60. “Dexter” (Showtime)
Derided as having one of the worst series finales of all time since it dropped Dexter Morgan in the woods way back in 2013, Showtime’s “Dexter” will return in 2021 to correct the public record. A 10-episode reboot season will go into production in early 2021 with a plan to air by the end of the year. If you don’t remember, “Dexter” stars Michael C. Hall as a blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department who also happens to be a serial killer with a strict moral code. Like a lot of Showtime series, “Dexter” started strongly but fell apart as the writers ran out of ideas. Maybe they came up with better ones in the last eight years? Hall will return, as will showrunner Clyde Phillips. The good news there is that Phillips was the showrunner on seasons 1-4 and left after the beginning of season 5. Those first four years were markedly better. Maybe Dexter Morgan will finally get the send-off he deserves.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – Brian Tallerico
59. Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” (HBO Max)
Well… it’s actually happening. After a completely normal fan campaign that housed zero vitriol, which totally did not hire an airplane to fly over SDCC in 2019, Zack Snyder’s 4-hour “Snyder Cut” of “Justice League” is coming to HBO Max in the form of a miniseries. The DCEU’s failed intended equivalent to “The Avengers” was a disaster for many reasons, chiefly among them, the fact that it was released as a patched-together sense of studio obligation so that certain execs didn’t have to sacrifice their bonuses. It also hardly featured Henry Cavill’s Superman (kind of an important part of a “Justice League” story, no?), partly due to the previous film killing him off, and partly due to CGI mustache removal. With the Streaming Wars underway, WB desperate for content to drive in new subscribers, the studio is spending a reported $70 million to release Snyder’s vision – allegedly only amounting to a few minutes of newly shot material. If nothing else, hopefully, the 4-episode version will at least make for a watchable narrative compared to 2017’s trainwreck.
Airdate: Spring 2021 and rumored to hit in March. – AB
58. “DMZ” (HBO Max)
A John Carpenter movie like “Escape from New York” with a journalistic bend, “DMZ,” is set after a Second American Civil War results in Manhattan being transformed into a demilitarized zone (a DMZ), New York’s high-rise isle all but abandoned save the poverty-stricken whom the government leaves to rot in the streets. The story follows a reporter dropped in after the war, meeting characters that range from military leaders to street artists. Though the comic is quite a long series, Robert Patino (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) have opted to adapt the story for HBO Max as a miniseries (possibly because the creator of the comic was recently #MeToo’d, to be frank), changing the lead role of a male journalist into a female medic (played by Rosario Dawson). The prescience and power of the material are undeniable, and clearly, the show (which also stars Benjamin Bratt and Hoon Lee) is aiming for stronger POC representation, but it’s a tad strange that DuVernay’s attached herself to a project rooted in a bit of cultural controversy.
Airdate: TBD 2021. – AB
57. “Pieces of Her” (Netflix)
“Pieces of Her” is boosted by a pedigree that many TV vets would kill for (“Better Call Saul” vet Minkie Spiro will direct the entire first season, while “Homeland’s” Charlotte Stoudt will serve as showrunner), but even without those credentials, this is one juicy-sounding premise. Bella Heathcote will star in this adaptation of Karin Slaughter’s novel, playing a young woman who almost becomes the victim of a mass shooting, only to see her mother (the great Toni Collette) dispatch the attacker just a little too swiftly. The study of an act of brutality that leads to a family’s psychological unraveling undeniably begs comparison to David Cronenberg’s thematically analogous “A History of Violence,” but with a cast this superb, the pleasurably grim-sounding “Pieces of Her” promises to be very much its own thing.
Airdate: TBD, although production is scheduled to continue in January, 2021. – NL
56. “Hawkeye” (Disney+)
The superhero invasion on TV begins next year with six Marvel shows and at least two DCEU ones (not counting all the CW crap). Hawkeye focuses on the titular archer, but it definitely looks like a handoff/mentor story from the comics: Clint Barton aka Hawkeye retires and passes the torch to a young protege named Kate Bishop (the only recently-confirmed Hailee Steinfeld). Joining Jeremy Renner and Steinfeld in the cast are Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, and newcomer Alaqua Cox who will star as the hero known as Echo. Helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie, will “Hawkeye” be bold enough to confront the fact that Barton became the ruthless murderer Ronin in “Avengers: Endgame?” (And maybe morally and ethically, that’s about as good as any reason for a superhero to retire?)
Airdate: Kevin Feige confirmed the series for late 2021 at the Disney Investor’s Day. – RP
55. “Ms. Marvel” (Disney+)
Marvel already has an interconnected MCU, but heightened interconnectivity is going to be the name of the game for the slate of upcoming Marvel TV coming to Disney+ next year. “Ms. Marvel,” for example, is about young Jersey City-bound Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan (newcomer Iman Vellani) grappling with the things that most teens do. But she’s also something of a superfan of “Captain Marvel.” So, it’s a show that will lead into “Captain Marvel 2,” but also sounds like a coming of age series first and foremost. The hope is, sure, have your universe connections, but hopefully, it doesn’t overshadow the whole show. The entire cast has been revealed and there’s not one “name” actor in it really, so it seems like Marvel has a lot of faith in this character and her universal struggles, which is honestly a good sign.
Airdate: Marvel said this one is set for “late 2021.” – RP
54. “The Mandalorian” Season 3 (Disney+)
With Disney’s sequel trilogy now complete (despite all the roadblocks and fan controversy), showrunner Jon Favreau’s Saturday Morning Cartoon crossed with “Lone Wolf and Cub” continues to usher in the next era of everyone’s favorite Galaxy Far, Far Away. In its first season, expanding the lore took a backseat to the alien that took Christmas 2019 by storm: Baby Yoda; the second volume of the series is taking an “Iron Man 2”-like approach, incorporating an assortment of characters into the franchise’s overarching narrative – tapping into Favreau’s already proven to be successful Marvel method. With the inclusion of fan favorites such as Bo Katan (Katee Sackhoff), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), and Rosario Dawson’s live-action rendering of Ahsoka Tano, like Favreau’s MCU films, “The Mandalorian” seems to be as much about setting up players for spin-off properties as it is developing Pedro Pascal’s internal psyche. Expect Season 3 of the “Star Wars” series to add even more layers to the expansive universe. After all, this is the Disney way.
Airdate: Christmas 2021 –AB
53. “Dopesick” (Hulu)
Danny Strong is perhaps known best for his talents dramatizing America’s not-so-distant political history (i.e. “Recount,” or “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”), but some TV buffs likely either see him as the damaged kid from “Buffy” or the callow copywriter Don Draper stole a cereal ad idea from. Either way, he is a talented storyteller. Strong’s newest project, “Dopesick” sounds right up his alley, teaming with director Barry Levinson to adapt Beth Macy’s acclaimed non-fiction book on the epicenter of the U.S. of A’s opioid addiction crisis. Starring Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter, and Rosario Dawson, Hulu’s miniseries follows in the footsteps of other drug-trade shows such as “Hightown,” likely attempting to take advantage of “Breaking Bad’s” huge success. With Strong behind the show though, we can possibly expect the kind of suit-and-tie thriller that may have no business being as tense as a crime series, but manages to compel through its far-reaching societal implications.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
52. “Foundation” (Apple TV+)
Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” trilogy changed the course of a new genre in flux. Aiming to predict social patterns of the future through a process the author dubs “psychohistory” (a mathematical science rooted in real-world theories), “Foundation” foresees thousands of years of intergalactic developments and the rise and fall of whole empires. Writers David S. Goyer (“The Dark Knight” Trilogy) and Josh Friedman (“Snowpiercer,” the series) have been developing the project for some time. Starring Jared Harris (“Mad Men,” “Chernobyl”) as psychohistorian Hari Seldon, and Lee Pace (“Halt and Catch Fire”) as Brother Day, Emperor of the Galaxy, “Foundation” is a major investment for the streaming service. Hollywood doesn’t have a history of being particularly faithful to Asimov’s works (see: “I, Robot”) but the narrative potential for a prestige IP property is certainly there.
Airdate: TBD 2021. – AB
51. “Marvel’s What If…?” (Disney+)
It was only a matter of time before Marvel entered the anthology game. Part of Disney’s upcoming Phase 4 plans, “What If…” is the brand’s first stab at animated storytelling, industry veteran Stephan Franck, serving as head of animation. Based on the comic series which posits various alternate takes on classic story arcs, often reinterpreting the characters in major ways (for example: “What if… Hulk Always Had Bruce Banner’s Brain?”) Jeffrey Wright will be the connective tissue of the show, playing the fan-favorite character of Uatu, aka The Watcher – a bald, all-seeing cosmic being, who actually appeared alongside Stan Lee in the second “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Already confirmed to assemble the voice talents of Kevin Feige’s epic ensemble – reportedly including Chadwick Boseman (RIP) – the scattershot aspect of the conceit could make for a refreshing change of pace for the formulaic franchise, hopefully utilizing the title to its full potential, and maybe helping revitalize episodic TV narratives.
Airdate: Summer 2021 – AB
