50. “Paper Girls” (Amazon)
An all-girls-club “Stranger Things,” with time-traveling knights riding dinosaurs instead of an upside-down world, “Paper Girls,” is one the most ambitious comics of recent memory – and that’s saying something. Written by the incomparable Brian K. Vaughan (a key writer on Seasons 3-5 of “Lost,” and creator of “Runaways,” “Y: the Last Man,” and several other contemporary geek classics) the recently completed series almost feels like it would play better as an action movie than as a serialized narrative, but that’s partly because the book was deliberately obtuse in its worldbuilding, relying heavily on artist Cliff Chiang’s vibrant visuals as opposed to clear plotting. With the Amazon Prime show being run by “Halt & Catch Fire’s” Christopher C. Rogers and Christopher Cantwell, we anticipate the series might dive deeper into character work and all the paradoxical shenanigans. Akin to something like the twisty time-bender, “Dark,” in today’s TV climate “Paper Girls” is the kind of concept likely to either gain a huge following, or immediately alienate casuals with its esoterically imaginative vision, and we hope it’s the former.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
49. “Peacemaker” (HBO Max)
Ever since James Gunn was announced to be taking the reins of “The Suicide Squad” after the tonal trainwreck that was David Ayer’s misfire, DC fans have been pining for the crass and colorful humor of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” director. Though he praised the cast of Ayer’s previous installment, Gunn has made one thing very clear: don’t get too attached to any one character, being given carte blanche to kill off any figure he wants. But surely that doesn’t include John Cena’s Peacemaker – essentially Captain America if he was a raging douchebag. The show is said to be an origin story, however, which means we might still see the pro-wrestler bite it in the movie, given Gunn’s twisted sense of humor; or maybe nobody will die at all and Gunn is just trolling every person on all possible Earths.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
48. “The Peripheral” (Amazon)
Considering the man predicted a wee little thing we call “cyberspace” way back in 1982, it’s a bit shocking that William Gibson, the father of cyberpunk, has yet to see one of his major works adapted successfully. But Amazon Prime has tapped in “Westworld” scribes Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy to bring one of his more recent sci-fi projects, “The Peripheral,” to life. Taking place in two alternate futures: one a rural-noirish “Winter’s Bone”-landscape run by drug trades and big box industries, the other, a close to apocalyptic world overseen by a ruling class of gangsters. Speculating on the further possibilities of innovations such as 3-D printing, Gibson’s revolutionary writings have already left an invisible mark on almost the entirety of the genre, with movies such as “The Matrix,” probably never coming to fruition without his prophetic ruminations on the age of information.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
47. “The Sandman” (Netflix)
There is an endless number of reasons why Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” is hailed as one of the greatest comics of all time. The series is a sprawling gothic fantasy on the history of storytelling mythology – a couple of its most famous issues circling figures such as Orpheus and William Shakespeare. People have long attempted to adapt Gaiman’s masterwork; Netflix’s screen translation is being developed by Gaiman, Allan Heinberg (“Wonder Woman”), and David S. Goyer (“The Dark Knight”), none of whom are strangers to the world of comics (and Goyer was behind a failed DC Films version starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt several years back). Given the timeless strength of the source material, the show could be a smash hit, but, to play devil’s advocate, there’s also a strong argument to be made that ‘Sandman’ is fairly close to unadaptable; but, hey, people made that same statement about “Lord of the Rings” 40 years ago, didn’t they?
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
46. “Sweet Tooth” (Netflix)
So far as Gus knows, he’s just a 9-year-old boy who lives in the woods, the only difference is he has antlers. Unbeknownst to the animal-human hybrid who loves candy bars, billions were wiped out years ago by a virus known as the Affliction (hmm…); afterward, humans stopped being born. Now, Gus’ kind are hunted by the drifters that remain, determined to discover why these new cross-species seemingly brought about the end of the world. Gus (Christian Convery) knows none of this until forced to flee his childhood home, taken under the grisly arm of a man named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). Based on the comic by acclaimed creator Jeff Lemire (who’s also had several other titles optioned as TV series), “Sweet Tooth,” is like a humanistic fantasy take on Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” mixed with some “Mad Max” and “Twin Peaks,” as well. Having finished its initial run years ago, the comic was recently brought back, subtitled “The Return,” a clear nod to David Lynch’s show, opening up a world of possibilities for showrunner Jim Mickle and co. Will Forte co-stars and Robert Downey Jr.’s company produces.
Airdate: 2021 TBD – AB
45. “Inventing Anna” (Netflix)
We are interested in any project starring Julie Garner, who gave a truly amazing breakout performance in Kitty Green’s “The Assistant,” and is now set to play Anna Delvey in Netflix’s Shondaland miniseries, “Inventing Anna.” Based on Jessica Bressler’s magazine article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” the real-life story adapting material from the same journalist who wrote the article “Hustlers,” was inspired by. The true story of a Russian scammer who posed as a wealthy heiress while ingratiating herself into high-rise champagne circles, later being convicted for fraud and grand larceny. Shonda Rhimes‘ scandalous project is the kind of TV show that has watercooler awards potential written all over it, especially with Garner recently finding the spotlight.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
44. “The Afterparty” (AppleTV)
Apple TV+ is still searching for that breakout TV hit, something to match what “The Mandalorian” did for Disney+ and what “House of Cards” did for Netflix way back in the day (although people sure do love that charmer “Ted Lasso”). Maybe that will be “The Afterparty,” a new series from Academy Award winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Announced this summer with a straight-to-series order, “The Afterparty” is a murder mystery comedy that just happens to take place after a high school reunion, recounting the events of the night from a different perspective each episode. Apple TV+ unveiled the cast last month, and it’s a stunner, including great comedic talents like Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer, Dave Franco, John Early, and more. It’s an eight-episode series that feels likely to be one of the funniest and most unusual of 2021.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – BT
43. “Severance” (Apple TV+)
The last time that Patricia Arquette worked with Ben Stiller, it produced the award-winning “Escape at Dannemora,” which the comedy actor directed. The pair are reuniting in the same roles of star and director for Apple TV+’s futuristic thriller “Severance,” which co-stars Adam Scott, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken. When they were putting their streaming service together and trying to gather as much high-profile talent as possible, Apple ordered this project straight to series with Stiller and Scott on board from the beginning. Casting continued through 2020 and there were stories that it was filming under pandemic precautions in New York City in October under the working title “Tumwater.” So what is it? It’s hard to say but imagine a future in which work life and home life could be entirely distinct, even down to your memories. It sounds a little like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” with a capitalist twist.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – BT
42. “The Power” (Amazon)
Created for Amazon by Naomi Alderman, “The Power” is based on her award-winning 2017 science-fiction novel of the same name (Obama named “The Power” one of his favorite books of that year). About a group of teenage girls who mysteriously develop a special power that allows them to electrocute people at will, all ten episodes of this series will be directed by Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” 2020’s “The Rhythm Section”). It will star Leslie Mann, in her first regular TV role and will play Margot Cleary-Lopez, a longtime politician and current mayor of Seattle. After spending her whole career in a man’s world, Mann’s character will now have to reckon with the newfound superpower of teenage girls everywhere.
Airdate: TBD 2021. – RP
41. “Clarice” (CBS)
After the runaway cult success of Bryan Fuller’s batty, rococo “Hannibal,” which explored, in gruesome detail, the nefarious doings of everyone’s favorite people-eater, Hannibal Lecter, you’d think that the general public might be tired of this story. Of course, Lecter is one of 20th-century pop culture’s great villains, meaning that there will always be more story to tell. Alas, in case the title didn’t tip you off, “Clarice” isn’t Hannibal Lecter’s story; in fact, it has been said that the character may not even appear in this promising-sounding new crime drama. “Clarice” unfolds a year after the events of Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of The Lambs,” following hard-nosed FBI agent Clarice Starling as she wades through a sea of deviants, predators, and larger-than-life villains in the nation’s capital. A more female-focused take on this mythology honestly sounds refreshing, particularly considering what a courageous and enduring character Starling has proven to be in Thomas Harris’ books.
Airdate: February 11, 2021. – NL
40. “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Hulu)
Reuniting with the scandalous novelist behind “Big Little Lies,” Liane Moriarty, David E. Kelley is also bringing her 2018 book “Nine Perfect Strangers” to whichever screen you prefer to stream your TV content on these days. The Agatha Christie-esque set-up finds 9 Australians from completely different backgrounds meeting at an expensive “Mind and Body Total Transformation Retreat,”, at a mysterious residence called the Tranquilium House, overseen by a Russian benefactor named Masha (Nicole Kidman). Kelley’s take on the popular material is being directed by Jonathan Levine (“50/50”), a trusty filmmaking hand, and released by Hulu as opposed to HBO this time, the hotly anticipated adaptation having just as insane a cast as their original hit miniseries. Working again with Kidman, the creative pair’s latest screen translation also stars Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale, and more.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
39. “The Gilded Age” (HBO)
One of the biggest productions in the world to go in front of the cameras during the age of COVID has been HBO’s lavish period piece with an incredible ensemble. Created by Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”) the historical drama was set up at NBC back in 2018 but has changed shape over the years and moved to HBO. It tells the story of New York City wealth in the 1880s and features Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Taissa Farmiga, Audra McDonald, and Morgan Spector. The project has actually been in the pipeline since the early ‘10s when it was originally presented as something of a prequel to “Downton Abbey.” Fellowes said of the project in 2016, “These people were extraordinary. You can see why they frightened the old guard, because they saw no boundaries. They wanted to build a palace, they built a palace. They wanted to buy a yacht, they bought a yacht. And the old guard in New York weren’t like that at all, and suddenly this whirlwind of couture descended on their heads. They redesigned being rich.” Everyone knows how much TV viewers love to watch the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – BT
38. “Station Eleven” (HBO Max)
Cinematographer turned-filmmaker, Hiro Murai has been directing exciting television for several years now, but his career really took off when his creative partnership with Donald Glover began (he helmed much of FX’s “Atlanta” series, and several Childish Gambino videos, including This Is America). After releasing his feature debut at Coachella last year, “Guava Island,” Murai is set to helm HBO’s miniseries “Station Eleven,” based on Emily St. John Mandel’s acclaimed novel, exploring the before and after of a fictional pandemic that wipes out almost the entire population of the planet as we know it (relevant much?). Starring Mackenzie Davis (“Blade Runner: 2049”), Himesh Patel (“Tenet”), and Gael García Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle”), “Station Eleven” should have a lot of eyes on it, and is definitely anticipated by those that adore the talents Murai displayed on “Atlanta.”
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
37. “Cowboy Bebop” (Netflix)
Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of “Cowboy Bebop” caught people’s attention when John Cho was cast in the fan-favorite role of Spike Spiegel – whose “too cool for school” attitude Rian Johnson partly based “Brick’s” high school P.I. Brendan Frye (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) off of. A true genre hybrid in every sense of the term, ‘Bebop’ follows a Spike’s small crew of bounty hunters (aka Cowboys), predating “Firefly” as a cosmic western by about a half-decade – combining elements of space opera, film noir, and cyberpunk, before doing so became clichély commonplace. Deservedly, the show is consistently viewed as a masterpiece of animation. In some ways, that begs the question why even make a live-action series? But with Cho at the lead, the series recently filling out its cast with a diverse group of Asian American actors, and anime director Shinichirō Watanabe onboard, “Cowboy Bebop” could end up being a huge sci-fi hit for the streaming service, with Western subscribers left cold by something like the recently canceled “Altered Carbon” being its target audience outside fans of the original show.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – AB
36. “Clickbait” (Netflix)
The next series to tackle the topic of paranoia in the social media age is “Clickbait,” a neat-sounding thriller that takes a look at the dark side of social media culture, mostly relating to the gulf that exists between our real selves and online selves. The show, which recently resumed filming this past November after pandemic-related complications forced the crew to shut down production, features an enviable ensemble that includes the great Zoe Kazan, “Upgrade” standout Betty Gabriel, and the erstwhile Vinny Chase, Adrian Grenier.
Airdate: It’s tough to say, but since this is one of those shows whose schedule was disrupted by COVID-19, we’d say either fall or winter of next year. – NL
35. “Brand New Cherry Flavor” (Netflix)
Rosa Salazar is a star we should all be keeping our eye on: she anchored the more unwound passages of Amazon’s magnificently trippy “Undone,” and the young actress basically steals all her scenes in the 2021’s upcoming, excellent coming-of-age comedy “Pink Skies Ahead.” Lucky for us, Salazar is front and center in this new, Netflix-distributed adaptation of the cult horror book by author Todd Grimson; if nothing else, this new adaptation sounds like a genuine, no-gimmicks oddity. Salazar will play Lisa, “an aspiring film director in the sun-drenched but seamy world of 1990 Los Angeles who embarks on a mind-altering journey — from the streets of Beverly Hills to the forests of Brazil — of supernatural revenge.” Joining her in the first season will be Catherine Keener, “The Good Place’s” resident meathead Manny Jacinto, and “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s” own Deke Shaw, Jeff Ward, among others.
Airdate: TBD 2021. – NL
34. “WandaVision” (Disney+)
All signs—including rumors, trailer evidence, interviews, and more—point to “WandaVision” veering slightly outside of Marvel mold and therefore perhaps holding some value outside of being yet another chapter in this neverending superhero saga. The show, which is also meant to lead into the events of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” looks like part 1950s sitcom with a darker edge and presumably that’ll be revealed later (“House of M” storyline anyone?). Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are obviously reprising their roles as Wanda Maximoff and Vision, but we’re more excited about the supporting players. Randall Park and Kat Dennings reprise their roles from previous MCU films, and Kathryn Hahn (coming off a great performance in HBO’s “Mrs. Fletcher”) makes her government-mandated MCU debut.
Airdate: January 15, 2021. – RP
33. Untitled Lakers Project (HBO)
Based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman, this HBO mini-series written by Max Borenstein (“The Terror: Infamy”) and produced by Adam McKay, who helmed the first episode of a little show for the network called “Succession.” The project about the killer L.A. Lakers teams of the ‘80s has been in the pipeline since long before the pandemic, and reportedly includes Jason Clarke as Jerry West, John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, and Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A sports show that’s also about the business side of a team that became one of the most popular in the world could feel like nothing else on TV. Sadly, there have not been many recent updates on this one, and it could be tough to get the cast back together post-pandemic in exactly the same way. It doesn’t even have a title yet. So while it could get it together soon and pop in the next 12 months, don’t be surprised if this is on this same list a year from now too.
Airdate: TBD 2021 – BT
32. “MacGruber” (Peacock)
Why did this take so long? The character that Will Forte hysterically developed on “Saturday Night Live” hasn’t been seen since the 2010 release of the feature film “MacGruber.” While the movie kind of tanked at the box office, it almost instantly developed a loyal cult following on DVD, and fans clamored for a sequel, which the team has been teasing for years. Well, they’re getting something better in this spin-off TV series being produced exclusively for NBC’s streaming service, Peacock. Announced as being developed in January, Peacock confirmed the series order in August, and announced it would drop sometime in 2021. That’s pretty much all that’s known at this point. MacGruber is back and Will Forte is playing him. What else do you really need to know? How about the official description from the press release, which absolutely rules: “After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Will Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth. With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must race against time to defeat the forces of evil – only to find that evil… may be lurking within.”
Airdate: TBD 2021 – BT
31. “Stranger Things” Season 4 (Netflix)
Netflix’s biggest cash-cow, the sci-fi, coming of age, ‘80s referencing pastiche show finally returns in 2021. The series had already filmed two full episodes of the fourth season of Netflix’s biggest hit when the pandemic forced a shutdown. But before the year was done, Netflix released a little teaser revealing Hopper (David Harbour) actually survived the fantastical events of Season 3 (surprise, surprise). The entire big ensemble returns, Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, plus newcomers Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, and Joseph Quinn.
Airdate: “Stranger Things” is very likely finished by now and Netflix love to launch it as a big summer player, so look for that time frame.
