The new British drama series Fool Me Once made an impressive debut in early 2024, rapidly climbing the charts and attracting global attention. However, despite its strong start, the show will not be renewed for a second season.
Fool Me Once features a talented cast, including Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, and Richard Armitage. It tells the story of a former soldier who spots her supposedly dead husband on a nanny cam video, realizing he is very much alive.
Like previous Harlan Coben adaptations on Netflix, such as The Stranger and Stay Close, Fool Me Once was designed from the outset to be a limited series based on Coben’s novel of the same name.
Over the course of its 8 episodes, the show covers the entire storyline from the book and wraps up all the plot threads.
So, while Fool Me Once made a big splash with viewers in its debut season, fans should know going in that the show tells a complete story within its limited episode order.
It joins a number of other Netflix scripted dramas following this increasingly common format of one self-contained season. But that season is likely to remain popular for years to come.
Harlan Coben’s Mystery Universe on Netflix
While the news that Fool Me Once won’t return may be disappointing for fans, the good news is there’s more Harlan Coben content on the way on Netflix featuring some of the same talented stars.
Netflix has an extensive slate of adaptations based on Coben’s mystery novels. If you enjoyed Fool Me Once, we especially recommend checking out his other British-made Netflix series:
Safe – Released in 2018, this series also stars Richard Armitage as a widowed surgeon searching for his missing daughter.
The Stranger – Another riveting 2020 series with Richard Armitage in the lead. This time, he plays a family man confronted by a mysterious woman who reveals secrets about his wife.
Stay Close – Just released in late 2021, this addictive thriller features Fool Me Once star James Nesbitt as a detective exploring disappearances linked to a photojournalist’s work.
With many other Harlan Coben projects in active development at Netflix, fans can expect more binge-worthy intrigue in the years ahead.
So, while Fool Me Once may be over, its stars and creative team will likely be back to enthrall audiences soon with more edge-of-your-seat entertainment.
Richard Armitage’s Post-‘Fool Me Once’ Ventures
More good news for fans of Fool Me Once’s Richard Armitage – you can see more of his acclaimed acting talent in several other recent projects.
He appears alongside James Nesbitt in the Netflix thriller Stay Close, as well as in the mind-bending 2020 series The Stranger.
Armitage also stars in the 2022 mini-series Obsession and in the often-overlooked 2016 film Brain on Fire with Thomas Mann and Chloë Grace Moretz. So, there are plenty of options to get your RA fix.
As for more Harlan Coben adaptations, several other projects are in the works. The one furthest along is Myron Bolitar, which will be the first Coben series based in the United States.
Netflix also has the rights to develop the novels Six Years and Run Away into shows, though there is no official word yet on their production timeline.
And on Amazon Prime Video, you can already stream the 2023 young adult series Shelter if you want even more mystery from the mind of Harlan Coben.
Though Fool Me Once may be done, fans can take comfort that there is much more intrigue and entertainment on the way soon from this talented team of creators.
Adding British Flair to Your Watchlist
If you enjoyed the UK setting and talent featured in Fool Me Once, highlights to add to your watchlist include:
The Gentlemen – An intriguing crime drama film set to arrive on Netflix in March 2024.
Black Doves – Another exciting British limited crime series currently in development.
Department Q – A collection of crime thrillers based on Danish novels but set in the UK that capture a similar tone and mystery.
Looking beyond other Harlan Coben titles, Netflix also suggests these compelling British shows:
Bodies – a mind-bending sci-fi crime drama spanning different time periods.
You Don’t Know Me – a unique co-production where a man on trial recounts his star-crossed romance.
Inside Man – Starring David Tennant, this BBC thriller explores a prisoner assisting a journalist’s search for a missing friend.
So, while you may have reached the end of Fool Me Once’s run, more binge-worthy British television is on the way soon to Netflix to help fill the void.
