Image via Complex
Every day in 2021, it feels like the movies we can’t wait to see get pushed back a couple of months. It’s not their fault; huge Hollywood blockbusters need huge turnouts at the box office to justify their huge budgets. That’s not to say that television doesn’t catch the perils of producing content in a time of COVID; shows like All Rise had to flip the script and incorporate the pandemic into their storytelling. Lucky for us, while they have to take precautions to ensure safety on set, we still get to see them—you can watch TV damn near anywhere you can get a screen!
Honestly, television might save our continued quarantine life. Stuck on the couch? There’s always something new to watch—damn near too much to consume. Peak TV birthed a number of options to catch quality television, which, spread out across so many streaming platforms and channels on the cable dial, you’ll likely never catch up on everything you have to see. That said, there are some strong contenders for your TV time dropping in 2021, with everything from comic book stories to real-life tales becoming series you’ll be talking about for at least a week after watching.
Grab your calendar and make sure your evenings are free; here are the most anticipated television series dropping in 2021.
'WandaVision'
Network: Disney+
Release date: Jan. 15
Marvel’s Cinematic Universe finally hits Disney+. Due to the juggling of schedules caused by COVID-19, WandaVision is officially the beginning of Marvel’s Phase Four, and what a wildly different Phase this is shaping up to be. Marvel Studios’ first official foray into television, WandaVision—which takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame—finds Wanda Maximoff (aka The Scarlet Witch) and Vision… living out sitcom lives? We’re talking canned laughter, finger-snaps to change outfits, wacky scenarios that get wrapped up in under 30 minutes. Super sitcom shit. Of course, there’s a current of unease, and some intriguing Easter eggs in the advertisements, but through a lot of humor and (hopefully) a lot of action, WandaVision presents a bold shift creatively in Marvel Studios’ operations, one that hopefully gives us a glimpse into how Marvel could approach their IP in the future.
'grown-ish' (Season 3B)
Network: Freeform
Release date: Jan. 21
The -ish Universe lives on! After a long pause in the middle of Season 3, Freeform’s hit series returns with Zoey (Yara Shahidi) leaving college life behind to become a stylist for Joey Bada$$! Everyone’s fav Saweetie drops by as well, and judging by the recently released trailer, we may see more of Zoey and Aaron (Trevor Jackson) linking back up? The rest of the cast is still living their lives, dealing with the issues that most college-aged kids deal with, in a series that’s truly living up to its name as a modern spin on A Different World.
'Clarice'
Network: CBS
Release date: Feb. 11
While the Hannibal Lecter character has lived quite a life in books, television, and films, we haven’t gotten to know Clarice Starling, his counterpart in The Silence of the Lambs. Based on the book of the same name, this CBS series will tell her story as she deals with the worst sexual predators and serial killers that are fit for network television consumption. Rebecca Breeds (Pretty Little Liars, The Originals) stars, with Kal Penn and Nick Sandow also on the cast. No word on if we’ll see Hannibal Lecter himself, unfortunately.
'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'
Network: Disney+
Release date: March 19
The MCU will be furthering its stranglehold on Disney+ in 2021 with this series, which pairs up the Falcon (Anthony Mackie)—with Cap’s shield in hand—and frequent film buddy Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) for a six-episode, post-Endgame romp. Daniel Brühl and Emily VanCamp—two names we haven’t seen since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War—are back on board as Helmut Zemo and Sharon Carter, respectively, but it looks like Sam and Bucky will have to deal with the Flag-Smashers, who are looking to bring anarchy to the nation. John Walker, aka U.S. Agent (who is a successor to the original Captain America) will also be a part of what’s sure to be an action-adventure flick for those starving for beat ‘em up Marvel Studios insanity.
'Loki'
Network: Disney+
Release date: May
One of the beautiful things about Disney+ is that the stories that are introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s films can be expanded in series on the streaming platform. Take Loki’s situation, for example. In Avengers: Endgame, during the “time heist” portion of that epic, an alternate-timeline Loki makes off with the Tesseract. This singular act creates a new timeline in the MCU, in which this Loki ends up jumping between decades, causing all kinds of… mayhem? It’s hard to figure out. The trailer showcases Loki assuming different forms—including some nods to the forms he assumes in the comics. It’ll be interesting to see Loki back in the MCU and doing what he does best: causing chaos.
'The Mandalorian' (Season 3)
Network: Disney+
Release date: December
Following the end of The Mandalorian’s second season, coupled with the series that are growing out of the (checks notes) only series that kept many folks rocking with Disney+, we’re hype. [Ed. note: Spoilers for Season 2 of The Mandalorian follow.] Boba Fett’s byke, Grogu’s gone, and for the first time, it would appear that Mando is really walking the earth, like in Kung Fu. It could make this third season more interesting—the Star Wars universe has been on his back, and he can get into all kinds of hijinx now, but we have a feeling that the things introduced in Season 2—and the folks he left—will have a way of creeping back. We hope they do, at least!
'The Book of Boba Fett'
Network: Disney+
Release date: December
For a time, many thought that The Mandalorian was going to be Boba Fett all along. We learned otherwise in The Mandalorian, but it’s also opened the door for Boba—the bounty hunter who didn’t get a lot of screen time in the original Star Wars trilogy but made a mark—to continue his own path. Ming-Na Wen returns as Fennec Shand, with Robert Rodriguez on as executive producer; we don’t know much else aside from it being set in the timeline of The Mandalorian, but honestly? That’s enough.
'Bel-Air'
Network: Peacock
Release date: TBA
Remember when that trailer for a fan-made film featuring a dramatic reworking of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air went viral? Will Smith took notice, and after a bidding war, Peacock gave Bel-Air a two-season order. The series is practically the same premise as the hit ‘90s sitcom, but instead of it being jokes on jokes on jokes, we’re getting high drama. It might get darker than you’d imagine, but with Will and company onboard making sure things are aligned with the series’ ethos (and maintaining a foothold in the modern world), this series could highlight a better flip on reboot culture.
‘Buried by the Bernards’
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
We don’t normally recommend reality TV over here, but when we do, it has to be unique. Netflix found one intriguing tale featuring the Bernards of Memphis, Tennessee. They run R Bernard Funeral Services, and since 2017, they’ve been offering a $1,895 funeral package that features livestreaming of funeral services, as well as drive-thru viewings. They also balance a mix of sarcasm and blunt honesty in how they deal with each other, and we imagine, their clientele.
'Colin In Black & White'
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
Ava DuVernay’s highly anticipated series on Colin Kaepernick is set to hit Netflix in 2021. Over the course of the series’ six episodes, viewers will see Kapernick’s journey as a Black kid growing up in an adopted white home, to his years as a premier quarterback, to the path he’s taken in the world of activism. Kaepernick’s not only onboard as an executive producer, but he narrates the series as well. For an individual who doesn’t do much talking, this series should answer some questions about what’s made Kaep the person he is today.
'Cowboy Bebop'
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
The dynamic space Western anime series Cowboy Bebop is getting a live adaptation on Netflix. Starring John Cho alongside Mustafa Shakir (Marvel’s Luke Cage), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and more, the jazz-tinged cult classic will stick to the anime’s premise of a group of bounty hunters taking out the toughest targets in the solar system. Just make sure they get paid.
‘Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me’
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
Based on his relationship with his daughter Corinne Foxx, Jamie Foxx links back up with fellow In Living Color alum David Allen Grier on this comedy series about father-daughter relationships. Jamie is said to be assuming multiple roles, with Bentley Kyle Evans (The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin) on as showrunner. This recipe sounds like it will give us many servings of big laughs, but it should also be just as hearty when it comes to the more meaningful side of parenting.
‘The Dropout’
Network: Hulu
Release date: TBA
In 2019, HBO introduced Elizabeth Holmes to a large swath of the country who doesn’t keep up with dreamers looking for power and investor dollars via The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, a documentary on Holmes’ company Theranos and the fraud that encapsulates her intriguing tale. Her idea was to craft a machine that could test for an astonishing number of illnesses with a single prick of your finger. It didn’t work, and she lost all the fame she had accumulated. That tale was turned into a podcast, The Dropout, which this Hulu series is based on. The most intriguing part is that current Saturday Night Live MVP Kate McKinnon stars as Holmes—while we know she can do impersonations amazingly, it’ll be interesting to see McKinnon stick to a more dramatic script.
'Hawkeye'
Network: Disney+
Release date: TBA
After his arc in the MCU, it’s dope to see that Hawkeye’s tale will take shape in this Disney+ series. More exciting is that this series appears to be based on Matt Fraction’s amazing run with the Marvel Comics character. Word is that it not only deals with Hawkeye’s hearing loss and his amazing golden retriever, Lucky the Pizza Dog, but it will also feature Kate Bishop (played by Hailee Steinfeld), Clint’s apprentice who becomes Hawkeye in her own right. It’s unknown of the finer details of Fraction’s run—the affinity for the color purple, or the bros he has to encounter around every corner—will be a part of it, or how Clint’s MCU family will be featured, but Marvel Studios has always done a good job of incorporating really dope comic book elements into their more robust films. And even if they don’t go that deep, Lucky being around is more than enough!
'Jupiter's Legacy'
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
Now this is the kind of series we’ve been waiting for from Mark Millar after Netflix acquired his comic book house back in 2017. Based on his Jupiter’s Legacy series, this series will look at the world’s first superheroes, a group of super-powered beings who’ve been fighting crime and saving the world since the 1930s. Set in the modern age, Jupiter’s Legacy examines how the children of heroes are reacting to the fame they’ve lived with for decades. Josh Duhamel leads as Sheldon Sampson, the leader of The Utopian and the patriarch of the main family featured in the show.
'Ms. Marvel'
Network: Disney+
Release date: TBA
As the MCU expands, it’s great to see different takes on Spider-Man—like Miles Morales—being introduced. Marvel’s at it again, with Ms. Marvel leaping from the comics to the (small) screen with her own series. Also, dope to see the first Pakistani-American (from Jersey!) superhero getting her due. A big fan of Captain Marvel (and heroes in general), the 16-year-old Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) one day gains some amazing shape-shifting powers, allowing her to “embiggen” at will. Just like her idol, she has to figure out a way to save the world, or at least make sure Jersey City doesn’t get wiped off the map. Here for all of this!
'Scenes From a Marriage'
Network: HBO
Release date: 2021
Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain starring in an HBO miniseries that examines a marriage? Sign us up! It’s based on a 1973 Swedish series of the same name, which dissects a marriage as it falls apart. It featured affairs and bitter arguments descending into screaming matches and violence… it’s like Marriage Story, but WAY more intense than Kylo Ren punching a wall. Isaac and Chastain have their work cut out for them.
‘The Underground Railroad’
Network: Prime Video
Release date: TBA
Barry Jenkins, director of the Oscar-winning Moonlight, brings this reimagining of the Underground Railroad to life for Amazon Prime. Instead of it being the group of dedicated individuals who helped slaves escape captivity for a better life, this series (based on a novel by Colson Whitehead), turns it into an actual railroad, following one slave’s journey to freedom. Jenkins is a visionary, so this should be a true treat for the eyes. Hopefully this take on a very real part of American history is just as amazing.
'The Upshaws'
Network: Netflix
Release date: TBA
Starring Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes, and Kim Fields, The Upshaws gives you a take on the real-life struggles of a Black family in Indiana. The series is said to be more of an edgy play on the format, showcasing the complexities of Black life in today’s society live and in living color. Wish there was more for you, but with Epps and Sykes, it feels like this will be hilarious (and grounded).
‘Y: The Last Man’
Network: FX on Hulu
Release date: 2021
FX returns to the world of comic books with another intriguing flip of an acclaimed book. After an event takes out every mammal with a Y chromosome except for this guy Yorick and his pet monkey, the world is trying to pick up the pieces. Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Eisner Award-winning series feels like a difficult tale to translate to television, but FX also pulled off Noah Hawley’s Legion. After a failed film project came and went, this series (which stars Ben Schnetzer as Yorick and counts Diane Lane among the cast) is destined to be one of the more unique television experiences we’ll get in 2021.