AMC Networks’ Sundance Now has commissioned two new titles as part of its 2023 slate of original projects, which are Totally, Completely Fine and Sanctuary. Based on the description for the two shows provided by Variety, both series will be quite different from one another, even though one thing they share is that a female main character is leading both shows.
Inspired by true events, Totally, Completely Fine will be a six-part dark comedy that will explore the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways that sadness can unite us. It will be written, created, and executive produced by Gretel Vella, who’ll be joined by Keir Wilkins and Emma Hoy in the position of writer. Nat Lindwall will serve as executive producer alongside Vella, while Alice Willison will be a producer.
Thomasin McKenzie will play 20-something Vivian Cunningham, a woman who, despite her own life being a mess, will wind up tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge. Besides that, she’ll also endure her own comedic catastrophes, such as accidentally burning down her brother’s vegan food truck via bacon-flavored vape.
McKenzie is best known for her work in Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit, and Last Night in Soho. Acting alongside her will be Devon Terrell (Rap Sh!t), Brandon McClelland (The Other Guy), Rowan Witt (Book of Mormon – Original Australian Cast), Contessa Treffone (Doctor Doctor), James Sweeny (Total Control), Max Crean (Mystic) and Brigid Zengeni (The Good Liar).
The Other Series
Sanctuary will be based on the novel of the same name by V.V. James, who will serve as an executive producer alongside Debra Hayward, Alison Owen, Alison Carpenter, Karen Richards, Debbie Horsfield, and Guymon Casady. Horsfield will oversee the writing for the series alongside Jess Ruston and Gabbie Asher, while Lisa Mulcahy and Justin Molotnikov have signed on to helm the project.
The fantasy mystery series will star Elaine Cassidy, who was also in A Discovery of Witches, who will play a witch in this series named Sarah Fenn, while Hazel Doupe (Smother), who will be playing Sarah’s daughter Harper Fenn. Rounding out the cast will be Stephanie Levi-John (The Spanish Princess) and Amy De Bhrún (Line of Duty), who will also appear as DCI Maggie Knight and Abigail Whitehall, respectively.
After the local golden boy is discovered dead in an unexplained accident, the daily life in Sanctuary, a fictional, small U.K. town, gets shaken to its very core by murder accusations. The townspeople end up unloading their paranoia and suspicion upon Sarah and Harper, leading to a modern-day witch hunt. The tagline for the book is, “every town has its secrets, Sanctuary is built on them," indicating this is a story full of intrigue.
Unlike with Totally, Completely Fine, Sanctuary will be an AMC production in partnership with Monumental Television. The previously announced titles for AMC in 2023 include Clean Sweep, The Lovers, SisterS, Black Snow, and Far North. All of these will stream exclusively on Sundance Now and AMC+ in the U.S. and Canada, except Clean Sweep and SisterS, which will only be available in the United States.