TAGGED AS: streaming, television, TV
Sure, it was a bummer that so many TV productions were delayed in 2020. But that just means 2021 is going to be filled with even more excellent television to distract you from whatever is happening in the real world. High-profile Marvel projects are finally premiering on Disney+ — including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and more — and long-anticipated seasons are headed back to TV — American Horror Story season 10, The Witcher season 2 (here’s hoping), and The Walking Dead bonus season 10 episodes and season 11, for example.
Related: The Most Anticipated Movies of 2021
Among the big 2021 TV offerings, there are new superheroes — Javicia Leslie’s debut in Batwoman, the latest Arrowverse addition Superman & Lois — some real-life heroes — Aretha Franklin, The Rock — space-based series, crime procedurals, and much, much more. Check out our list of the most anticipated TV premieres of 2021 — we’ll add new ones as new premiere dates are announced.
Be sure to bookmark this list of anticipated 2021 TV and streaming shows and let us know in the comments which 2021 shows you’re most excited about.
Jan-Mar | Apr-June | July-Sep | Oct-Dec | TBD
90%
Cobra Kai: Season 3
(2021)
(Netflix)
Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka
Release Date: January 1
It’s the ultimate grudge match! Season 3 offers a three-way feud now that a new sensei lords over the Cobra Kai dojo.
Critics Consensus: By pairing its emotional punches with stronger humor, Cobra Kai’s third season finds itself in fine fighting form.
100%
Dickinson: Season 2
(2021)
(Apple TV+)
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jane Krakowski, Anna Baryshnikov, Toby Huss, Adrian Enscoe
Release Date: January 8
Season 2 finds poet Emily Dickinson struggling to be published and pinning her hopes on newspaperman Sam Bowles (Finn Jones). Read more: “Dickinson and Hawkeye Star Hailee Steinfeld Relishes Playing Strong-Willed Characters Who ‘Use Their Voice’”
Critics Consensus: With stronger writing and a never-better Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson finds surer footing in its second season without losing any of its strange delights.
82%
A Discovery of Witches: Season 2
(2021)
(Sundance Now)
Starring: Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer, Alex Kingston
Release Date: January 9
Witch Diana Bishop escapes to the past with vampire Matthew Clairmont to escape the fallout from their taboo relationship and solve the mysteries of their supernatural existence.
Critics Consensus: Grounded by Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer’s infectious chemistry and a healthy dose of visual splendor, A Discovery of Witches’ sophomore season makes slipping eras look easy.
97%
All Creatures Great and Small: Season 1
(2020)
(PBS)
Starring: Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Callum Woodhouse, Anna Madeley, Rachel Shenton
Release Date: January 10
James Herriot’s books, based on his life as a rural veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire, get the Masterpiece treatment in this seven-part series.
Critics Consensus: With a winsome cast, picturesque setting, and plenty of heart, All Creatures Great and Small is a gentle reminder that good drama can be as soothing as it is entertaining.
75%
American Gods: Season 3
(2021)
(Starz)
Starring: Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Yetide Badaki, Bruce Langley
Release Date: January 10
Shadow Moon rejects his destiny, seeking a quiet life and guidance from the Orishas, the gods of his Black ancestors; meanwhile his dad Odin, the Norse All-Father, persists in pulling Shadow back into the war between gods.
Critics Consensus: Though it’s unlikely to bring anyone back into the fold, American Gods’ tighter focus and strong performances may be enough for fans still holding out hope for a solid finish.
71%
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer: Limited Series
(2021)
(Netflix)
Starring: Gil Carrillo, Frank Salerno
Release Date: January 13
The true story of California serial killer Richard Ramirez, who stalked Los Angeles in the 1980s. Gil Carrillo, then a detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the legendary homicide investigator Frank Salerno take viewers step-by-step through the grisly crimes.
92%
WandaVision: Season 1
(2021)
(Disney+)
Starring: Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris
Release Date: January 15
Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision kick off the MCU’s Phase 4 in a series set in idyllic sitcom environments, passing through several decades, and questioning reality.
Critics Consensus: Part loving homage to TV history, part off-kilter mystery, WandaVision is a wonderfully weird and strikingly bold step into the small screen for the MCU — and a perfect showcase for Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.
88%
Servant: Season 2
(2021)
(Apple TV+)
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, Rupert Grint
Release Date: January 15
From M. Night Shyamalan, Servant’s second season finds Philadelphia couple Sean and Dorothy reeling from the disappearance of the baby they know as their son Jericho and his nanny Leanne, who is part of a cult. Read more: M. Night Shyamalan Teases Four-Season Blueprint for Servant.
Critics Consensus: Servant’s second season serves up a solid — if not always convincing — set of thrills with a better grasp on its dark humor.
86%
Batwoman: Season 2
(2021)
(The CW)
Starring: Javicia Leslie, Camrus Johnson, Nicole Kang, Meagan Tandy
Release Date: January 17
Gotham City is getting a new Batwoman: down-to-earth Ryan Wilder stumbles upon the Batsuit, opening up a new destiny for the once-disadvantaged new hero.
Critics Consensus: Batwoman’s second season survives a soft reboot, maintaining the show’s excellence while giving Javicia Leslie plenty of room to spread her wings.
32%
Walker: Season 1
(2021)
(The CW)
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Keegan Allen, Lindsey Morgan
Release Date: January 21
Texas Ranger Cordell Walker returns home to Austin after two years undercover. The widower must reconnect with his two children and make nice with his new partner, one of the first female Texas Rangers in history.
96%
Euphoria: F*ck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob
(2021)
(HBO)
Starring: Hunter Schafer
Release Date: January 24
The special episode of the HBO hit drama series follows Jules over the Christmas holiday as she reflects on the year. Creator Sam Levinson directed the episode and co-wrote it with star Schafer, who also serves as an executive producer.
88%
Snowpiercer: Season 2
(2021)
(TNT)
Starring: Daveed Diggs, Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean, Lena Hall, Mickey Sumner, Alison Wright
Release Date: January 25
A new power struggle emerges in season 2, following the arrival of Mr. Wilford (Bean) and a new train in the season 1 finale. A dangerous rift opens, dividing the survivors between their loyalty to Snowpiercer and to Wilford. Meanwhile, Melanie investigates a new discovery that could change humanity’s fate.
94%
Resident Alien: Season 1
(2021)
(Syfy)
Starring: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds
Release Date: January 27
A shape-shifting alien crash-lands on Earth and assumes the identify of a doctor in the small town of Patience, Washington. As “Dr. Harry” tends to patients, questions arise about the death of the town’s previous doctor.
67%
The Equalizer: Season 1
(2021)
(CBS)
Starring: Queen Latifah, Chris Noth, Lorraine Toussaint
Release Date: February 7
In this reimagining of the classic series, Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her skills to defend those with nowhere else to turn.
- -
Black Lightning: Season 4
(2021)
(The CW)
Starring: Cress Williams, Christine Adams, Nafessa Williams, China Anne McClain
Release Date: February 8
(Photo by The CW)
The CW’s superhero series sees Jefferson Pierce serve up the final season of Black Lightning’s justice. Based on the DC Comics series, the show holds a 94% Tomatometer score going into season 4.
42%
Clarice: Season 1
(2021)
(CBS)
Starring: Rebecca Breeds, Kal Penn, Nick Sandow
Release Date: February 11
FBI Agent Clarice Starling returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of The Silence of the Lambs. “[Dr. Lecter] was just a part of the process that is triggering her to go back to the real demons that are in her life,” star Rebecca Breeds told Rotten Tomatoes about her character. Read more: “Clarice Star Rebecca Breeds: Series Is a Step in the Evolution of The Silence of the Lambs Heroine.”
91%
Young Rock: Season 1
(2021)
(NBC)
Starring:
Release Date: February 16
From Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off the Boat) and action superstar Dwayne Johnson, the story of The Rock’s formative years unfolds in an 11-episode comedy series. Johnson will appear in each episode as the focus and inspiration of the series.
100%
For All Mankind: Season 2
(2021)
(Apple TV+)
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Jodi Balfour, Shantel VanSanten, Krys Marshall, Sonya Walger
Release Date: February 19
Season 1 of the alternate-history drama presented a world in which the USSR beat the U.S. to the moon. Season 2 picks up a decade later when Cold War tensions are at their peak, the U.S. and the Soviets race to control the moon’s resources, and NASA is militarized.
86%
Superman & Lois: Season 1
(2021)
(The CW)
Starring: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch
Release Date: February 23
The world’s most famous superhero and most famous journalist together face their biggest challenge yet: being modern-day working parents.
79%
The Walking Dead
Seasons 10 and 11 (AMC)
Starring: Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Ross Marquand, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Seth Gilliam
Release Date: February 28
The Walking Dead extended its 10th season by six episodes, which will hit in February and see the survivors rebuilding their lives post-Whisperers, while facing several existential crises over their community, their emotional well-being, and humanity overall. The series will end with season 11, also expected later this year.
85%
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Season 1
(2021)
(Disney+)
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Daniel Brühl
Release Date: March 19
Mackie and Stan reunite following the events of Avengers: Endgame as Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, respectively. The bickering superheroes team up in an adventure that takes them around the world, testing their abilities — and their patience. Brühl returns as villain Helmut Zemo.
71%
Genius: Aretha
(2021)
(NatGeo)
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Courtney B. Vance
Release Date: March TBD
Erivo stars in an exploration of Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and career. The series examines the gospel prodigy and outspoken civil rights champion’s impact and lasting influence on music and culture worldwide.
98%
Ms. Marvel: Season 1
(2022)
(Disney+)
Starring: Iman Vellani
Release Date: Winter TBD
A new Marvel TV hero is on the horizon: Awkward 16-year-old Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City, is a great student, a gamer, fan-fiction scribe, and a massive fan of superheroes — Captain Marvel in particular. Her world changes dramatically when Kamala gets super powers like the heroes she loves.
Hemingway: Miniseries (PBS)
Starring: Jeff Daniels
Release Date: April 5
Award-winning filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick take on the life of literary icon Ernest Hemingway. The three-part, six-hour documentary series paints an intimate picture of Hemingway the writer and explores the writer’s limitations and biases as an artist and a man of his time.
89%
Shadow and Bone: Season 1
(2021)
(Netflix)
Starring: Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Ben Barnes
Release Date: April TBD
Based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels, the fantasy series is set in a war-torn world in which a young soldier attracts sinister forces when she reveals a magical power that might unite her world.
92%
Loki: Season 1
(2021)
(Disney+)
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, Richard E. Grant
Release Date: May TBD
The God of Mischief steps out of his brother Thor’s shadow in a new MCU Phase 4 series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame.
89%
What If...?
(Disney+)
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, Hayley Atwell, Chadwick Boseman, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Natalie Portman, Michael Douglas, Michael B. Jordan, Sebastian Stan, Michael Rooker, Tom Hiddleston
Release Date: Summer TBD
Marvel Studios’ first animated series What If… ? reimagines famous events from Marvel films in unexpected ways. The series features a voice cast made up of the MCU biggest stars reprising their roles.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan: Season 1 (Starz)
Starring: Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller, Omar Epps
Release Date: Summer TBD
From creator, showrunner, and executive producer Sascha Penn, the third installment in the Power franchise tells the story of the early years of Kanan Stark, portrayed by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the original series.
The Nevers: Season 1 (HBO)
Starring: Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, Olivia Williams, James Norton, Tom Riley, Rochelle Neil, Eleanor Tomlinson, Amy Manson, Pip Torrens, Denis O’Hare, Zackary Momoh, Elizabeth Berrington, Kiran Sawar, Nick Frost, Ben Chaplin
Release Date: Summer TBD
(Photo by HBO)
Set in Victorian-era London, this 10-episode science-fiction drama series follows a gang of women who manifest unusual abilities, then face relentless enemies as they embark on a mission that could have world-changing repercussions. The series was originally helmed by Joss Whedon, who stepped down in November 2020 after filming wrapped. HBO subsequently issued a statement that the series would premiere in summer.
The Book of Boba Fett: Season 1 (Disney+)
Starring: Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen
Release Date: December TBD
(Photo by © 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.)
As teased in a surprise end-credit sequence in the season finale of The Mandalorian, the legendary bounty hunter’s journey will continue in The Book of Boba Fett, created by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Read more: “Everything We Know About The Book of Boba Fett.”
Starring: Michael C. Hall
Release Date: TBD
A 10-episode limited series reunites series star Michael C. Hall and showrunner Clyde Phillips to revive America’s favorite serial killer Dexter Morgan. The series is set to begin production in early 2021, with a tentative premiere date in the fall of 2021.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Season 1 (Disney+)
Starring: TBD
Release Date: TBD
The Bad Batch is an elite squad of clones (first introduced in The Clone Wars) that vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army. Members each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinary soldiers. Together the formidable crew take on mercenary missions in this animated series set in the post–Clone Wars era.
72%
Foundation: Season 1
(2021)
(Apple TV+)
Starring: Jared Harris, Lee Pace
Release Date: TBD
The 10-episode series based on Isaac Asimov’s influential (think: Star Wars) science-fiction novel trilogy is from David Goyer, Josh Friedman, and Skydance Television and chronicles the epic saga of The Foundation, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it.
Girls5Eva: Season 1 (Peacock)
Starring: Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, Busy Philipps
Release Date: TBD
From Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt writer and co-executive producer Meredith Scardino, the series follows a ’90s one-hit-wonder girl group that reunites to give their dreams one more shot. Tina Fey serves as executive producer.
95%
The Witcher: Season 2
(2021)
(Netflix)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring
Release Date: TBD
Monster-hunter-for-hire Geralt of Rivia continues his journeys in season 2. Based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, the series follows Geralt as he finds love, battles all forms of beast, and stumbles into relationships that together can loosely be called a family.
Vikings: Valhalla: Season 1 (Netflix)
Starring: Bill Murphy, Yvonne Mai
Release Date: TBD
From The Fugitive writer Jeb Stuart, the new saga begins 100 years after the original series concludes and dramatizes the lives of famous Vikings including Harald Hardrada and Erik the Red. Vikings creator Michael Hirst serves as executive producer.
92%
Hawkeye: Season 1
(2021)
(Disney+)
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Brian d’Arcy James
Release Date: TBD
In another installment of the MCU’s Phase 4, Renner reprises his role as Avenger Hawkeye to introduce another skilled Marvel Comics archer, Kate Bishop (Steinfeld).
86%
Stranger Things: Season 4
(Netflix)
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp
Release Date: TBD
While David Harbour’s Hopper did not meet his end in the climactic battle of season 3, “It’s not all good news for our ‘American’; he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human… and other,” creators the Duffer Brothers revealed in a press release announcing the start of season 4 filming. “Meanwhile, back in the States, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything.” Read more: “Everything We Know about Stranger Things Season 4.”
Y: The Last Man: Season 1 (FX on Hulu)
Starring: Diane Lane, Ashley Romans, Ben Schnetzer, Olivia Thirlby, Amber Tamblyn, Marin Ireland
Release Date: TBD
Based on DC Comics’ series of the same name, Y: The Last Man explores a world in which an apocalyptic event has wiped-out every mammal with a Y chromosome, except for one human male and his pet monkey.
Law & Order Organized Crime: Season 1 (NBC)
Starring: Christopher Meloni
Release Date: TBD
Meloni reprises his Law & Order: SVU role as Elliot Stabler, who returns to the NYPD to lead a new task force following a major personal loss. After a decade away, he must adapt to a changed city, police department, and criminal justice system as he takes on powerful crime syndicates.
94%
The Underground Railroad: Limited Series
(2021)
(Amazon Prime Video)
Starring: Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton
Release Date: TBD
Based on Colson Whitehead’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for fiction of the same name, this series is helmed by Barry Jenkins and follows a young Georgia woman’s journey to freedom as she escapes on the very literal, very secret underground railroad.
95%
Succession
Season 3 (HBO)
Starring: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew McFadyen, Nicholas Braun, Alan Ruck, Hiam Abbass
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by HBO)
Revisit the insanity of the dysfunctional Roy family dynasty after its 2020 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy win. The four grown children of media tycoon Logan Roy (Cox) return to undermine each other as they each grasp for control of their father’s legacy. But he’s not retired yet.
84%
American Crime Story
: Impeachment (FX)
Starring: Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Paulson, Clive Owen
Release Date: TBD
The third installment of the award-winning true-crime anthology series from producer Ryan Murphy returns with the story of Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
77%
American Horror Story
Season 10 (FX)
Starring: Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross, Finn Wittrock, Macaulay Culkin
Release Date: TBD
The 10th season of Ryan Murphy’s FX horror anthology is expected to premiere in 2021. Us Weekly magazine reports that the season will be subtitled Pilgrim and is scheduled to start filming on February 1 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with production concluding on March 6.
American Horror Stories, Season 1 (Hulu)
Starring: TBD
Release Date: TBD
Ryan Murphy’s Hulu horror film anthology is also expected this year, and frequent star of Murphy titles Sarah Paulson (ACS, AHS, Ratched) revealed that she will direct an episode.
96%
Atlanta: Season 3
(2022)
(FX)
Starring: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by Matthias Clamer/FX)
The third and fourth seasons of the award-winning comedy from the mind of Donald Glover are expected to film concurrently in 2021 as up-and-coming rapper Paper Boi achieves more success.
97%
What We Do in the Shadows
Season 3 (FX)
Starring: Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Kayvan Novak, Harvey Guillen, Mark Proksch
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by Russ Martin/©FX)
Created by Jemaine Clement, star of the 2014 film of the same name, the series takes place on Staten Island, where the lives of four vampire roommates are filmed documentary-style. Guest stars in this series — where literally anything can happen — have included Clement, Taika Waititi, and Jonathan Brugh, reprising their roles from the film, as well as Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Trejo, Paul Rubens, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, Mark Hamill, Lucy Punch, and more.
98%
Better Things
Season 5 (FX)
Starring: Pamela Adlon
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
The award-winning FX comedy series centers on a single mom and actress trying to raise her three daughters in Los Angeles.
85%
Ozark: Season 4
(2022)
(Netflix)
Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by Steve Dietl/Netflix ©2020)
Neck deep in a cartel money-laundering operation, financial advisor Marty Byrde (Bateman) and his wife Wendy (Linney) were actively involved in some shocking season 3 murders. The first half of the 14-episode fourth and final season is expected to premiere in 2021, with the second half expected to debut in 2022.
Reservation Dogs (FX)
Starring: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor
Release Date: TBD
(Photo by Shane Brown/FX)
The half-hour comedy series from Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, follows four Native teenagers in rural Oklahoma who both commit crime and fight it.
