Though we’ve never had a royal family of our own here in the United States, the Kennedy dynasty is, or was, the next best thing throughout the mid-20th century. The family destined to be a powerhouse of American politics and culture went from one of the most miraculous stories in the country’s history to one of its most tragic in the span of a few years. Now, there’s a new Netflix original in the works titled Kennedy, and it sounds like something.
I’m not sure if this promising series from Castle Rock creator Sam Shaw and starring Michael Fassbender as family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. will end up on the 2026 TV schedule or not, but I have a feeling it’s going to be massive once it does premiere. Well, that and incredibly intense, dramatic, and probably unnerving. Here’s why I can’t wait to watch with my Netflix subscription.
Based On What I Know About The Kennedy Family, This Is Going To Be Intense And Dramatic
I was born and raised less than three hours away from the very spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated some 60-plus years ago, and I’ve long had a fascination with the family behind the whole “Camelot” mystique. That said, I have a feeling this next Netflix series (not to be confused with the controversial 2011 miniseries) is going to be both intense and dramatic, even though its timeline won’t reach that fateful day in November 1963 at Dealey Plaza.
In October 2025, Deadline reported that the upcoming series is based on Fredrik Logevall’s book JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956. The 2020 biography, which comes in at 792 pages, is about the ill-fated political scion while also focusing on the tense family dynamics shared by the powerful New England dynasty. With as many tragedies as triumphs, the Kennedy family’s history is a complicated American tale, especially when you learn about the devastating fates of JFK’s siblings. Just read about JFK’s older brother, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., or his sister, Rosemary Kennedy, and you’ll see what I mean.
It Feels Like This Could Be Netflix’s American Answer To The Crown
Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great historical dramas on Netflix in recent years (Death by Lightning being one of the best), but none have come close to being on the same level as The Crown. If I’m being honest, I think Kennedy could be Netflix’s next great program.
The Kennedy name, even for those who don’t follow politics, is one of the most well-known and influential in American history, or at least in the 20th century and beyond. The family, which has been a political juggernaut for multiple generations at this point, is essentially our version of the Royal family, and that’s what makes this show so promising.
Based on what Netflix has announced so far, it sounds like this will be a multi-season affair, which has me hopeful that it will go beyond where the book ends in 1956 and carry on through the ‘60s and beyond.
