35 Most Anticipated New TV Shows Coming in 2021

This reboot of Will Smith’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” converts the sitcom into a drama, and has been given a two-season order. It is inspired by a fan-made trailer made by Morgan Cooper, who will direct and co-executive produce the series, as well as co-write it with Chris Collins. The one-hour drama will focus on the same premise as the original series (Will’s transition from Philadelphia, Pa. to Bel Air, Calif. life) but be set in present-day.

A spinoff of Disney Plus’ Emmy-nominated series, “The Mandalorian,” this upcoming show will center on the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Boba Fett was first introduced to the big-screen in 1980’s “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” becoming a fan-favorite for his visually striking armor and cool demeanor. It will star Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen, who plays bounty hunter Fennec Shand.

The drama series about Colin Kaepernick will explore the athlete’s childhood and rise to the change-focused figure he has become. It is created by Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay, with the plot set to focus more on the dynamics of a Black child growing up under the tutelage of adopted white parents. Mary-Louise Parker and Nick Offerman star as Kaepernick’s parents, while Jaden Michael takes on the titular role.

Directed by Alex Garcia Lopez, “Cowboy Bebop” is a live-action take on the popular manga of the same name. Its plot follows a group of bounty hunters who travel through space on the spaceship Bebop while on the lookout for criminals with rewards on their heads. John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Alex Hassell and Elena Satine will star in the show.

Jamie Foxx stars in the upcoming series, which is inspired by his experiences raising daughter Corinne Foxx. He will also executive produce the show, while Corinne Foxx serves as a producer. While plot details have been kept under wraps, David Alan Grier, Kyla-Drew, Porscha Coleman and Jonathan Kite will also star in the show.

Michael C. Hall will reprise his titular role in a limited series based on the early-aughts serial killer drama “Dexter.” Clyde Phillips will also be returning as the showrunner, while Clancy Brown is stepping into the shoes of the big bad of this story. While not much is known about the plot of the new 10 episodes to come, last audiences left Dexter, he had faked his death and was working as a lumberjack, while his son was left to be raised by another murderer (played by Yvonne Strahovski). It looks like Dexter may not have been able to leave his inner darkness behind, though, if he will be tussling with Brown’s Kurt Caldwell, a man described as the unofficial mayor of the small town of Iron Lake who has realized the American dream and is a true man of the people — unless you cross him or hurt anyone about whom he cares.

Based on the ABC podcast of the same name hosted by Rebecca Jarvis, “The Dropout” stars Kate McKinnon as Elizabeth Holmes, a former Stanford University student, who left school to launch a healthcare technology company, Theranos, that revolutionized blood testing. The story will unpack how the groundbreaking tech startup was exposed as a fraud, indicting Holmes and former Theranos chief operating officer on nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for distributing blood tests with falsified results to customers.

The series takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan returning to their roles. Its plot follows Mackie’s Falcon hero after he takes up the mantle of the Captain America title in the “Avengers: Endgame” closing moments.

Based on the book series by Isaac Asimov, “Foundation” follows a group of exiles in a universe where humans are spread across a slew of planets under the Galactic Empire. The group must work to save humanity as their leadership begins to fall. The show stars Lee Pace and Jared Harris, with executive production by showrunner David S. Goyer, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Marcy Ross and Robyn Asimov.

Currently scheduled to stream in March, this reunion episode with cast members from the 1990s sitcom will not feature the cast in their old roles. Instead, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will take part in a panel discussion, looking back on the series almost two decades after it went off the air.

The third installment of “Genius” anthology series stars Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin. It will delve into the life of the famed “Respect” and “I Say a Little Prayer” singer, much like the prior two series did with Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso. Suzan-Lori Parks serves as showrunner and Anthony Hemingway directs and executive produces the eight-episode limited series, which was originally slated for a May 2020 release but is expected to drop in 2021.

From Tina Fey and Meredith Scardino, this upcoming Peacock series will follow a girl group from the ’90s that reunites to give their dreams a final shot — except this time, as aging wives and parents with growing shoulder pain. Girl band members are played by “Waitress” star Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell and Busy Philipps. “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park will also appear in a recurring role.

Good morning, Upper East Siders. An all-new “Gossip Girl” is returning to HBO Max. This long-awaited reboot will introduce a new community of New York’s elite high schoolers, who are now equipped with social media. Starring a new cast of unknown actors, HBO Max’s reimagined “Gossip Girl” was announced to feature more gender-inclusive and diverse cast members that better resemble the demographic of New York City. Original series’ narrator Kristen Bell will reprise her iconic voice role.

Video gamers rejoice! “Halo,” based on the ubiquitous video game franchise, is an upcoming live-action sci fi series that will focus on the 26th-century war between the United Nations Space Command and the alien Covenant. The 10-episode season will feature hour-long episodes, with “Awake’s” Kyle Killen helming the series as showrunner, and Pablo Schreiber portraying the central role of Master Chief.

This Disney Plus series will introduce new character Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, and will mark the return of Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its story picks up following the events of “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) to explore Barton’s past and how the mantle of Hawkeye was passed to him.

Ryan Murphy’s upcoming limited series, the third installment of the “American Crime Story” franchise, dives into the drama surrounding the scandal that broke out over President Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky. It stars Beanie Feldstein, Clive Owen, Annaleigh Ashford, Sarah Paulson and Billy Eichner.

The limited series will follow the plot set in place by Stephen King’s 2006 novel of the same name, which tells the story of a woman recovering memories about her late novelist husband. King also serves as an executive producer on the series, alongside J. J. Abrams and star Julianne Moore.

Tom Hiddleston will reprise the role of Marvel’s beloved character in this limited series, which connects the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Loki is dead, you say? The six episodes will exist thanks to an alternate version of Loki who created a new timeline of events.

This hotly anticipated multi-season adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved “The Lord of the Rings” will serve as a prelude to the film trilogy, taking place during the Second Age of Middle-earth. Writers JD Payne and Patrick McKay will develop “The Lord of the Rings,” serving as the series’ executive producers and showrunners. In December, Variety reported 20 new additions to the cast, although little is known about the plot for the series and characters themselves. However, the show’s five-season production commitment and production will cost a pretty penny, at least $1 billion, so it’s safe to say LOTR fans have a lot to look forward to — and that the series has a lot to which to live up.

Spread the word ya friggin turds — MacGruber is back. Based on a recurring “Saturday Night Live” sketch, first appearing in 2007 and later made into an action comedy film in 2010, the eight-episode Peacock series will see Will Forte reprise his role as MacGruber, a spoof on the 1985 TV series “MacGyver.” The series picks up as MacGruber is finally released from prison following a 10-year stretch behind bars. His upcoming mission is to take down a mysterious villain from his past — Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth.

Forte will write and executive produce the series, which reunites the original creative team behind the camera, including director Jorma Taccone who will executive produce alongside “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer, Erin David and John Solomon.

Inspired by “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” a memoir by Stephanie Land, the series will centers around a single mother struggling to keep afloat through a new maid job. Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson and Anika Noni Rose star in the show. The show, described as a dramedy, comes from creator Molly Smith Metzler.

The upcoming horror series from “The Haunting of Hill House” creators Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy will follow an isolated island community that experiences miraculous and frightening events, following the arrival of a mysterious young priest. “Hill House” star Kate Siegel will appear in the series opposite Zach Gilford, along with Hamish Linklater, Annabeth Gish, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan and Henry Thomas, among others.

The upcoming Marvel series stars Iman Vellani as a Pakistani-American teenager who goes from writing fan fiction about Captain Marvel to becoming her own hero. It’s executive produced by Kevin Feige, Bisha K. Ali, Sana Amanat, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.

Sci-fi drama “The Nevers,” from the mind of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon, is a tale about a group of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies and a mission that might change the course of world events. The series, led by stars Laura Donnelly, Olivia Williams, Nick Frost, Eleanor Tomlinson and Ann Skelly, unfolds as the group attempts to uphold the rights of the underclass and protect those who are like them.

This Hulu series marks yet another collaboration between Nicole Kidman and “Big Little Lies” creator David E. Kelley. Based on a 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, “Nine Perfect Strangers” explores the healing and transformation of nine city dwellers, who spend 10 days at a boutique health and wellness resort. Kidman plays the resort’s director Masha, who is on a mission to reinvigorate their minds. Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall and Manny Jacinto will also star in the limited series.

The upcoming comedy will star Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as a group of true-crime fans who find themselves embroiled in one as it unfolds. Together they hope their experience can lead them to solve a murder that took place in their apartment complex. Martin and John Hoffman created the show.

This “Suicide Squad” spinoff series, starring John Cena in the titular role, will explore the origins of Peacemaker, a man who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many lives it costs. The film’s writer-director James Gunn also wrote the series and will direct multiple episodes, including the pilot. Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland and Chris Conrad will also appear in the action comedy.

Reviving the beloved sitcom from the 1980s, “Punky Brewster” will follow the titular Punky (Soleil Moon Frye), who was once taken in by a foster dad, now a single mom of three who meets a young girl (Izzy, played by Quinn Copeland) in the system who reminds her of her younger self. Cherie Johnson will also reprise her original role as Punky’s best friend Cherie.

Coming April 2021, this fantasy drama series, based on Leigh Bardugo’s “Shadow and Bone” trilogy and “Six of Crows” duology, centers on a young woman with newfound powers who tries to save her home from a powerful, evil force. The series stars Freddy Carter, Ben Barnes, Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux and Amita Suman. It is executive produced by Eric Heisserer, Shawn Levy, Pouya Shahbazian, Leigh Bardugo, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen and Josh Barry.

This historical fiction drama series helmed by Barry Jenkins will follow a network of abolitionists who navigate hidden underground routes and safe houses that allowed Black American slaves to escape to freedom in the early to mid-1800s. Based on the book of the same name by Colson Whitehead, the show zooms in on the journey of Cora (Thuso Mbedu), an enslaved Black woman in Georgia, who joins Caesar (Aaron Pierre) to ride the subterranean train to freedom.

Borrowing the title and concept from Broadway musical “Brigadoon,” this upcoming series follows a couple that discovers a small town named Schmigadoon, where the citizens act as if they exist in a musical. The couple finds themselves stuck in town until they find true love. This musical comedy’s star-studded cast includes “Saturday Night Live” cast member Cecily Strong, along with Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristen Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada.

With the first two episodes dropping Friday, “WandaVision” features Marvel stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany living out married life in a suburban environment, while sending up plenty of television tropes at the same time. They slowly learn that the appearance of normalcy in their new world might not be what it seems. Teyonah Parris, Kathryn Hahn, Randall Park and Kat Dennings also star in the twisted take on old-school sitcoms.

This upcoming comedy series based on the life of pro-wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson will see three actors playing Johnson at three different ages — Adrian Groulx for age 10, Bradley Constant for his 15-year-old self, and Uli Latukefu as a young adult. Stacey Leilua, Joseph Lee Anderson and Ana Tuisila will also appear in the show created by Nahnatchka Khan and Johnson. Production of the series wrapped in November 2020 in Australia.