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For fans of deep conspiracy thrillers looking for their next binge-watch, especially if you enjoyed airplane thrillers like Carry-On and Manifest, look no further than Departure. Created by Vince Shiao, the series follows Kendra Malley (Archie Panjabi), an investigator for the fictional Transport Safety and Investigations Bureau, after a plane disappears over the Atlantic Ocean. The series currently has 3 seasons, each following a different transportation-related catastrophe. From the compelling and sometimes morally gray characters to the high-octane plot, every episode of Departure is charged with the highest stakes, ending with a twisty and compelling cliffhanger that leaves audiences rushing to watch the next episode.

An airplane thriller with 80% on Rotten Tomatoes becomes a global hit on Netflix more than four years after its debut. Though it arrived very late in the year, the airplane thriller premise received a boost with Carry-On. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, with T. J. Fixman writing the script. The story centers on a Tsa officer who's blackmailed into allowing a nerve agent on board a flight during Christmas Eve. The cast of Carry-On is led by Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, and Jason Bateman.

By the start of 2025, Carry-On demolished records to become the fifth-most-watched English-language Netflix Original of all time. That data will soon be backed up by Nielsen's streaming charts. But the initial response underlines the holiday-themed thriller struck a nerve with audiences. Another plane-centric suspense saga is catching on with subscribers, albeit four years after it originally premiered on a rival platform.

Departure Is A...

Peacock has picked up Departure, the Canadian drama starring The Good Wife’s Archie Panjabi and Christopher Plummer, ahead of the service’s nationwide launch Wednesday.

The NBCU streamer has acquired the rights to the drama, which was originally commissioned by Canada’s Global. The company already has rights to the six-part thriller in a number of international territories including the UK.

The show stars Panjabi as investigator Kendra Malley, who alongside her mentor, played by Knives Out star Plummer, are brought on to search for missing passenger plane Flight 716. When battling forces threaten to undermine their work, Kendra must find the truth and stop it from happening again.

The series also stars Kris Holden-Reid (Umbrella Academy), Rebecca Liddiard (Run This Town), Tamara Duarte (Longmire), Mark Rendall (Versailles), Peter Mensah and Sasha Roiz (Suits).

Created by Vince Shiao, it is produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint Productions in association...

Starlings Entertainment, a film financing and production company, is formally expanding into television with the official launch of Starlings Television, led by studio executive and producer Chris Philip. The company, headed by CEO Karine Martin and President Jeffrey W. Stentz, is coming off a successful investment in Paramount’s Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

Philip and Starlings have been collaborating since 2018 to develop, co-produce, and co-finance original scripted content, which the new division will focus on. It is behind two new scripted series. The first, Pandora, a Ya sci-fi drama starring Priscilla Quintana (Traffik), is set to premiere July 16 on the CW. Starlings recently closed a deal with Sony International to handle international distribution.

Starlings TV also has a six-episode first season order for Departure, starring Oscar winner Christopher Plummer and Emmy winner Archie Panjabi. Produced by Shaftesbury, the series will air on Global Television Network in Canada and NBC Universal Channels in select international territories.