Overview
If you're a long-term fan of Veronica Mars, you can be forgiven for taking an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude to news of the show's resurrection. It eventually worked for the Veronica Mars movie, however, and it also seems to be working for the series' small-screen comeback, with a teaser dropping for the long-awaited fourth season.
Veronica Mars initially lasted three seasons across 2004–2007, then set a crowdfunding record to get a film off the ground in 2014, and even spawned two novels and a web series spin-off after that. Now, as confirmed in September last year, an eight-episode revival is slated to hit television screens in 2019.
The teenage private eye drama is getting a similar treatment to Twin Peaks — it's a revival featuring original cast members, rather than a new effort that remakes the same concept with different folks and starts all over again with its narrative. And yes, crucially, Ms Mars herself is back, with Kristen Bell resuming the role that brought her to fame.
Bell is also the star of Veronica Mars' first fourth-season sneak peek, with her character sat at her desk and listing everything that's in store during spring break in her home town of Neptune — "drunks, derelicts, flashers, frat boys, sorority vomit, pickpockets, bottomless drinks and topless dancers" all included. Crucially, the teaser also delivers an important piece of information: a US air date of July 26.
Hulu, the streaming platform that turned The Handmaid's Tale into the phenomenon that it is, is behind the new season. As reported by Variety last year, Veronica Mars creator and writer Rob Thomas (no, not that one) has also returned — and is executive producing and writing the first episode. Bell also executive produces alongside Diane Ruggiero-Wright and Dan Etheridge, who were both involved in the original seasons and film.
The new season will see Neptune's favourite blonde-haired, pint-sized sleuth again solving mysteries in the seaside town. This time, she has been hired by the parents of a dead spring breaker to investigate a string of murders and is drawn into a power struggle between the town's wealthy elite and its working class.
Familiar faces such as Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Ryan Hansen, Francis Capra and Max Greenfield are all returning, along with new inclusions such as Patton Oswalt, Clifton Collins Jr and Bell's The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. There's no word yet on whether any other big names have been signed on for the show — or if any of Veronica's other ex-boyfriends will re-emerge — but, given that the original show featured appearances from Amanda Seyfried, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera, Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter, Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson and more, you can probably expect a few familiar faces to pop up.
With Hulu airing the revival, we're not sure when Veronica Mars 2.0 will be hitting Aussie and NZ TV screens — or where it'll air. Here's hoping it won't take long to head down under. We'll update you as soon as we know more.