Despite the use of streaming services hitting an all-time high last year, coronavirus-related delays robbed us of many of 2020’s most highly anticipated TV shows.
But as tumbleweeds continue to blow through much of Hollywood, there are still plenty of upcoming new releases to look forward to this year.
The theme for 2021 is reboots and spin-offs, and if you’re a Marvel fan you moight want to quit your job and nestle into the couch because you won’t have time to do anything other than binge these new shows.
Marvel is going hard in the comic-book-turned-TV-series department and have eight new shows in the pipeline, including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, Ms Marvel, Helstrom, Most Wanted and Hawkeye.
But if live-action comics aren’t your thing, maybe the long-rumoured Friends reunion will get you going.
Friends reunion special
Friends fanatics have been dreaming and wishing for this moment since the iconic sitcom left our screens in May 2004, and now it’s almost here.
The reunion special was announced in 2020 and sent the internet into overdrive, but little else has been revealed since then.
All we know is that the main six members will all reprise their roles, and the special will be unscripted.
Could you be any more excited?
If I could wish for one thing in 2021, it would be a friends reunion. pic.twitter.com/yvVaY4Iu0A
— Career Conversations (@careerconversa1) January 2, 2021
Dexter
This dark series was a monstrous hit when it premiered in 2006, but a lacklustre series finale seven years later left fans wanting more.
Clyde Phillips, the series’ showrunner for its first four seasons, has signed back on and will join star Michael C. Hall in the upcoming reboot.
Phillips acknowledged Dexter’s disappointing final episode and said the reboot is “a great opportunity to write a second finale”.
We *know* Dexter is on your #2021Watchlist…let’s just hope you’re not on his 🔪 pic.twitter.com/dqdv0UtKAm
— Dexter on Showtime (@SHO_Dexter) December 30, 2020
American Horror Stories
Between Ratched, Glee, American Crime Story and recent Netflix musical, The Prom, its pretty clear that everything Ryan Murphy touches turns to gold.
This time, instead of returning with another season of American Horror Story, TV’s mastermind creator has announced that season 10 will deliver 16 stand-alone episodes.
Each episode will “delving into horror myths, legends and lore,” and Murphy has confirmed our American Horror Story favourites will all be returning.
Kathy Bates, Macaulay Culkin, Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross and Finn Wittrock have joined the cast of American Horror Story Season 10. #AHSSeason10 #AHS pic.twitter.com/q7SJWyvxkq
— American Horror Story News (@ahsfxnews1) February 26, 2020
Impeachment: American Crime Story
Seriously, everything Ryan Murphy touches turns to gold, including this miniseries.
Murphy is teaming up with longtime collaborator Brad Falchuk for another American Crime Story deep dive into one of the most notorious and salacious cases in US history.
This time around, Falchuk and Murphy are zeroing in on the blue dress that stopped the Western world in the Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton scandal.
The series was originally tipped to drop before 2020’s presidential election, but COVID-19 brought production to a standstill.
Murphy’s muse, Sarah Paulson, will star as Linda Tripp, Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) will play Lewinsky, and Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex) is will portray Paula Jones.
“Impeachment: American Crime Story” is Ryan Murphy’s take on the impeachment (no, not that one, the other one), and it’s one of the shows we can’t wait to see next year.
The Most Anticipated TV of 2020 https://t.co/TnJnvecBFo pic.twitter.com/5hRUl59UBW
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) December 21, 2019
Gossip Girl
Nearly 10 years later, some of us are yet to come to terms with the revelation of the mysterious blogger known as Gossip Girl.
And now, we’re about to be gifted with another opportunity to peak into the lives of Manhattan’s elite.
The Gossip Girl universe is back with a new generation of Upper East Side rich kids following in the footsteps of bombshell besties Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester).
And it seems the creators have noted much of the criticism they encountered the first time around, and will be making concerted efforts to include a more diverse cast.
Who needs to go inside when the art is out on the steps? pic.twitter.com/EUbf6cTtzI
— Gossip Girl (@gossipgirl) December 18, 2020
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
There are two things Emilio Estevez is known for: his memorable dance moves in The Breakfast Club, and the nostalgic early ’90s ice-hockey hit, The Mighty Ducks.
The franchise featuring a rag-tag team of recruits was a worldwide success, and now Estevez is back to reprise his role as Gordon Bombay.
The new series is tipped to land on Disney+ in early 2021, and is sure to get a whole new generation of ducks “quack, quack, quack”-ing.
Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.
Teenage medical genius Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris) took the world by storm more than three decades ago.
Now, a mixed-race Hawaiian girl will give him a run for his money in a new reboot.
Ricky Strauss, president of content and marketing at Disney+ said the series would provide a “very modern take on this beloved property which will resonate with our global Disney+ audience”.
“We can’t wait to introduce the world to the new Doogie.”
