
Sugar boasts an incredible roster of talent in addition to Farrell, as well.
Kirby (Sandman), Amy Ryan (The Wire), James Cromwell (Succession), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Dennis Boutsikaris (Better Call Saul), Nate Corddry (Mindhunter), Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling), and Alex Hernandez (Invasion) round out the impressive cast.
The trailer has an old-style aura for a contemporary piece, which gives the series a timeless feel.
John Sugar does one thing — he finds the missing.
We’ve got a lot of shows on the air now aimed at finding missing persons, including Found, Tracker, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit.
Alert follows a unit in law enforcement, and Found is an ensemble piece that features an organization dedicated to finding missing people that others aren’t interested in looking for.
Tracker is about a private investigator of sorts, but Sugar feels more like the recently ended Monsieur Spade than a companion piece to Tracker.
The success of Monsieur Spade sets up audiences well for the Sugar premiere. You can almost sense a kinship between the two detectives.
In television history, the private eye is one of the most explored genres, but it’s generally been phased out by law enforcement.
The Rockford Files, Veronica Mars, Magnum PI, Simon & Simon, Remington Steele, Hart to Hart, Monk, Moonlighting, and Charlie’s Angels were bona fide cultural hits.
To this day, people still watch or consider remaking them to capitalize on their success.
How will Sugar fit into the picture? Judging from the trailer, it’s taking the troubled lead route, where the private investigator struggles with their approach.
“Out here, I’m one of the good guys, but good and bad can be in the eye of the beholder,” Sugar says, leading us to believe that he’s not entirely sure whether he’s the good guy or the bad guy.
The trailer also hints that John Sugar has lost someone close to him, which is why he’s chosen this line of work.
Take a look at the trailer now and let us know what you think:
Sugar is created by Mark Protosevich, who also executive produces.
Audrey Chon and Simon Kinberg executive produce for Genre Films, marking their second series with Apple TV+ under Kinberg’s overall deal following Invasion.
Sam Catlin, Scott Greenberg, and Chip Vucelich also serve as executive producers.
The series was directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God, Two Popes), who also executive produces, and Adam Arkin (The Offer), who also co-executive produces.
Sugar premieres Friday, April 5 on Apple TV+ with two episodes. New episodes drop weekly.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.