2020 looks set to be another big year for TV, and these are the most anticipated new shows to look forward to watching this year. 2019 continued to be another major year for the small screen, with more shows, more stars, more streaming services, and just more of everything emerging. The rounded out a big decade of change, which had led into the era of Peak TV and the rise of binge-watching, and there’s no sign of things slowing down in the 2020s.

It’s an interesting TV landscape right now, especially with a Game of Thrones-sized hole in the schedule, but there are a lot of new TV shows to be excited about in 2020.

20. Little Fires Everywhere

Based on the novel by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere is a Hulu production that will star Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington (both of whom executive produce too). Little Fires Everywhere follows the Richardson family - led by Witherspoon’s Elena - whose perfect lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious mother and daughter. The book was a success, and this promises a similar sort of vibe to Witherspoon’s previous starry TV outing Big Little Lies. It’ll hit Hulu on March 18, 2020.

19. Quiz

In 2001, the case of Charles Ingram, who cheated his way to £1 million on quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, became a big scandal. Ingram’s wife coughed whenever he said the correct answers, leading to the victory - until the tapes were reviewed. The story was a tabloid sensation and was turned into a play, which is now being turned into a three-part miniseries, Quiz. It’ll star Matthew Macfayden as Ingram, Sian Clifford as his wife, Diana, and Michael Sheen looking completely transformed once more as host Chris Tarrant. It’s a story that should be ripe for a fun, melodramatic miniseries, with a superb cast to boot. Quiz will air on ITV later in 2020.

 

18. Cursed

Based on the new graphic novel from Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler, Cursed is one of Netflix’s big new series of 2020. A re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, Cursed follows Nimue (Katherine Langford), a teenager destined to become the powerful enchantress Lady of the Lake (who gives Arthur his sword and Merlin his powers). Mixing the Arthurian legend with some more modern coming-of-age trappings and themes makes Cursed an interesting offering from Netflix.

17. Invincible

16. Mrs America

Movie stars on the small screen are commonplace, but Cate Blanchett appearing on TV is something still worth being excited about. Mrs America, produced by FX but to air on Hulu sometime in 2020, is about the push to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and the backlash led by a conservative woman, played here by Blanchett. Written by Mad Men and Halt & Catch Fire scribe Dahvi Waller, the series has a great cast - Uzo Aduba, Rose Byrne, James Marsden, Sarah Paulson, and (character actress) Margo Martindale are among the regulars - and a premise detailing an important and still relevant part of U.S. history.

15. Y: The Last Man

FX’s long-gestating take on graphic novel Y: The Last Man - the TV show is now simply called Y - will finally land in 2020 (date TBC). Y takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where every male mammal has been wiped from existence, save for one man, Yorick, and his monkey Ampersand. Exploring his efforts to survive and adapt to the new order of things, Y: The Last Man promises to be a unique take on the sole-survivor genre, and boasts an impressive cast, including the always great Barry Keoghan as Yorick, and Diane Lane as Senator Jennifer Brown.

14. Hollywood

The mega-deal between Ryan Murphy and Netflix will really get going this year, with a couple of big offerings. Among them is Hollywood, which takes place during the 1940s and has been described by Murphy as “a love letter to the Golden Age”. It’ll focus on Hollywood and the sex industry, though few other plot details are known right now, but it’s easy to imagine Murphy and co capturing the glam of the time while also shining a light on the grimy underbelly of it too. Darren Criss, who was superb in Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace, stars, and the series is expected in May 2020.

13. Your Honor

Featuring the return of Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston to a lead TV role, Showtime’s Your Honor is about a judge (Cranston) whose son is part of a hit-and-run. That’ll lead to some tough choices and a web of lies. The show has been produced by The Good Fight duo Robert and Michelle King, with Petter Moffat (Criminal Minds) as showrunner, so there’s proven legal drama talent behind the camera, as well as an impressive cast in front of it, with Michael Stuhlbarg and Carmen Ejogo joining Cranston.

12. The Outsider

2020 doesn’t have quite as many Stephen King adaptations as 2019, but it does have at least one big adaptation of his work: HBO’s The Outsider, which will begin airing on January 12. The intriguing premise sees this begin as an apparently straightforward investigation into the grizzly murder of a young boy, before taking a big supernatural turn. Ben Mendelsohn stars as the lead detective, and is supported by Cynthia Ervio, Jason Bateman, and Bill Camp.

11. Perry Mason

Robert Downey Jr may no longer be starring (though he still produces alongside production partner and wife Susan Downey), but HBO’s Perry Mason reboot is an exciting prospect. Taking place in 1930’s Los Angeles, the period piece will follow Matthew Rhys as the criminal defense lawyer in the biggest case of his life. The logline and setting should allow for a lot of fun and mystery for at-home sleuths, Rhys was one of the best TV actors of the last decade, and there’s great support from Tatiana Maslany and John Lithgow.

10. Ratched

Many will know Nurse Ratched as a monstrous being from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and Netflix’s Ratched - another series produced by Ryan Murphy - will show us how she got there. Starting in 1947, it’ll chart Nurse Ratched (played by the great Sarah Paulson)’s progression from regular nurse to the awful character seen in the book and movie, as she commits murders and mistreats her patients.

9. Run

After previously working on Fleabag (she directed the original stage play), Vicky Jones will get to launch her own series, Run, which will premiere on HBO later this year. Run will follow a pair of childhood friends, played by Merrit Weaver and Domhnall Gleeson, who fulfill a childhood pact to reunite as adults. It’s described as a comedy thriller, and if it can capture the same success as Fleabag and Killing Eve, it’ll be another buzzy hit. Phoebe Waller-Bridge executive produces and has a recurring role.

8. The Plot Against America

Having created The Wire (and a number of other fascinating series since), any new David Simon series is of great interest. The Plot Against America should be a great match for him and frequent collaborator Ed Burns: based on Phillip Roth’s novel, it imagines an alt-history where Charles Lindbergh defeats Franklin D. Roosevelt to become U.S. President, turning the country towards fascism. The series, which sounds like a moving period piece but with strong social commentary on the present (as you’d expect from Simon), will be told through the eyes of a Jewish family. Winona Ryder and Zoe Kazan lead the cast, and The Plot Against America will premiere on HBO on March 16, 2020.

7. Falcon & Winter Soldier

Marvel’s most interesting projects this year come on TV, with a pair of big Disney+ series on the way. Expected to be the first this fall is Falcon & Winter Soldier, which will continue the MCU journeys of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) post-Avengers: Endgame and without Steve Rogers. It’s set to focus on how Captain America is replaced: the shield may’ve gone to Sam, but the government is bringing in John Walker as US Agent (Wyatt Russell). Making it even more exciting is the return of Captain America: Civil War villain Zemo (Daniel Brühl) and Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter.

6. Hunters

5. Lovecraft Country

Based on the novel by Matt Ruff, HBO’s Lovecraft Country is a joint production from Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot. The series follows Atticus Black (Jonathan Majors) as he and his friends embark on a road trip across Jim Crow era America, where they’re faced with monsters both human and, as the title suggests, Lovecraftian in nature. Lovecraft Country is expected to mix supernatural horror and social commentary, and the cast also features Jumee-Smollett Bell and Michael K. Williams. Premiere date is TBA.

4. Space Force

Greg Daniels and Steve Carell are responsible for one of the most popular sitcoms of the 21st Century, so the fact they’re teaming up again is reason alone to be excited for Space Force. The Netflix comedy, seemingly inspired by Donald Trump’s real desire to create a branch of the U.S. military for space, will focus on just that. The main crew tasked with creating the new branch will be led by Carell, and also includes Ben Schwartz and John Malkovich. This should be one of Netflix’s biggest and best comedies this year.

3. Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek has enjoyed a renaissance on the small screen over the last couple of years, but Star Trek: Picard is easily the most exciting project in the works. Bringing back Patrick Stewart as the titular character, the series will take place 20 years after Stewart’s last outing, and finds him mourning the loss of Data. There’ll be a lot for longtime Trek fans to enjoy, including plenty of returning faces; the tone suggests a blend of classic Stark Trek and Logan; and Picard has a dog companion, which makes it even more anticipated. Star Trek: Picard launches on CBS All-Access on January 23, 2020.

2. Impeachment: American Crime Story

With The People v O.J. Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, American Crime Story has established itself as one of the most gripping and versatile anthology series going, capable of offering thrills while forensically analyzing key periods of American history, culture, and society. That should mean great things for Impeachment: American Crime Story. Although there are some parallels to the present with that title, the series will focus on the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, wherein President Clinton faced impeachment for a sexual relationship with White House intern Lewinsky. That should make for more great viewing, and the impressive cast includes Beanie Feldstein as Lewinsky and Clive Owen as Clinton. Impeachment: American Crime Story is expected to debut on FX on September 27, 2020.

1. WandaVision

The second Marvel Disney+ series set to air in 2020, WandaVision was recently bumped up a few months, having been previously slated to debut in spring 2021. That’s a big show of faith in the series, which will focus on Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s Vision (though details of how he returns are being kept under wraps). The series is expected to be at least partially set in the 1950s, and will be “half sitcom, half MCU spectacular”, as per Kevin Feige. That’s exciting enough, but it’ll also have big ramifications for the rest of the MCU too, with Scarlet Witch set to appear in 2021’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Next: Every Disney+ Original Movie & TV Show Coming In 2020