New British TV Series for 2023: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Prime Video, BritBox
Here are the brand new British TV dramas and comedies coming our way in 2023 and beyond.
By Louisa Mellor, Laura Vickers-Green|January 5, 2023
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In any given year, British TV can be relied on to provide plenty in the way of crime drama, and 2023 is no different. Between these returning series and newcomers A Town Called Malice, Blue Lights, Marlow, Payback, Rebus, Steeltown Murders, The Gold, The Sixth Commandment, Wolf and more, crime continues to flourish on the small screen.
Happily though, that’s far from all that UK TV will offer this year. There’s fantasy too, in the form of Netflix’s South London super-powers drama Midtown (formerly known as Supacell), ghost detective series Lockwood & Co., Greek and Roman mythology series Kaos, and the long-awaited screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys. And sci-fi in Prime Video’s The Rig.Skip in 5s
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Add to all those the romances, dramas inspired by real-life, and several other book adaptations, period and otherwise (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Great Expectations, Funny Woman, Tom Jones, The Gallows Pole, The Winter King, Wahala…) plus music-based dramas Champion and This Town, and it’s a pretty full slate.
We’ll update this list as new British shows are commissioned and more details, including release dates, arrive.
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JANUARY
Stonehouse
Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen and Crossfire‘s Keeley Hawes star in this three-part ITV drama, based on a real-life political scandal. Macfadyen plays disgraced Labour MP John Stonehouse, with Hawes as his wife Barbara, in this 1970s-set story about the MP’s attempt to fake his own death following the revelation of personal scandals. The script comes from John Preston, the journalist behind the book on which the BBC’s A Very English Scandal was based, with direction from Stan and Ollie director Jon S. Baird. It aired between Monday 2nd and Wednesday 4th of January on ITV and is now available to stream on ITVX.
The Light in the Hall
Written by Murdered By My Boyfriend‘s Regina Moriarty, this six-part psychological thriller for S4C and Channel 4 is about a journalist obsessed by the murder of a woman from her own home town. They were both once part of the same friendship group but fell out as teenagers. Like huge Welsh hit Keeping Faith, it’s a bilingual drama filmed and broadcast in both Welsh (as Y Golau) and English. The cast is great, with Utopia‘s Alexandra Roach and Game of Thrones‘ Iwan Rheon alongside The Thick of It‘s Joanna Scanlan. It aired in English two episodes a week in January on Channel 4 and All4.
The Rig
This six-episode supernatural/sci-fi thriller landed on Prime Video on Friday the 6th of January. It’s set aboard a Scottish oil rig which is thrown into chaos after a power-out and tremor are followed by a mysterious enveloping mist trapping everybody on board. Have they dug too deep? The script comes from newcomer David McPherson, with a cast including Line of Duty‘s Martin Compston, Game of Thrones‘ Iain Glen and Owen Teale, and Schitt’s Creek‘s Emily Hampshire. If you’ve already binged, here’s a spoiler-filled ending exploration.
Lockwood & Co.
All eight episodes of this fun supernatural detective thriller romp arrived on Netflix on Friday the 27th of January. It’s adapted from Jonathan Stroud’s YA novel of the same name, and follows a maverick ghost-hunting detective agency run by teenagers investigating a far-reaching mystery. Attack the Block and The Kid Who Would Be King‘s Joe Cornish has adapted the novel for screen and directs.
FEBRUARY
Nolly
Before we see Russell T Davies return as Doctor Who showrunner for the show’s 60th anniversary this November, ITVX (and later ITV) has a three-part drama to air from the screenwriter. It stars The Crown‘s Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads actor Noele Gordon, whose unceremonious sacking after years on the popular soap is the meat of this drama. Joining Bonham Carter in the cast are Mark Gatiss, Con O’Neill, Augustus Prew and more. It arrived on ITVX on 2nd February.
Funny Woman
Comedian and writer Morwenna Banks has adapted Nick Hornby’s Funny Girl novel into this six-part Sky Comedy series starring Gemma Arterton, Rupert Everett and David Threlfall. Arterton plays Barbara Parker, who’s crowned Miss Blackpool in a 1960s beauty contest before moving to London to pursue her dream of becoming a comic. It arrived on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW on the 9th of February.
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The Gold
The infamous 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery was dramatised by Guilt writer Neil Forsyth for this BBC drama starring Preacher‘s Dominic Cooper and Paddington‘s Hugh Bonneville, alongside Jack Lowden, Charlotte Spencer and Tom Cullen. This gripping true-crime plot arrived on BBC One on Sunday the 12th of February, and is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer. If you’ve binged the lot, find out what happened next to its key players.Join our mailing list
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MARCH
A Town Called Malice
This Sky Original drama is from Bulletproof and The Sweeney‘s Nick Love. A Town Called Malice, with a title inspired by The Jam song of the same name, is a crime drama and family saga set in the 1980s Costa del Sol, following a criminal family who decamp from London to Spain when some money comes their way, and the law comes sniffing after them. It’s a great cast, including Jason Flemyng, Dougray Scott, Tahirah Sharif, Jack Rowan, Martha Plimpton and Eliza Butterworth. Watch it on Sky Max and NOW from March 16th.
Blue Lights
From the writers of The Salisbury Poisonings, this original BBC One drama follows three rookie police officers working under extraordinary pressure in Belfast. They are Grace, a woman in her 40s who leaves social work to retrain as a police officer; Annie, who struggles with having to leave her old life behind; and Tommy, who proves disastrously inept at frontline policing. Filming began in February 2022 in Belfast on the series, which stars Siân Brooke, Richard Dormer, Nathan Braniff, Katherine Devlin and more. The exact March release date is still tbc.
Great Expectations
From the writer and production team that brought us A Christmas Carol starring Guy Pearce comes Steven Knight’s second Dickens adaptation for the BBC Great Expectations. This one has a similarly starry cast, with Olivia Colman in the role of Miss Havisham (played most recently on screen by Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter), and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch‘s Fionn Whitehead as Pip, plus Hayley Squires, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Ashely Thomas, Trystan Gravelle, Owen McDonnell and – joy of joys! – Matt Berry. Lucy Forbes directs. It will arrive on BBC One on Sunday 26th March.
Phoenix Rise
This coming-of-age drama follows six students who find themselves returning to school after being excluded, and form an unlikely friendship group as outsiders with an indomitable will to succeed. Phoenix Rise‘s young cast of newcomers includes Lauren Corah, Alex Draper, Jayden Hanley, Krish Bassi, Tara Webb and Imogen Baker, and the series will begin airing on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from Friday 24th March.
Six Four
Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd and Sherlock‘s Vinette Robinson star in ITVX’s new crime drama Six Four, a four-part series inspired by Hideo Yokoyama’s novel of the same name. McKidd and Robinson play Chris and Michelle, two parents and police detectives whose teenager daughter has gone missing, and who are going to any means necessary to find her. While searching, they also uncover police corruption and long-held secrets surrounding an infamous similar unsolved disappearance. And then a third girl, this time the daughter of a prominent judge, also goes missing. Six Four starts streaming on ITVX on 30th March.
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APRIL
The Hunt for Raoul Moat
Arguably one of the UK’s most infamous killer rampages, Raoul Moat’s shooting spree in Northumberland and the country’s biggest ever manhunt to capture him had everyone glued to the news back in 2010. Now the upcoming ITV drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which stars Lee Ingleby (The A-Word) and Bodyguard actor Matt Stokoe, will focus on the stories of Moat’s innocent victims and the people trying to bring him to justice. It will be air on ITV1 from Sunday 16th April.
Malpractice
ITV’s latest thriller sees Dr Lucinda Edwards (Niamh Algar, Suspect) face a nightmare shift that ends in the death of an opioid overdose victim, leading to an intense malpractice investigation, and as the pressure rises we soon see signs that Lucinda might be hiding something. Also starring Lorne MacFadyen (Vigil) and Scott Chambers (Innocent), the series will debut on ITV1 on Sunday 23rd April.
Rain Dogs
Written by new screenwriter Cash Carraway, whose memoir Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty, Motherhood and Survival made waves on publication in 2019, this eight-episode blackly comedic drama is coming to BBC One and iPlayer. It stars This Country‘s Daisy May Cooper as Costello Jones, with young Fleur Tashjian as her daughter Iris, and tells a story of maternal love, enduring friendships, poverty and prejudice. Poldark‘s Jack Farthing co-stars along with Doctor Who‘s Ronke Adékoluẹjo. Filming took place in 2022 in Bristol, and the show premiered on BBC One on 4th April.
MAY
Tom Jones
Henry Fielding’s 18th century novel has had a fresh update courtesy of Vanity Fair screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes. With a cast including Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham and leads Solly McLeod and Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me), this period romp tells the comedic story of its titular foundling’s adventures in life and love. The three-part series is coming to ITVX on 4th May.
Maryland
BAFTA-winning Surannne Jones (Vigil) has co-created this three-part drama about two estranged sisters who – after the body of their mother is found on a beach – find themselves confined on the Isle of Man unable to escape the consequences of her secrets and lies. Jones stars alongside Hugh Quarshie (Riches), Eve Best (House of the Dragon) and The West Wing‘s Stockard Channing. Maryland is due to arrive on ITVX in late May.
Steeltown Murders
This four-part series from the writer of Manhunt and Safe House is a dual-chronology story set in 1973 and the early 2000s, about the real-life hunt to catch a serial killer in the Port Talbot area of Wales. Philip Glenister and Steffan Rhodri lead the cast as detectives investigating the killings using pioneering DNA evidence, alongside Keith Allen, Matthew Gravelle and more. Steeltown Murders will launch on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 15 May, with all episodes then available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Ten Pound Poms
Named after the cheap tickets British citizens bought to escape post-war Britain for a new life in Australia, Ten Pound Poms is a forthcoming BBC drama starring Michelle Keegan, Faye Marsay and Warren Brown. It’s scripted by Brassic‘s Danny Brocklehurst and will also air as a Stan Original Series in Australia. The story’s about a group of Brits who emigrate in 1956 to start afresh in a new country. Ten Pound Poms will be released on BBC One on Sunday 14th May.
Without Sin
Line of Duty‘s Vicky McClure stars in this twisty, gripping crime thriller about a mother who is so desperate to find out the truth about her daughter’s death that she befriends the man who is currently in prison for her murder. The series originally aired on ITVX in late December 2022 but will arrive on ITV on Monday 15th May at 9pm – read our spoiler-heavy explainer of the ending.
JUNE
The Full Monty
25 years after the hit movie The Full Monty was released – in which a group of six unemployed Sheffield steel-workers put on a strip show – Disney+ is bringing us an eight-part comedy drama following the same men as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield. Returning cast members include Trainspotting‘s Robert Carlyle as Gaz, Game of Thrones‘ Mark Addy as Dave, and Batman Begins‘ Tom Wilkinson as Gerald, plus Lesley Sharp (Scott and Bailey), Hugo Speer (Shadow and Bone), Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses), Steve Huison (The Royle Family) and Wim Snape (Gentleman Jack). The series will explore what happened to the group in the years after their strip show, exploring their brighter, sillier and more desperate moments. The Full Monty is released on Disney+ in June.
Hijack
Idris Elba is both the star and Executive Producer of Hijack, AppleTV’s tense new seven-part thriller about a hijacked plane making its way to London. Elba plays Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who tries to use his skills to save the lives of the passengers, alongside The Good Wife‘s Archie Panjabi Zahra Gahfoor playing a counterterrorism officer who is trying to investigate the hijacking on the ground. While this is technically a US production, other British talent in the cast include Torchwood‘s Eve Myles, Jamestown‘s Max Beesley and This England‘s Aimée Kelly. Hijack premiers on AppleTV on 28th June.
ITVX series coming to ITV1
Two critically-acclaimed dramas which originally previewed on ITVX in late 2022 are being broadcast on ITV1 in June:
Litvinenko is a four-part true crime drama starring David Tennant as the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, whose infamous death by plutonium poisoning back in 2006 kick-started one of the Met Police’s most complex and dangerous investigations.
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Riches is a glamorous, high-stakes family drama which focuses on the exploits of the super-wealthy Richards family. The impressive cast includes Hugh Quarshie (Holby City), Ted Lasso’s Sarah Niles, Cold Feet’s Hermione Norris and Downton Abbey’s Brendan Coyle.
RELEASE DATES TBC
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Holly Jackson’s bestselling novel is being adapted into a six-part drama for the BBC. The teen thriller will be written for screen by Poppy Cogan, the screenwriter behind BBC Three’s Red Rose, and will tell the story of Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a smart and slightly square heroine on a mission to uncover the killer of schoolgirl Andie Bell. Casting is tba.
Anansi Boys
Hot on the heels of the surprise Good Omens Series 2 announcement came the news that Prime Video would also be bringing Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys to the screen. Filming wrapped in Scotland back in May 2022, but this story’s folkloric fantasy elements and twin-leads-played-by-the-same-character conceit mean post-production is intense. A modern-set story incorporating characters from West African myth, it’s the tale of Charlie Nancy and his brother Spider, both played by Malachi Kirby, and the aftermath of their deity father Anansi’s death. Think spectacle, story and surprises.
Best Interests
Jack Thorne, the busiest screenwriter in the UK and lead writer on His Dark Materials, returns to the BBC with a new original four-part drama partly inspired by the real-life Charlie Gard case. It’s about a young child with a life-threatening condition whose medical team judge it in her best interests that she be allowed to die, a decision her family can’t support and fight every step of the way. The commission was announced in July 2019 but the pandemic delayed filming, which began in March 2022 with Michael Sheen and Sharon Horgan in the lead roles.
Blind Spot
Eastenders legend Ross Kemp is returning to acting after 15 years to star as police detective Tony Warden alongside newcomer Beth Alsbury in this new four-part thriller for Channel 5. Blind Spot tells the story of Hannah, a woman who works monitoring CCTV on a rough estate, who is fight to find a missing woman who disappeared after a violent criminal is seen leading her to a CCTV blind spot. After being dismissed by the decidedly dodgy detective (Kemp), she’ll take matters into her own hands to discover what really happened, putting her own life in danger. The series will also star Sanditon‘s Crystal Clarke, Sue Vincent (Waterloo Road) and Line of Duty‘s Kiran Landa.
Boiling Point
Acclaimed 2021 feature film Boiling Point is being adapted into a five-part television drama for the BBC. Starring Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson, supported by a strong cast (many of which cross over with excellent Sky drama Save Me), it’s set over the course of a single night in an upscale London restaurant where the head chef is struggling to stay above water in the face of personal demons, terrible guests, a smarmy mentor and more. Tense, captivating and certain to make you want to tip generously.
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Champion
From Candice Carty-Williams, writer of 2019 hit novel Queenie, comes a series celebrating contemporary Black British music. Champion is an eight-episode musical drama about a highly personal rap battle between a South London brother and sister, former rap sensation and ex-con Bosco, and his former PA and younger sister Vita. Which of the Champion siblings will prosper? Top Boy‘s Malcolm Kamulete stars opposite Sherwood‘s Nadine Marshall, Doctor Who‘s Jo Martin and His Dark Materials‘ Ray Fearon, with TV newcomers Déja J Bowens and Ray BLK.
Coming Undone
Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) is set to play the lead role in this forthcoming adaptation of writer Terri White’s powerful memoir. White, a journalist and broadcaster and former editor of Empire Magazine, is adapting her own autobiography, which examines how early childhood trauma and abuse resurfaced in adulthood. His Dark Materials producers Bad Wolf are behind this one.
Eric
From playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan, creator of The Split (pictured above), comes a tense Netflix thriller about a missing boy in 1980s Manhattan. Eric is the story of the missing boy’s father, a puppeteer on a children’s TV show who finds solace in his friendship with the titular Eric, a monster who lives under his son’s bed. Benedict Cumberbatch stars alongside Gaby Hoffmann and McKinley Belcher III. Expect it to be dark, weird and emotional.
Fool Me Once
Harlan Coben is once again adapting one of his novels – this time bestseller Fool Me Once – into a Netflix drama, relocating it from the US to the north-west of England. Michelle Keegan (Our Girl) will play a woman coming to terms with the brutal murder of her husband (Richard Armitage, The Stranger) only to get the shock of her life when she spots him seemingly alive and well on her daughter’s nanny cam. Sweet Tooth‘s Adeel Akhtar plays the lead detective on Joe’s murder (with secrets of his own, of course) and national treasure Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) will play Joe’s protective mother. Filming is currently underway in Manchester.
Grenfell
Six years after the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 72 lives, the BBC has confirmed their plans to air a three-part factual drama drawing on extensive research, which will tell the story of the events leading up to, during and after the devastating tragedy. It’s being written and directed by BAFTA-winning Peter Kosminsky (Wolf Hall) and will cover the story from multiple perspectives, including victims, survivors, the firefighters on duty that night and the wider community. Casting and filming details are yet to be announced.
Grime Kids
This BBC Three coming-of-age drama is set in 2001 and follows a group of five friends as they try not to let first loves, danger and parental disapproval get in the way of their music career. The friends will be played by fresh talent including Shanu Hazzan (EastEnders), Juwon Adedokun (Damilola), Gabriel Robinson (Casualty), Tienne Simon (Silent Witness) and newcomer Yus Jamal Crookes. Described as a ‘love letter to East London’, the show finished filming earlier this year and will arrive on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer later in 2023. Watch the trailer here.
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HMS Murder
If sober, philosophically probing true crime dramas are starting to wear you down, Channel 5 has the answer: Murder She Wrote meets Below Deck is the pitch for this original Channel 5 co-production about a cruise liner cabaret singer thrust back into his former life as a police detective when there’s a murder on board! HMS Murder (working title) sounds like a hoot that will bring together the sun, sea and exotic backdrops of Death in Paradise with a gossip and scandal-tinged murder mystery. Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (pictured above) and Vera‘s Paul Matthew Thompson writes with Shetland and Silent Witness‘ Gordon Anderson directing.
Kaos
New British fantasy series feel like they’re on shaky ground with Netflix following the cancellation of The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, but let’s cross our fingers for this one. Kaos is a genre-straddling series that puts a modern twist on Greek and Roman mythology, it comes from The End of the F***ing World‘s Charlie Covell, and it stars Jeff Goldblum (pictured above in Thor: Ragnorak) as Zeus, so you can’t really say fairer than that.
Kidnapped
This true-crime drama will tell the real-life story of Chloe Ayling, a British model who was abducted in Italy in 2017, but then found herself in the centre of a media storm after being accused of faking her kidnapping. Killing Eve‘s Georgia Lester has written the six-part series using detailed research and interviews – including Ayling’s book, Kidnapped – and will explore her kidnap, the court case that had her captors jailed, and Ayling’s experience of being blamed for her kidnappers’ crimes and disbelieved by the press. Filming will begin later this year.
Lord of The Flies
For the first time ever, William Golding’s iconic 1954 novel Lord of The Flies is being adapted for television, becoming a four-part series for the BBC. National Treasure‘s Jack Thorne will be writing the screenplay, telling the famous story about a group of young boys who find themselves stranded on a tropical island, and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Lost Boys and Fairies
This powerful new BBC drama will follow couple Gabriel and Andy on their journey to adopt their first child, a story inspired by the personal experience of its writer, Daf James. Lost Boys and Fairies will star Sion Daniel Young (Deceit) and Fra Fee (Les Miserables) in the lead roles of Gabriel and Andy, alongside Elizabeth Berrington (The Pact), Sharon D. Clarke (Doctor Who) and Outlander‘s Maria Doyle Kennedy. Filming is currently taking place in Cardiff.
Love Rat
Coming to Channel 5 is this four-part psychological thriller starring Sally Lindsay (recently seen as one of the carousel of stand-ins for Richard Osman as Alexander Armstrong’s Pointless friend) and Neil Morrissey. Lindsay plays a recently divorced woman having a holiday romance when she realises that her paramour is a scam artist. Enter: the ex husband (Morrissey) to team up with her and try to get the stolen money back. Filming started in Cyprus in November 2022.
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Marlow
This original BritBox drama was commissioned in mid-2021 and is still in development, with The Crown‘s Claire Foy (pictured above) attached to star as the lead. Foy will play Evie Wyatt, whose family has long been at war with the Marlows, a rival clan in the “Edgelands” of the Thames Estuary, for centuries. It’s a revenge, succession-warring story tinged with myth and tragedy that’s described as “a modern epic” in the official press announcement, and comes from Southcliffe and Red Riding‘s Tony Grisoni, so has a strong storytelling pedigree.
Men Up
The remarkable true story of how a group of ordinary middle-aged Welsh men became the subjects for one of the world’s first medical trials for Viagra in 1994 is being turned into a feature-length comedy drama for the BBC. Men Up stars Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Sherwood‘s Phaldut Sharma, Steffan Rhodri (House of the Dragon), and Gangs of London‘s Mark Lewis Jones, and the impressive cast also includes Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey), Katy Wix (Ghosts) and The Catch‘s Aneurin Barnard. The drama is written by Industry‘s Matthew Barry.
Murder is Easy
We’ve got another Agatha Christie adaptation to look forward to. In her novel Murder is Easy, a series of deaths in an English village are presumed accidental, until a man called Luke Fitzwilliam meets Miss Pinkerton on a train, and she tells him she believes they’re the work of a killer. When Luke later learns Miss Pinkerton has been found dead, he feels he must hunt down the killer before they can strike again. Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre will adapt Christie’s novel for the screen, and Meenu Gaur (World on Fire) will direct. Filming begins this summer, and the show will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and BritBox for a US audience.
Nightsleeper
The BBC are producing Nightsleeper, a real-time thriller set on a sleeper train travelling from Glasgow to London, in which a government agency desperately tries to intervene in the rapidly-escalating events onboard. This six-part drama will star Alexandra Roach (The Light in the Hall) and Joe Cole (Gangs of London) as two strangers – one on the train, one not – who are working to save the lives of everyone on board. Filming is currently underway in Glasgow.
One Day
David Nicholls’ bestselling romance novel was adapted into a 2011 feature film starring Anne Hathaway that, it’s fair to say, failed to set the world alight. This Netflix series looks like it’s going to be a much better bet. The lead cast includes two of 2022’s stand-out performers in This is Going to Hurt‘s Shruti, Ambika Mod (pictured above), and White Lotus season two’s Jack, Leo Woodall. They play Emma and Dexter, two young people who hook up at university on St Swithin’s day and whose lives we follow in elliptical chunks every July 15th since. Prepare for tears.
Partygate
Channel 4 is creating a factual drama about the infamous Partygate scandal, juxtaposing the revelry inside the nation’s seat of power with the hardship and sacrifice being experienced across the rest of the country. It’s being made by the producers behind some of the channel’s other hard-hitting dramas like Murdered By My Father and Killed By My Debt.
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Passenger
BAFTA-winning Wunmi Mosaku (Damilola, Our Loved Boy) will star in Passenger, a darkly comic thriller for ITV that is also a debut screenwriting job for Better‘s Andrew Buchan. Set in the small northern village of Chadder Vale, the six-part drama will see Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Mosaku) begin to investigate a series of horrific crimes in the village, while trying to convince the villagers that all is not as it seems, as she finds herself drawn into a universe unlike anything she has ever seen. Other cast include The Bay‘s Daniel Ryan, Hubert Hanowicz (This Is Going To Hurt) and Gentleman Jack‘s Natalie Gavin. Filming has already begun and as well as airing on ITV and ITVX, the series will also be available internationally on BritBox.
Payback
Jed Mercurio’s production company is behind this six-part ITV thriller from Debbie O’Malley (All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife). It stars The Bay‘s Morven Christie (pictured above), Westworld‘s Peter Mullan and Line of Duty‘s Prasanna Puwanarajah, and promises to be a gripping psychological story following a dangerous police operation aiming to unseat a crime kingpin, played by Mullan.
Platform 7
This psychological thriller, based on Louise Doughty’s bestselling novel of the same name, is the haunting story of Lisa (who will be played by Noughts and Crosses star Jasmine Jobson), a young girl who witnesses a cataclysmic event on a train station platform, before slowly discovering her life is connected to the events that she’s just witnessed. Expect a chilling mix of supernatural and contemporary realism when the series arrives on ITVX later this year.
Rebus
After almost 15 years off-screen, Ian Rankin’s Scottish detective is coming back for a six-part TV series that finds Rebus in his thirties, recently divorced and demoted from Inspector to Detective Sergeant following a tricky case. The new take on the character – previously played on the small screen by John Hannah and Ken Stott – will be dealing with personal and professional challenges against a backdrop of contemporary Edinburgh. The series marks new streamer Viaplay’s first UK drama commission.
Ripley
This one’s been eagerly anticipated for a while now but should finally be arriving on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Showtime in the US in 2023, after filming took place in Italy in 2021. It’s a new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s famously slippery master forger and con-man character Tom Ripley, also played by Matt Damon in Anthony Minghella’s feature film adaptation The Talented Mr Ripley. This time, Ripley will be played by Sherlock and Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott, alongside Emma. and Beast‘s Johnny Flynn, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s Dakota Fanning.
Rivals
Jilly Cooper’s iconic novel Rivals is being adapted into an eight-part drama by Disney+, and the cast list is incredible. Set in the 1980s, the dramatic storyline focusses on a bitter upper-class battle for a TV franchise between two rivals, with Alex Hassell (The Boys) playing charismatic Tory MP Rupert Cambell-Black and Doctor Who‘s David Tennant taking on the role of the dastardly Lord Tony Baddingham. Other lead cast members include Poldark‘s Aidan Turner as TV presenter Declan O’Hara, Black Lightning‘s Nafessa Wiliams as TV exec Cameron Cook, The IT Crowd‘s Katherin Parkinson as novelist Lizzie Vereker and Eastenders star Danny Dyer as electronics millionaire Freddie Jones. Production has begun, with filming taking place in the UK.
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Scoop
Netflix’s retelling of Prince Andrew’s infamouse car-crash Newsnight interview has an all-star cast including Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) as Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) as Newsnight producer Sam McAlister. Filming began in February 2023 and we can expect the film to arrive on Netflix later this year.
Shuggie Bain
This one was only announced in late 2022, so don’t expect it to arrive soon. Douglas Stuart is adapting his own Booker Prize-winning novel for this BBC drama, which tells the autobiographically inspired story of young Shuggie and his siblings growing up against a backdrop of poverty and alcohol addiction in 1980s Glasgow. It promises to be a powerful and emotional drama, and is due to film in Scotland this year.
Supacell
This Black, British superhero fantasy series is coming to Netflix courtesy of rapper and director Rapman, and boasts a strong cast. Doctor Who‘s Tosin Cole is in the lead as Michael, who has to bring together a group of fellow South Londoners who’ve all mysteriously developed superpowers, in order to save the woman he loves. Appearing alongside Cole are Nadine Mills, Eric Kofi Abrefa, Calvin Demba, Josh Tedeku and The Responder‘s breakout star Adelayo Adedayo. One to watch.
Sweetpea
This eight-part dark comedy thriller is coming to Sky Atlantic, written by Pure screenwriter Kirstie Swain, and based on the novel of the same name by C.J Skuse. It’s the story of Rhiannon, a girl who goes mostly unnoticed and lives an unremarkable life in an unremarkable relationship with an unremarkable job. Until that all changes, of course, when Rhiannon is forced to confront the murderous part of herself that is remarkable….
Tall Pines
Canadian comedian, Taskmaster contestant and creator of Channel 4 comedy Feel Good Mae Martin is writing and starring in an eight-part thriller, Tall Pines, for Netflix. This intergenerational drama will examine the complex and sometimes twisted relationship between teenagers and adults. Filming has yet to begin.
The Castaways
Sheridan Smith (Cilla, pictured above) and Céline Buckens (Showtrial) will star in Paramount+’s new drama The Castaways, based on Lucy Clarke’s bestselling novel of the same name. They’ll play sisters Lori and Erin, who have a fight, resulting in Lori (Smith) boarding their flight to Fiji but Erin (Buckens) staying behind. When the flight goes missing, and Lori is presumed dead, Erin discovers the pilot has been spotted in Fiji using her missing sister’s credit card, and does everything in her power to track Lori down. Filming will begin in Fiji and Greece in June.
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The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies
From Sister, the producers of This is Going to Hurt, The Baby, and The Split comes a new five-part BBC series about “two very different woman and the conman they have in common”. It’s being billed as a twisting thriller telling the stories of PA and single mother Alice, bestselling author Carolyn, and ‘ecopreneur’/scammer Rob, stars Rebekah Staton, Romola Garai, Sir Derek Jacobi and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and comes written by sisters Penelope and Ginny Skinner.
The Fuck-It Bucket
This Netflix series marks the debut of screenwriter Ripley Parker (the daughter of writer-director-producer Ol Parker and actor Thandiwe Newton) and tells the story of 17-year-old Mia’s recovery from a serious eating disorder, and the new lease on life it gives her as she realises how much of her childhood she lost to the disease. Once out of hospital, Mia sets about making up for lost time.
The Gallows Pole
Benjamin Myers’ novel set in 18th century Yorkshire about a motley gang who set about redistributing the wealth through a complex forgery operation will mark filmmaker Shane Meadows’ first project for the BBC. The This is England and The Virtues co-screenwriter and director has assembled a choice cast for this six-part period drama that promises to have real punch. Michael Socha is the lead, alongside Thomas Turgoose, George Mackay, Tom Burke, Sophie McShera and Samuel Edward-Cook, alongside a group of first-time actors.
The Gathering
Coming to Channel 4 is this six-part whodunit from writer-director Helen Walsh is about a violent assault on a teenage girl in Merseyside and the cast of characters who might have carried out the attack. It’s described as taking in themes of class, teenage life, social media and parenting, all wrapped in a thrilling drama.
The Inheritance
In this four-part Channel 5 drama, three siblings have their world turned upside down when their father dies unexpectedly, and they make the surprising discovery he hasn’t left them anything in his will. This sends them on a quest to find out the truth about his death – was his death an accident, or murder? The series has an impressive line-up of drama alumni, including Gavin and Stacey‘s Larry Lamb, Gaynor Faye (The Syndicate), and Downton Abbey‘s Samantha Bond.
The Killing Kind
Legal thriller The Killing Kind is adapted from Jane Casey’s novel of the same name by Paramount Plus, and will star The Witcher‘s Emma Appleton as a successful barrister whose world is thrown into chaos and Merlin‘s Colin Morgan as her charming and potentially dangerous former client. Doctor Who‘s Elliot Barnes-Worrell and Unforgotten‘s Sara Powell are also in the cast.
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The Lovers
Coming to Sky in 2023 is new original drama The Lovers, which stars Johnny Flynn (Emma., Lovesick) and Roisin Gallagher (The Fall, The Dry). It’s about two people who couldn’t be more wrong for each other discovering that maybe they’re exactly what the other needs. Gallagher plays Janet, a Belfast supermarket worker, and Flynn plays Seamus, a political broadcaster with a celebrity girlfriend who needs taking down a peg or two. It’s being billed as a “sexy, funny, fight-y love story”. Game of Thrones‘ Conleth Hill co-stars.
The Rapture
Doctor Who‘s Ruth Madeley will star in The Rapture, a five-part drama based on Liz Jensen’s bestselling 2009 novel of the same name. It tells the story of forensic psychologist Gabrielle (Madeley), who is recovering from a car accident that left her paralysed, and begins working at a maximum security juvenile detention centre. She meets 16-year-old inmate Bethany Krall, who was found guilty of brutally murdering her mother, and tells Gabrielle that she has psychic powers that have told her a natural disaster is about to take place. It’s up to Gabrielle to work out whether she’s telling the truth or is just a highly manipulative psychopath. The Rapture will air on BBC One.
The Reckoning
Actor, comedian and Alan Partridge creator Steve Coogan will portray the life-long sexual predator and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile in a new BBC drama tackling his life, rise to fame and horrific sex offences. The Reckoning is being produced by Jeff Pope, who was behind other hard-hitting UK true crime dramas The Moorside and Appropriate Adult, and while initial reports pushed a release back to 2024, it now seems likely the four-part drama will air in Autumn 2023. So far, the BBC is keeping all other details of this controversial drama under wraps.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Adapted from Stuart Turton’s novel of the same name by Blood screenwriter Sophie Petzal, this seven-part murder mystery is coming to Netflix. It’s a high-concept thriller about a woman trying to solve a murder who keeps awakening in somebody else’s body each time she gets near to the answer. Casting is still tba.
The Sixth Commandment
Following the excellent A Very British Scandal, screenwriter Sarah Phelps is back with another true-story drama for the BBC. The Sixth Commandment dramatises the real-life deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin, played here by Timothy Spall (pictured above in The Commuter) and Ann Reid. It explores the manipulative student who targeted them and the complicated investigation that ensued. Phelps worked on the scripts with the support of the families involved, and this one’s being billed as a sensitive celebration of their lives.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Heather Morris’ bestselling novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, is being adapted into a powerful new TV series for Sky (UK) and Peacock (US). It will tell the hard-hitting real-life story of Lale Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz in the Second World War, who is tasked with tattooing his fellow prisoners’ arms with their ID numbers, and falls in love with one of the women he tattoos. It will star both Oscar-nominated Harvey Keitel (The Irishman) and World on Fire‘s Jonah Hauer-King as Lale, and Baptiste‘s Anna Próchniak as Gita. Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) will play the novel’s author Heather Morris. Filming is currently underway.
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The Way
Good Omen‘s Michael Sheen will once again work with Quiz writer James Graham, this time on a bold new BBC drama imagining a civil uprising which starts in a small Welsh industrial town. It centres on the Driscoll family, who are forced to flee their home in the unrest, and try to start their lives afresh while battling with the ghosts of the past. Graham is the series writer, Sheen will direct, and Les Miserables‘ Bethan Jones will executive produce. We’ll let you know as soon as casting info is announced.
The Winter King
Fans of The Last Kingdom pay attention to this one! Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles are getting the adaptation treatment from ITVX for this historical action series following Arthurian legends. The cast looks top-notch too, with Eddie Marsan being joined by The Control Room‘s Iain de Caestecker (pictured above) and SAS: Rogue Heroes‘ Stuart Campbell.
The Woman in the Wall
What better combination could there be than Ruth Wilson (recently seen doing incredible work in the BBC’s His Dark Materials adaptation) and a Gothic thriller? This one is coming to the BBC in the UK and Showtime in the US, and explores the terrible history of Ireland’s ‘Magdalene Laundries’. It’s about Lorna (played by Wilson), a former inmate of the Laundries who finds herself unexpectedly under investigation for murder. Peaky Blinders‘ Daryl McCormack (pictured above) co-stars.
Then You Run
Once titled ‘You’, this eight-part thriller from The Capture writer-director Ben Chanan is coming to Sky soon and tells the story of Tara O’Rourke, a young woman on the run across Europe after committing a deadly crime. Chanan adopts from Zoran Drvenkar’s novel.
This Town
The man never stops! Not only has Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight got a second series of SAS: Rogue Heroes on the way, he’s also behind an original six-part drama on the world of ska and two-tone music in the 1970s and 1980s. Set in Coventry and Birmingham, This Town stars Nicholas Pinnock (pictured above in Marcella), Michelle Dockery and David Dawson, and will feature original songs written by poet and musician Kae Tempest with producer Dan Carey.
Three Little Birds
From writer, actor, comedian and campaigner Sir Lenny Henry (pictured above in Doctor Who) comes a six-part ITV drama inspired by Henry’s mother’s experiences emigrating from Jamaica to Great Britain in the 1960s. It’s the story of vivacious sisters Leah and Chantelle, and their bible-loving companion Hosanna, as they travel from St Anne’s in Jamaica to settle in the UK. “This series will be a tribute to the giants who came before us and walked cold streets to create new lives for themselves,” says creator Henry. Russell T Davies is executive producing.
Train
This popular Korean drama is being remade by Firebird Pictures, a BBC Studios Production label, for the UK. Train tells the story of a detective who investigates a case that leads him to a world divided into two parallel universes, and while his love is dead in one world, she’s very much alive in the other. While tracking down the truth behind his love’s death, he simultaneously tries to protect her in the other, uncovering the connection between the two universes.
Truelove
This six-part Channel 4 drama casts a heap of veteran screen talent, including Clarke Peters, Peter Egan, Sue Johnston and Phil Davis. Truelove initially cast Julie Walters in the lead, but due to a back injury she has had to withdraw from production, and is being replaced by Lindsay Duncan (pictured above in Doctor Who). It’s about a group of friends in the sixties and seventies who reunite at a wake and make a drunken pact to help each other die with dignity. Things go, as one might expect in a darkly comic thriller, awry. It’s written by Humans screenwriter Iain Weatherby and co-created by The End of the F***ing World‘s Charlie Covell.
Wahala
Coming to the BBC, this one’s being billed as “Big Little Lies meets Girlfriends meets Peckham”. It’s adapted from Nikki May’s debut novel of the same name, which tells the story of Simi, Ronke and Boo, three London-based thirtysomething Anglo-Nigerian women whose lives are rocked by the arrival of the mysterious Isobel…
Wilderness
Jenna Coleman returns, fresh from her stint as exorcist-for-hire Constantine in Netflix’s The Sandman, to star in twisted love story Wilderness. Opposite The Invisible Man‘s Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Coleman will play a woman who plans to take revenge on her cheating husband on a holiday in America’s national parks that was designed to reset their broken marriage. The Prime Video drama is adapted from the book of the same name by B.E. Jones.
Wolf
Not to be confused with Sky crime drama Wolfe, this new six-part crime thriller is coming to BBC One. It’s adapted from Mo Hayder’s series of Jack Caffery novels by Megan Gallagher and stars The Midwich Cuckoos‘ Ukweli Roach in the lead role of DI Caffery. Joining Roach in the cast are Doctor Who‘s Sacha Dhawan, Game of Thrones‘ Iwan Rheon, Line of Duty‘s Owen Teale and Sian Reese-Williams, and Juliet Stevenson. It’s being made by Sherlock producers Hartswood Films.
Welcome to our massive updated Q2 2021 preview of just some of the Netflix Original TV shows we currently know about coming to Netflix in 2021, 2022 and beyond. Treat it as the upcoming series bible for Netflix. It’s a big one, and in fact, we don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of what Netflix has in store over the next few years.
Quite a few caveats to add before we dive into the list. This list is far from complete. We believe a definitive list of upcoming English language series doesn’t exist because there are just so many projects in development.
Secondly, we’re going to restrict this list to English main speaking titles only to keep it at a respectable length. That means titles like Money Heist or Elite won’t be on here.
With all that said, let’s get started.
Netflix Original Series Released So Far in 2021
- Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (Season 1)
- Alien TV (Season 2)
- Amend: The Fight for America (Limited Series)
- Behind Her Eyes (Limited Series)
- Bling Empire (Season 1)
- Blown Away (Season 2)
- BONDING (Season 2)
- Buried by the Bernards (Season 1)
- Canine Intervention (Season 1)
- Carmen Sandiego (Season 4)
- City of Ghosts (Season 1)
- Cobra Kai (Season 3)
- Country Comfort (Season 1)
- Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Season 1)
- Disenchantment (Part 3)
- DOTA: Dragon’s Blood (Book 1)
- Dream Home Makeover (Season 2)
- Fate: The Winx Saga (Season 1)
- Firefly Lane (Season 1)
- Five Came Back: The Reference Films (Season 1)
- Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Season 3)
- Gabby’s Dollhouse (Season 1)
- Ginny & Georgia (Season 1)
- Go Dog Go (Season 1)
- Headspace Guide to Meditation (Season 1)
- Hello Ninja (Season 4)
- History of Swear Words (Season 1)
- Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons (Season 5)
- Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (Season 2)
- Kid Cosmic (Season 1)
- Last Chance U: Basketball (Season 1)
- Marriage or Mortgage (Season 1)
- MeatEater (Season 4)
- Mighty Express (Season 2)
- Mighty Little Bheem: Kite Festival (Season 1)
- Murder Among the Mormons (Season 1)
- Nadiya Bakes (Season 1)
- Nailed It! (Season 5)
- Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Limited Series)
- Paradise PD (Season 3)
- Pokemon Journeys: The Series (Part 4)
- Pretend It’s a City (Limited Series)
- Spycraft (Season 1)
- Surviving Death (Season 1)
- The Big Day (Season 1)
- The Crew (Season 1)
- The Lost Pirate Kingdom (Season 1)
- The Netflix Afterparty (Season 1)
- The One (Season 1)
- Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready (Season 2)
- Waffles + Mochi (Season 1)
- We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (Season 1)
- Word Party (Season 5)
- Zero Chill (Season 1)
New Netflix Original Series Coming in 2021 & Beyond
Anatomy of a Scandal
Genre: Drama
A TV anthology series that looks into various public scandals over the years and comes from the creator of HBO’s Big Little Lies. The first season is about a sexual consent scandal and is currently set to star Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend, and Sienna Miller.
Angry Birds: Summer Madness
Genre: Kids, Animated
Angry Birds is a video game property that surged to prominence during the first wave of smartphones. It has since matured into a multi-faceted entity with two big-budget animated movies now under its belt and in 2021, it’ll be joining Netflix for a new animated kids series.
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Genre: Horror
Rosa Salazar headlines this new revenge horror thriller about a film director living in 1990s LA embarking on a journey that takes a horrific turn. Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion serve as showrunners.
Clickbait
Genre: Drama
Australian/American co-production miniseries which explore the dangerous ways social media can damage lives.
Colin in Black & White
Genre: Biopic
Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick are working together on this new biopic on the NFL player’s teen years.
Cowboy Bebop
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Live-action adaptation of the well-regarded anime series. The series will star John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Alex Hassell. The series has been in production since 2019 with it being delayed twice so far.
Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
Genre: Sitcom
Coming to Netflix: April 14th
Jamie Foxx will headline this new sitcom comedy series where he’ll star as a business owner who becomes a full-time father.
DeadEndia
Genre: Animation
Hamish Steele helms this new animated series based on graphic novels.
Halston
Genre: Biopic
Ewan McGregor headlines in this limited series produced by Ryan Murphy and documents the rise of the fashion designer Halston. Ten episodes are set to release at some point in 2021 with filming having started in November 2020.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=kasey__moore&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfX0%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1330918637058875393&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whats-on-netflix.com%2Fcoming-soon%2Fnetflix-original-series-coming-in-2021-and-beyond-q2-2021%2F&sessionId=a56473da645e969fcc84b95ec7e83bdf129e7ec7&siteScreenName=whatonnetflix&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2d233ae%3A1618352735472&width=550px
Inventing Anna
Genre: Biopic
Ozark’s Julia Garner plays the role of a con-artist who was able to swindle money out of New York’s elite. The series itself is based on the New York Magazine article that chronicled her five-year-long con.
Jupiter’s Legacy
Genre: Superhero
Netflix Release Date: May 7th, 2021
Netflix’s first major solo foray into the superhero universe begins in 2021 with the release of season one of Jupiter’s Legacy. Although it was plagued with problems through production, it still promises to kickstart Millarworld on Netflix.
Life in Colour with David Attenborough
Genre: Docuseries
Coming to Netflix: April 22nd
Sir David Attenborough will be featuring in his third Netflix project with this co-production with the BBC looking into how animals and color go hand in hand in the wild.
Lost Ollie
Genre: Kids, Animation
From 21 Laps Entertainment comes this incredibly animated mini-series about a lost toy searching across the country for the boy who lost him. Prep the tissues.
Maid
Genre: Dramedy
Margot Robbie produces this dramedy that is inspired by the memoir of the same name. The cast for the series is huge and currently includes Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, and Andie MacDowell.
Although not officially announced for 2021, filming is expected to wrap in early 2021 so could squeeze in.
Maya and the Three
Genre: Animation
This absolutely stunning animated series from Jorge Gutierrez will be Netflix’s first animated limited series. Maya and the Three is about a warrior princess embarking on a quest to save the world of men and gods.
Midnight Mass
Genre: Horror
Mike Flanagan is returning for multiple new projects with Netflix and one that just recently wrapped filming is Midnight Mass. It’s about an isolated island community that experiences strange events and employs the help of a young priest to figure out what’s going on.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Genre: Crime
Ryan Murphy will be adding his spin on the Jeffrey Dahmer case which has been well covered in the past with Evan Peters set to lead.
Pieces of Her
Genre: Thriller
Based on the 2018 novel by Karin Slaughter, this series stars Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, and David Wenham. Pieces of Her follows a woman who is caught up in a deadly mass shooting in a diner and witnessing her mother swooping in to save the day.
Resident Evil: Live-Action Series
Genre: Horror
Dubbed as a prequel, this live-action series is helmed by the showrunner of Supernatural. We’ve got a tonne of information about this title in our ongoing preview. Filming is set to begin in February 2021 but be warned, this could slip into ’22.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
Genre: Anime
This title is more at home on our anime 2021 preview but given the broader Western appeal of the franchise, we thought we’d include it here too.
Sex/Life
Genre: Comedy
Sarah Shahi, Mike Vogel, and Adam Demos feature in this love triangle comedy series helmed by Stacy Rukeyser.
Shadow and Bone
Genre: Fantasy
Coming to Netflix: April 23rd
From producer Shawn Levy comes this adaptation of the books from Leigh Bardugo. It’s about a young girl who discovers a power that could help unite the world and stop the forces of darkness.
Sweet Tooth
Genre: Superhero
This one could easily slip into 2022 but filming has reportedly concluded. It’s going to be a comic book adaptation of Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire. Robert Downey Jr is involved as an executive producer.
The Serpent
Genre: Drama
Coming to Netflix: April 2nd
BBC co-production that airs in the UK in January 2021 before coming to Netflix later in the year. It features Jenna Coleman, Ellie Bamber, and Tahir Rahim and tells the story of a con-man and mass-murderer operating in the mid-70s.
Vikings: Valhalla
Genre: Historical Drama
As you may have heard, Netflix has commissioned a spin-off to the very popular Vikings series that’s set to have a huge budget.
Filming has reportedly concluded which means we could get the first batch of episodes by the end of 2021.
Returning Netflix Shows Coming to Netflix in 2021 & Beyond
These shows are all confirmed to be returning for new seasons either in 2021 or beyond.
- #blackAF (Season 2)
- After Life (Season 3)
- Another Life (Season 2)
- Atypical (Season 4)
- Big Mouth (Season 5)
- Black Summer (Season 2)
- Bling Empire (Season 2)
- Blood and Water (Season 2)
- Blood of Zeus (Season 2)
- Bridgerton (Season 2)
- Castlevania (Season 4)
- Cobra Kai (Season 4)*
- Dash & Lily (Season 2)
- Dead to Me (Season 3/Final Season)
- Dear White People (Volume 4)
- Disenchantment (Part 4)
- Dogs (Season 2)
- Down to Earth with Zac Efron (Season 2)
- Dream Home Makeover (Season 2)
- Emily in Paris (Season 2)*
- F is for Family (Season 5)*
- Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (Season 2)
- Fast & Furious Spy Racers (Season 4) – April 16th
- Family Reunion (Season 2)
- Feel Good (Season 2)
- Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Season 4)
- Gentefied (Season 2)
- Get Organized with The Home Edit (Season 2)
- Go! Go! Cory Carson (Season 4) – April 27th
- Grace & Frankie (Season 7)
- Green Eggs and Ham (Season 2)
- I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Season 2)
- Izzy’s Koala World (Season 2) – April 20th
- Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father (Season 5)
- Johnny Test (Season 7)
- Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (Season 3) – May 21st
- Kid Cosmic (Season 2)
- Locke & Key (Season 2 & Season 3)
- Lost in Space (Season 3)
- Love is Blind (Season 2)
- Love, Death & Robots (Season 2)
- Lucifer (Season 5, Part 2) – May 28th
- Lucifer (Season 6)
- Malibu Rescue: The Series (Season 2)
- Master of None (Season 3)
- Mighty Express (Season 3) – April 13th
- Narcos: Mexico (Season 3)
- Never Have I Ever (Season 2)
- On My Block (Season 4)
- Outer Banks (Season 2)
- Pacific Rim: The Black (Season 2)
- Prank Encounters (Season 2) – April 1st
- Queer Eye (Season 6)
- Raising Dion (Season 2)
- Ratched (Season 2)
- Rhythm + Flow (Season 2)
- Russian Doll (Season 2)
- Selena: The Series (Part 2) – May 14th
- Selling Sunset (Seasons 4 & 5)
- Sex Education (Season 3)
- Shadow and Bone (Season 2)
- Space Force (Season 2)
- Special (Season 2) – May 20th
- Stranger Things (Season 4)
- Sweet Magnolias (Season 2)
- The A List (Season 2)
- The Baby-Sitters Club (Season 2)
- The Circle (Season 2) – April 14th
- The Crown (Season 5 & 6)
- The Dragon Prince (Seasons 4, 5, 6 & 7)
- The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow (Season 2)
- The Irregulars (Season 2)
- The Kominsky Method (Season 3) – May 28th
- The Last Kingdom (Season 5)
- The Umbrella Academy (Season 3)
- The Witcher (Season 2)
- Too Hot to Handle (Season 2) – June 2021
- Top Boy (Season 2 / Season 5)
- Virgin River (Season 3)
- Young Wallander (Season 2)
- You (Season 3)
Even More Netflix Original Series in Development for 2021 and Beyond
Here are even more of Netflix’s upcoming series currently in development.
- 1899 – Historic horror from the creators of the German series Dark expected in 2022.
- A Chorus Line – Mini-series starring Ewan McGregor about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots from Ryan Murphy.
- Ada Twist, Scientist – Chris Nee produces this animated series about a young scientist.
- Agent King – Animated series about Elvis Presley as a secret government spy. Created by John Eddie.
- All The Right Moves – Reality dance competition series that’s setting out to find the next big chereographer.
- American Jesus – TV series from the Millarworld universe that should start production in 2021.
- Archive 81 – New horror series that should wrap production in the first quarter of 2021.
- Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas – Anime series based on the rebooted Netflix movie from Zack Snyder.
- Assassin’s Creed – live-action series based on the Ubisoft video game.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action Series – With the creators departing it seems highly unlikely we get the live-action series released in ’21 but we could hear more about development.
- Ayrton Senna miniseries – Biopic series expected in 2022.
- Baby Reindeer – British comedy series starring Richard Gadd.
- Battle Kitty – Kids animated series about a warrior kitten.
- Beef – Steven Yeun and Ali Wong will headline this new A24 produced series.
- Churchmen – Will Scheffer and Mark V. Olsen series.
- Bloom – Callie Khouri and Juliana Maio are set to write this series about women attempting to break into the world of fashion after WW2.
- Blue Eye Samurai – Jane Wu directed animation action series featuring the voices of Maya Erskine and Brenda Song.
- Bone – Adaptation of Jeff Smith’s comic book series.
- Boo, Bitch – From the creators of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and On My Block will come a new comedy series that’s set to star Lana Condor who awakes to find she’s a ghost.
- Breathe – Drama series from the creators of NBC’s Blindspot. Will tell the story of a small plane that crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.
- BRZRKR – Anime series based on the Keanu Reeves comic.
- Call Your Daughter Home – Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the book by Deb Spera.
- Captain Fall – Animated series from the creators of Netflix’s Norsemen.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Animated kids series based on the Roald Dahl tale – part of the larger Roald Dahl output.
- Chinatown Prequel Series – David Fincher and Robert Towne team up for this prequel series to the movie.
- City of Ghosts – Animated series from one of the supervising directors on Adventure Time.
- Conan the Barbarian – First of many adaptations based on the Conan the Barbarian IP.
- Cuckoo Song – British horror series about two warring sisters.
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – Anime series based on the hit video-game series.
- Entergalactic – Kenya Barris and Kid Cudi team up to bring his next album to life in this animated series.
- Farzar – New animated series from the creators of Netflix’s Paradise PD.
- Firekeeper’s Daughter – Young adult thriller from the Obamas production company based on the debut novel from Angeline Boulley.
- First Kill – Vampire series featuring Emma Roberts.
- Free Food for Millionaires – Alan Yang teaming up with author Min Jin Lee to adapt the 2007 novel which is set to be a period drama in 1990s Manhattan.
- From Scratch – Zoe Saldana will feature in this drama about an American woman filling in love with a man while studying in Italy.
- Game Changer – Adaptation of the novel by Neal Shusterman.
- God’s Favorite Idiot – Sitcom workplace comedy featuring Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone.
- Good Times – An animated reboot from Seth Macfarlane.
- Great National Parks – Docu-series from the Obamas production company exploring the world’s best national parks.
- Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight – Horror anthology series.
- Half Bad – British series about a 16-year-old who is the illegitimate son of a witch.
- Heartbreak High – Australian teen series reboot expected to release in 2022.
- Heartstopper – Euros Lyn who has helmed Sherlock and Doctor Who will be adapting the YA graphic novel Heartstopper for Netflix into an eight-part series.
- Heaven’s Forest – New action animated series from the creators of Netflix’s Castlevania.
- Hit and Run – New series from the creators of Fauda for Netflix. Stars Lior Raz about a man looking for answers after his wife was killed by a hitman.
- Human Resources – From the team that bought you Big Mouth comes a new workplace sitcom.
- I Heart Arlo – A spinoff animation series to the Netflix movie Arlo the Alligator.
- Inside Job – Animated workplace comedy.
- Inside Man – BBC co-production mini-series from Steven Moffat.
- Isabella’s Witch Chronicles – Kids adventure series about a dragon-witch princess narrating her life.
- Kaos – British historical comedy that looks into Greek mythology.
- Kid Cosmic – Netflix Animation Studios presents this comedy series about a young boy who dreams about being a superhero.
Kings of America –
Adam McKay and Amy Adams reunited for a limited series on the rise of Walmart.
Life in Colour –
David Attenborough docu-series looking at how animals use color in their day-to-day lives.
- Magic: The Gathering –
- Animated series produced by the Russo Brothers based on the card trading game. Rumored for release in 2021.
Man vs Bee –
British comedy series from Rowan Atkinson.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone –
Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy produced horror series. Not expected for 2021.
Mulligan –
Animated adult sitcom from Robert Charlock and Sam Means featuring the voice of Tina Fey.
Notes on Love –
Shonda Rhimes anthology series.
One Piece –
Live-action adaptation of the anime.
Painkiller –
Limited series from Eric Newman and Peter Berg about the opioid crisis.
Red Rose –
BBC horror co-production from one of the producers of Sex Education on Netflix.
Skull Island –
Animated series based on the Monsterverse featuring King Kong.
Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo –
New reality series with the Japanese consultant.
Super Crooks –
Anime series based on the Millarworld comic series.
Sword Art Online –
A live-action adaptation of the anime series.
The BFG –
Animated mini-series based on the Roald Dahl novel.
The Chair –
Sandra Oh and Jay Duplass will star in this dramedy produced by David Be
The Chronicles of Narnia –
Not expecting any TV releases of Narnia but are expecting to hear more on the roadmap in 2021.
The Girls on the Bus –
Greg Berlanti and Julie Plec adaptation of the best selling Chasing Hillary.
The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse – Comedy anthology series covering different world-ending scenarios.
The House –
Animated dark comedy from Nexus Studios.
The Last Bus –
Described as an eco-fable, the series will be a sci-fi road trip.
The Lincoln Lawyer –
TV adaptation based on the book.
The Midnight Club –
Mike Flanagan horror series due to film in early 2021.
The Pentaverate –
Mike Myers comedy series.
The Red Zone –
Sam Mendes produced series based on a middling football club in the UK
The Residence –
Shondaland will be adapting this Kate Andersen Brower nonfiction book.
The Sandman –
DC series based on the comic book series from Niel Gaiman.
The Screaming Staircase –
TV adaptation by Joe Cornish about agencies fighting off ghosts.
The Watcher –
Ryan Murphy produced series based on the true story as reported by The Cut.
The Witcher: Blood Origin –
Prequel series to The Witcher.
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go –
New 2D Thomas the Tank Engine series. Unclear whether this is a Netflix Original.
- Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Kingdom – Limited anime series based on the Hasbro toy.
Watergate –
Limited series from George Clooney and Matt Charman on the infamous Watergate scandal
White Stork – Political thriller miniseries starring Tom Hiddleston – production begins early next year but isn’t clear whether it’ll be ready for 2021.
There you have it. We think we’ve put together the most comprehensive 2021 and beyond list of any outlet and hope that gets you amped up for the next few years of great TV on Netflix.
What are you looking forward to and more importantly, have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments down below.
Messiah – January 1
New police procedural Messiah will be kicking off the new year on Netflix starring Michelle Monaghan as a CIA agent trying to crack a case involving a man claiming to have supernatural powers.
The show has already caused some controversy and many are wondering whether there will be a season two of Messiah
Spinning Out – January 1
The ice skating drama with Skins starring Kaya Scodelario will be hitting the platform as a young athlete tries to decide what path to take
Anne With An E season 3 – January 3
The final season of Anne With An E will be coming early in the new year as fans embark on one last adventure with the mischievous redhead.
Sadly, the show was cancelled to the disappointment of fans across the globe.
Power season 6, part 2 – January 5
Netflix UK airs Starz series Power in Britain and will be showing the final five episodes of the New York drug gangster drama series as fans finally find out who shot Ghost (played by Omari Hardwick).
The Good Place season 4 – January 10
The NBC comedy with Kristen Bell wraps up as viewers discover if their beloved characters will ever make it to heaven.
The Crown season 4
is expected to be out in late 2020 (Image: NETFLIX)
Grace and Frankie season 6 – January 15
Ares – January 17
Sex Education season 2 – January 17
After debuting in 2019, British comedy-drama Sex Education became a runaway success with its excellent performances and feel-good storylines.
Star Jim Howick previously told Express.co.uk exclusively there would be more “shocks and twists” to captivate fans
Riverdale season 4, part 2 – January 23
The CW’s Riverdale is shown on Netflix UK the day after airing in America and the new series will be picking up the mystery surrounding the supposed death of Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse).
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina part 3 – January 24
The teen witch is back for more magic and fighting demons in the next outing.
Ragnarok – January 31
Titans season 2 – TBC
Season two dropped on US streaming platform in autumn 2019 and the next series is likely to drop early this year if the release for the first run is anything to go by.
Stranger Things season 4
has been confirmed by Netflix (Image: NETFLIX)
FEBRUARY
Altered Carbon season 2 – TBC
Richard K. Morgan’s cyberpunk extravaganza is going to be back two years after it proved a sci-fi hit on the platform.
Narcos Mexico season 2 – February 13
Season two will see the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) taking on the Guadalajara Cartel and its boss Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) after the savage murder of one of its own Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña).
Better Call Saul season 5 – February 24
The AMC hit show and a spin-off from Breaking Bad is going to be coming back on Netflix UK with Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) crossing over to the dark side
Umbrella Academy season 2 – TBC
The superhero series is going to be resolving its cliffhanger ending which left fans on tenterhooks.
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MARCH
APRIL
Dark season 3 – TBC
German sci-fi series Dark is going to be completing its cycle with one final outing as fans find out the truth about Jonas (Louis Hofmann) and if he’s behind the sinister time travelling shenanigans going on.
MAY
Lucifer season 5, part 1 – TBC
Tom Ellis drama Lucifer is going to be splitting its final series in half with the first eight instalments of the 16-episode run coming this year.
JUNE
JULY
Money Heist season 4 – TBC
The gang are going to be back and taking on another heist
AUGUST
Glow season 4 – TBC
Glow season four will be the last one for the Gorgeous Ladies of Westling as the comedy-drama prepares to bow out
Ozark season 3 – TBC
SEPTEMBER
Elite season 3 – TBC
Sexy Spanish teen drama Elite is going to be returning with a new season and a mystery involving the students at the prestigious private school.
TRENDING
OCTOBER
Baby season 3 – TBC
NOVEMBER
The Crown season 4 – TBC
Season four of The Crown is filming at the moment with the new series expected at the end of the year with Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) starring opposite Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II.
DECEMBER
The Witcher season 2 – TBC
Season two was recommissioned by Netflix even before the first series aired, showing the company’s confidence in the show. Expect the adventure of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) to continue.
Vikings Valhalla – TBC
Michael Hirst’s Vikings franchise gets a new lease of life in this spin-off series set 100 years after the events of the parent series
Stranger Things season 4 – TBC
Season four of Stranger Things is expected to be coming out either at the end of 2020 or early 2021 when people will find out the fate of Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and exactly who “the American” is.
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