The Biggest TV Shows To Watch In 2019

If you thought 2018 was a great year for TV, it's got nothing on what's to come. In 2019, several fan-favorite series will come to an end, while a number of very exciting new shows will premiere, either on TV or via a streaming service.

From the end of Game of Thrones to the launch of the new Twilight Zone from Get Out director Jordan Peele, there's plenty to be excited about. With peak TV breathing down everyone's neck, though, it's hard to figure out exactly what you need to be watching. Imagine getting through 2018 without seeing The Haunting of Hill House or the second season of G.L.O.W.? Can you imagine surviving this year without The Good Place? And, honestly, how were you supposed to know just how good a YouTube Premium series like Cobra Kai could be?

Figuring out what the best TV to spend your time on takes some serious assistance. Luckily for you, we're all about lending a helping hand when it comes to deciding the shows you're not going to want to miss this year, from those that are sure to be new classic comic book adaptations to returning gems like Stranger Things and Veronica Mars. So here's the biggest shows to watch for 2019...

Netflix, July 4

Netflix has confirmed that Stranger Things Season 3 will arrive in 2019, and bring with it even more special effects. It's been way too long since Eleven and the gang's last adventure back in 2017, so we're extremely excited to get back to Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside-Down.

Amazon, July 26

Following their hit adaptation Preacher, producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have turned their attention to another acclaimed comic book by writer Garth Ennis. The Boys is a subversive superhero story set in a world where heroes are revered by the public but lead dark, transgressive lives behind the scenes. The Boys of the title are CIA-affiliated group whose job it is to monitor these superpowered deviants. An adaptation has been in the works for a long time, but the impressive cast--including Karl Urban, Elisabeth Shue, and Simon Pegg--plus Rogen and Goldberg’s previous success in this field, promises great things.

Netflix, July 26

Orange is the New Black was one of Netflix's first original series, and it reaches its final season this month. Season 6 ended with main character Piper granted early release, and much of Season 7 will deal with life for her on the outside. But many of her friend are still incarcerated, and expect this final season to be as dramatic, funny, and emotional as the previous six. But with talk already happening about a sequel show, this might not be the last we see of these great characters.

Hulu, July 26

Veronica Mars is the show that just won't quit. It started on UPN and move to The CW, before it was canceled. Then a Kickstarter campaign funded a movie that was released in theaters years later, followed by a series of novels. Now, once again, Veronica is back and this time she's on Hulu. Not a lot is known about the new season, but you can expect most of the familiar faces you love to reappear.

Fox, August 7

Beverly Hill 90201 is one of the most iconic shows of the 1990s--it made stars of Luke Perry, Jason Priestly, and Shannon Doherty and ran for an entire decade. It's surprising that it's taken until 2019 for a reboot to happen--but it finally is. BH90210 has a strange concept--Priestly, Doherty, and Tori Spelling are all back, but they won't be reprising their roles from the original series. In BH90210, they are playing "heightened versions" of their real-life selves, alongside a new, younger cast. Quite how this will work remains to be seen--and let's face it, it might not. But it's certainly an intriguing way to approach a reboot. All will be revealed in August.

Netflix, August 9

Netflix's hugely entertaining '80s-set comedy drama will return for a third season this year. The show focuses on an all-female TV wrestling crew, and it features one of TV's best ensemble casts, including Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Kate Nash, and Britney Young. Comedian/podcaster Marc Maron plays their manager, Sam, and the show strikes a perfect balance between nostalgic laughs and more serious social issues. Season 2 was even better than the first, so hopes are high for this one.

Epic, July 28

An entire show based around Batman's faithful butler Alfred might seem like a strange idea, but the upcoming Pennyworth won't focus on an elderly man making Bruce Wayne tea in a big mansion. Pennyworth has been developed by Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller, and will explore Alfred's younger life, when he was a special forces operative and trained assassin. The Imitation Game’s Jack Bannon takes the lead role, and while we don't have a premiere date yet, it started production last year, so expect to see some footage soon.

AMC, August 12

AMC's period horror series The Terror was one of 2018's scariest shows, and it returns this year with a brand new story. This time, the setting is a Japanese American internment camp during World War II, where members of the community are menaced by an unseen evil. The cast includes Star Trek legend George Takei, who also acted as an advisor on the production, having lived in an internment camp as a child in the 1940s.

Netflix, August 30

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is the upcoming prequel to the classic 1982 fantasy movie The Dark Crystal. The series has been in the works for a couple of years and finally hits Netflix on August 30. Like the movie, which was co-directed by the late Muppets creator Jim Henson, the new show uses puppetry to create the world of the Dark Crystal. It looks visually stunning, and the trailer is packed with the weird creatures and striking set design that will be instantly recognisable to fans of the film.

Netflix, September 20

Disenchantment is the latest animated show from Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groenig and is a typically irreverent take on the fantasy genre. The first half of Season 1 arrived last year and was met with somewhat mixed reviews, but with the next 10 episodes releasing in September and another entire season due in 2020, Netflix is clearly happy with audience reaction so far. Broad City star and co-creator Abbi Jacobson stars as Bean, a rebellious and hard-drinking princess, who makes trouble in the kingdom of Dreamland with her optimistic elf pal Elfo and destructive "personal demon" Luci.

Netflix, September 20

From Nip/Tuck and Glee to American Horror Story and Feud, Ryan Murphy is one of TV's most varied and prolific creators. It was inevitable he would eventually produce a show for Netflix, and The Politician is the result. It's an ambitious series with Broadway star Ben Platt as a rising politician named Payton Hobart, and each season is set to focus on a different political contest. Season 1 follows Payton while still in high school as he sets about trying to become student body president. The impressive cast also includes Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bette Midler, and Murphy's gift for making popular but uncompromising TV makes it one of the fall's watches.

The CW, October 6

John Wick: Chapter 2 star Ruby Rose made her debut as Kate Kane in The CW's Elseworlds crossover event last year and will headline her own show later this year. Batwoman is the latest addition to the The CW's Arrow-verse, following the likes of Supergirl, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow. This will be the first show to fully explore The CW's version of Gotham and the main villain will be Alice, played on the show by Rachel Skarsten (Birds of Prey, Imposters). Dougray Scott is also set to appear in the series as Jacob Kane, Kate's father and leader of a private security firm. Check out the first Batwoman trailer here.

The CW, October 9

The character of intrepid teenage investigator Nancy Drew dates back to 1930, and there have been many adaptations over the years, most recently the movie Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, which was released in March and stared It movie breakout Sophia Lillis. Now, Nancy returns yet again this year in a new TV show. This one focuses on a slightly older Nancy, who is now at college and has retired from solving mysteries after her mom's death. But of course, it doesn't take long for her to be drawn back into another case. Newcomer Kennedy McMann stars as Nancy, and the show premieres in the fall.

USA Network, October

Rami Malek is now a huge movie star, with an Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody and the main villain role in the next Bond movie under his belt. But we'll have one more chance to see him in the show that made his name, as the fourth and final season of the conspiracy drama Mr Robot arrives in the Fall. Creator Sam Esmail has revealed nothing about the final season, but we do know that Malek will be joined by his regular co-stars Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, and Martin Wallstromöm. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Malek described the final season as "a very impactful, emotional, and I think clearly well thought out way to end this story and this series." Sounds good to us.

HBO, TBC

There was some surprise when HBO announced it was developing a new TV version of the classic comic book Watchmen, but it seems that, unlike Zack Snyder's movie, this won't be a straight adaptation. The show is currently in production, and while plot specifics are under wraps, showrunner Damon Lindelof has promised it will "be set in the world its creators painstakingly built, but in the tradition of the work that inspired it, this new story must be original." The cast includes Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, and Tim Blake Nelson.

FX, TBC

Ryan Murphy's anthology show American Horror Story reaches its ninth season this year, and shows no signs of flagging. While we don't know many plot details yet, the title of the season, and plus the first teaser, suggests that it will take its inspiration from VHS horror favorites of the 1980s. The cast this time round includes series veteran Emma Roberts, and Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy, who is making his acting debut.

Shudder, TBC

The horror anthology film Creepshow is getting a TV adaptation on Shudder. There are not many details yet about what stories the series will tell, but special effects guru Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) will direct, executive produce, and handle creative elements on the show--meaning he's bringing his blood and gore expertise to the project.

Netflix, TBC

The first season of the '70s-set crime drama Mindhunter showed that producer David Fincher was just at home with small-screen serial killer thrills as he is in movies such as Zodiac and Seven. The balance between a seriously dark crime procedural and a beautifully performed, character-driven drama was exceptional, so hopes are extremely high for Season 2. Production only wrapped in December, so don't expect it for a while; Season 1 premiered in October 2017, so a fall release for Season 2 seems likely.

Disney +, TBC

The biggest surprise Star Wars announcement last year was the news that the much-loved animated series, The Clone Wars, will return for a seventh series. The show ran from 2008 to 2014, but was cancelled following Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm. But thanks to the studio's upcoming streaming service Disney+, an entire new 12-episode season is on the way. Creator Dave Filoni is back on board, and while we don't have a confirmed release date, the service is to launch this year, so a 2019 premiere remains a definite possibility.

Netflix, TBC

When Netflix's lavish adaptation of the popular fantasy series was first announced, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich suggested that we probably wouldn't see it until 2020. However, the streaming giant recently confirmed that the show would in fact make its debut in 2019--more specifically, in the last three months of the year. Superman star Henry Cavill takes on the lead role as Geralt of Rivia, with Freya Allan (Into the Badlands) as Ciri and Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust) as Yennifer. We're yet to see any official imagery--let alone a trailer--but this early test footage of Cavill shows that he certainly looks the part. Without question, one of the year’s most anticipated shows.

Disney launches its streaming service, Disney+, later this year, and unsurprisingly there's a few Star Wars shows on the way to it. The Mandalorian was the first live-action series to be announced, and while we don't know for sure that it will premiere in 2019, it has been in production for several months, so it's a definite possibility. The show is set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and it will focus on a lone Mandalorian gunfighter, played by Pedro Pascal (Narcos). The Jungle Book director Jon Favreau is the showrunner, and individual episode directors will include Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok), Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels), and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard...

Amazon, TBA

Season 1 of last year's acclaimed Amazon thriller Homecoming showcased a fantastic performance from Julia Roberts as a woman struggling to remember her dark past working at a sinister rehabilitation facility for soldiers with PTSD. Sadly she won't be returning for the second season, but there's still plenty to look forward to, with Mr Robot's Sam Esmail returning to direct. While Season 1 was a straight adaptation of the popular Homecoming podcast, Season 2 will deviate from the source material, with Esmail describing it as having "a very different trajectory" to later episodes of the original show.

HBO, TBA

This BBC/HBO co-production is the second attempt to adapt Philip Pullman's much-loved trilogy of fantasy novels. But while 2007's movie flop The Golden Compass was a lavish blockbuster that tried to cash in on the popularity of the Lord of the Rings movies, this new TV version look much more faithful. It stars Dafne Keen (Logan), James McAvoy (the X-Men series, Glass), Ruth Wilson (Luther), and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns), and follows the adventures of two children as they explore a series of parallel universes. Confidence is clearly high in the new show, as Season 2 has already been commissioned, and while we don't yet have a premiere date for Season 1, it has been confirmed it will happen this year.

CBS All-Access, TBC

The movie version of Star Trek might have stalled but there's still plenty of upcoming small screen Trek output for fans to enjoy. Without question, the most anticipated new show is Jean-Luc Picard series, which will see Patrick Stewart reprise his iconic role from The Next Generation. The series reportedly starts shooting this month, so while we don't have a premiere date there's a chance we might see it towards the end of the year. In terms of the story, creator Alex Kurtzman recently revealed that it will follow the dissolution of the Romulan empire and how this has "radically altered" Picard.

FX, TBC

With Ex-Machina and Annihilation, writer and director Alex Garland made two of the best sci-fi movies of recent years, and anticipation is high for his small screen debut. Devs is a dark, futuristic thriller, in which a woman investigates a tech company she believes is responsible for her boyfriend's death. The show stars Sonoya Mizuno, who previously appeared in Ex-Machina and last year's brilliant Maniac, plus Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman as the boss of the tech company.

Amazon Video, late 2019

BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is set to unleash another very dark-sounding animated show, which hits Amazon later this tear. Undone's trailer revealed it to be every bit as weird as BoJack, but with a very different tone and visual style. The animation is reminiscent of director Linklater's rotoscoped films A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life, and the plot centers upon a woman who gains the ability to move freely through time and space after a near-fatal car accident. The cast includes Rosa Salazer (Alita: Battle Angel) and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul).