The best TV shows to have on your radar in 2021 (including Drag Race UK, which is saving our lockdown)
If there was one good thing to come out of 2020, it was TV shows. There was the LOLS (Schitt's Creek season 6), the creepy (The Haunting of Bly Manor), the groundbreaking (I May Destroy You), the gripping (The Undoing), the regal (The Crown season four), the sexy (Normal People) and the absolutely downright batsh*t (Tiger King, obv).
So you know it's a pretty big deal when we say that 2021 is looking even better. Yep, this year's TV line-up looks set to have us glued to our sofas for some serious binge-watching sessions (which is pretty good news in lockdown 3.0!), from brand new dramas to highly-anticipated returns of some of our favourite shows (Line of Duty season 6, anyone?)
One such return is the second series of Drag Race UK which is giving us much-needed LIFE in lockdown. Since landing on our screens on 14th January, the new season has been serving some serious sass as well as some catchy jingles (if you aren't singing 'UK Hun?' to yourself at least three times a day, you are not a true fan). With the remaining queens trying to impress judges Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, Graham Norton and Mama Ru, who will be the next to sashay away?
In terms of new series that we predict everyone will be talking about, it doesn't get much more exciting than Vigil, from the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard (so you just know it's going to be gripping stuff). It tells the story of a mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board a Trident nuclear submarine, bringing the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services.
The cast features some of the very best names in British TV – Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones, Line of Duty's Martin Compston. Game of Thrones's Rose Leslie and Sex Education's Connor Swindells. How's that for a line-up?
Plus, if you loved Normal People (we mean, who didn't?), the TV adaption of Sally Rooney's first novel Conversations With Friends is due to drop on the BBC in 2021.
Elsewhere, there's plenty of comebacks of our best-loved shows, including Love Is Blind, Dead To Me, Top Boy, Never Have I Ever, Dear White People, Emily In Paris, Russian Doll and Ozark to name just a few.
So get excited, because 2021 is looking to be an absolutely stellar year for TV. Here are the TV shows we can't wait for – and some are out already!...
NetflixBehind Her Eyes
Cast: Simona Brown, Tom Bateman, Eve Hewson
Plot: Adapted from Sarah Pinborough's best-selling 2017 novel, Behind Her Eyes is about single mother Louise, who takes a part-time job in a psychiatrist's office. She starts having an affair with her new boss, David, but then begins an unlikely friendship with David's wife, Adele.
Release date: 17th February 2021
Platform: Netflix
SKYYour Honor
Cast: Bryan Cranston
Plot: Based on the award-winning Israeli series Kvodo, Cranston is Judge Michael Desiato who is forced into a 'high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices' after his son is involved in a hit and run. This 10-part series looks gripping as hell.
Release date: 2nd March 2021
Platform: Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
BBC/World ProductionsVigil
Cast: Suranne Jones, Martin Compston, Rose Leslie, Shaun Evans, Anjli Mohindra, Paterson Joseph, Connor Swindells
Plot: This one is going to be seriously big news. From the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, the six-parter tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board a Trident nuclear submarine, bringing the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services. If that's not enough to get you excited, just check out that cast! Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones, Line of Duty's Martin Compston. Game of Thrones's Rose Leslie and Sex Education's Connor Swindells.
Release date: TBC but first-look pictures were released back in August, so hopefully we won't have long to wait for this epic drama.
Platform: BBC
ITVThe Pembrokeshire Murders
Cast: Luke Evans, Owen Teale, Keith Allen
Plot: One for the true crime fans. In 2006, detective superintendent Steve Wilkins (Evans) reopens two unsolved murder cases from the 1980s. DNA findings link the crimes to a string of burglaries, but can Wilkins and his team find sufficient evidence before the perpetrator is released from prison?
Release date: Out now
Platform: ITV
ITVMarcella S3
Cast: Anna Friel, Ray Panthaki
Plot: After three years since season 2, Marcella is back with a new identity. She is now Keira, and she's on an undercover mission to infiltrate a criminal family in Belfast. But did the troubled detective really leave as much of her old life behind as she thought?
Release date: Out now
Platform: ITV
ShutterstockGentleman Jack S2
Cast: Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle
Plot: Sally Wainwright's adaptation of Anne Lister's diary – the pioneer and industrialist who, in 19th century Yorkshire, shared what it was like to have relationships, deal with members of high society and live her life as a lesbian woman.
Release date: TBC
Platform: BBC
ITVFinding Alice
Cast: Keeley Hawes, Joanna Lumley, Kenneth Cranham, Nigel Havers, Jason Merrells, Gemma Jones and Sharon Rooney.
Plot: This dark comedy-drama follows a grieving wife as she tries to deal with her husband's untimely death, after he falls down the stairs.
Release date: Out now
Platform: ITV
NetflixLupin
Cast: Omar Sy
Plot: The five-part French series is based on Maurice LeBlanc's novels, who created fictional thief and master of disguise Arsène Lupin. Protagonist Assane Diop uses the book as his inspiration to avenge his father, who died after being accused of a crime he didn't commit.
Release date: Out now
Platform: Netflix
My Name Is Lizzie
Cast: Niamh Algar
Plot: Based on the true story of the murder of Rachel Nickell in 1992, My Name is Lizzie focuses on the controversial investigation which used an undercover officer – codename Lizzie James – as sexual bait for the suspected killer.
Release date: TBC
Platform: Channel 4
Ridley Road
Cast: Aggi O’Casey, Rory Kinnear, Tamzin Outhwaite, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Gabriel Akuwudike, Danny Hatchard, Rory Kinnear.
Plot: Penned by Sarah Solemani, the BBC's adaptation of Jo Bloom's novel follows Vivien Epstein, a young Jewish woman who, following the death of her father, moves from Manchester to east London. There, she becomes involved in London’s anti-fascist movement, infiltrating the NSM, a neo-Nazi movement gaining prominence in 1960's London.
Release date: TBC. Ridley Road was announced in August 2019 and production began in September 2020.
Platform: BBC
Riverdale S5
Cast: K.J. Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse
Plot: Season 4 of beloved Netflix hit Riverdale was cut short due to the pandemic, so season 5 is expected to pick up where we left off. We'll be seeing the much-anticipated prom episode in which the gang will graduate from Riverdale High, and we're also expecting a glimpse into their futures. As Lili Reinhart, who stars as Betty Cooper, revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: "We're actually doing a seven-year time jump into the future so we're not going to be teenagers anymore. I'm really psyched about it".
Release date: Out now
Platform: Netfix
The Irregulars
Cast: Henry-Lloyd Hughes, Royce Pierreson
Plot: The Irregulars offers a twist on the classic tale of Sherlock Holmes by focusing on a group of children who help Holmes and Watson solve crimes.
Release date: TBC
Platform: Netflix
Conversations With Friends
Cast: TBC
Plot: Following the massive success of Normal People, the BBC will next be adapting Sally Rooney's first novel, Conversations with Friends. While there's not much info on cast or release date as of yet, the book's story follows best friends and college students Frances and Bobbi, who used to be lovers at school and now perform spoken-word poetry together in Dublin. Their worlds soon change however as their lives become unexpectedly entangled with an older couple, Melissa and Nick.
Release date: TBC
Platform: BBC
Line Of Duty S6
Cast: Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure
Plot: We can't wait for the new season of Line of Duty, following the investigations of police anticorruption unit AC-12. Creator and writer Jed Mercurio teased a picture from set showing a large fruit and vegetable warehouse named 'Arnotts' – the surname of leading character DS Steve Arnott – with someone dressed in a hazmat suit. Do with that cryptic info what you will, but we'll probably have to wait until March to find out.
Release date: March 2021
Platform: BBC
Firefly Lane
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Beau Garrett, Sarah Chalke, Roan Curtis
Plot: Tully and Kate are two unlikely friends who meet as teens in 1974 – Kate is introverted and Tully is the coolest girl in school. This emotional, heartbreaking series follows their friendship over 30 years, and how their bond weathers every milestone in their lives.
Release date: Out now
Platform: Netflix
Dead To Me S3
Cast: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini
Plot: This dark laugh-out-loud series follows the friendship that blossoms between two women; one, a sharp-tongued widow, the other a free spirit (with a burning secret). No spoilers here for those who have yet to watch it, but now is the perfect time to catch up on Netflix!
Release date: TBC but as season 1 dropped in May 2019 and season 2 in May 2020, could we expect a similar release date for season 3?
Platform: Netflix
Dear White People S4
Cast: Logan Browning, Brandon P Bell, DeRon Horton
Plot: Dear White People follows a group of Black students at a fictional Ivy League university where racial tensions and microaggressions run rife. Netflix has confirmed the return of its fourth and final season.
Release date: TBC, but expected around autumn 2021.
Platform: Netflix
Emily In Paris S2
Cast: Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Samuel Arnold
Plot: Loved it or hated it, Emily in Paris was one of the best antidotes to 2020 Netflix could've given us. The first season follows marketing exec Emily (Collins) who gets seconded from Chicago to Paris, where new friends Minty (Park) and dishy chef Gabriel (Bravo) take her under their wing.
Release date: TBC. Series 2 was confirmed in November.
Platform: Netflix
Love Is Blind S2
Cast: Nick and Vanessa Lachey
Plot: Come on, guys, as if you didn't all watch season 1 in about two days. Netflix's absolutely bonkers reality dating show sees 15 women and 15 men going on speed dates in pods where they could hear, but not see each other. They continue to date until they’ve found someone to get engaged to, properly meet for the first after they’ve said yes, then it’s on to the honeymoon and the wedding four weeks later. Season 2 of this ridiculousness can't come quick enough.
Release date: TBC, though Netflix announced the return of the hit series in March and it's speculated to happen in early 2021.
Platform: Netflix
Outer Banks S2
Cast: Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Drew Starkey, Deion Smith, and Charles Esten
Plot: Season 1 of the teen drama was basically Netflix's answer to the OC. It followed a group of teenagers in the Outer Banks of North Carolina who are called "Pogues" who, determined to find out what happened to one of their missing dads, discover a treasure map that hides a deep secret.
Release date: TBC but some are speculating April 2021.
Platform: Netflix
Ozark S4
Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner
Plot: Netflix confirmed that the fourth and final series of Ozark will consist of 14 episodes split into halves. Makes sense, as there's still plenty to tie up in the saga of Marty Byrde – financial advisor turned money launderer for an immense and dangerous drug cartel – and the rest of the Missouri Ozarks crew.
Release date: TBC, though production resumed back in August.
Platform: Netflix
Russian Doll S2
Cast: Natasha Lyonne
Plot: Back in February 2019, Russian Doll had us hooked when tough-as-nails New Yorker Nadia (Lyonne) dies horribly on her 36th birthday while chasing down her missing cat – then wakes up at the same birthday party, and the night starts all over again. Ob-sessed.
Release date: TBC
Platform: Netflix
Stranger Things S4
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour. The show also confirmed that eight new actors will be joining the line-up.
Plot: We have everything you need to know here.
Release date: TBC
Platform: Netflix
The Pursuit Of Love
Cast: Lily James, Emily Beecham, Dominic West, Andrew Scott
Plot: Based on the classic novel of the same name by Nancy Mitford and set between two World Wars, The Pursuit of Love follows fearless aristocratic Linda Radlett (James) and her cousin and Fanny Logan (Beecham), as they travel to Paris in the Roaring Twenties in – you guessed it – the pursuit of love. The show is already being talked about following the paparazzi shots of co-stars Lily James and Dominic West.
Release date: TBC
Platform: BBC
Top Boy S4
Cast: Ashley Walters, Kane Robinson, Michael Ward, Simbi Ajikawo (AKA Little Simz), Jasmine Jobson
Plot: Top Boy made the leap from Channel 4 to Netflxi following it's epic return in 2019 after a six-year gap. That's why Netflix are calling the upcoming series 'season 2', even though it's technically season 4. What's next for Dushane, Sully and Jamie? Top Boy’s creator and writer Ronan Bennett revealed that new episodes will explore a more sensitive side to Sully, after the tragic events he witnessed in season 3.
Release date: Drake previously confirmed that season 4 would drop in 2020, but we're assuming it'll be next year – hopefully early on! – due to pandemic delays.
Platform: Netflix
You S3
Cast: Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, Ambyr Childers
Plot: The new 10-part series will pick up where season 2 left off – how will Joe Goldberg and his equally unhinged girlfriend Love Quinn begin their new life together? And how will Joe’s transfixion on his new neighbour unfold?
Release date: TBC. Netflix confirmed in November that filming on season three had resumed, which will hopefully mean the show can still return in 2021.
Platform: Netflix
Never Have I Ever S2
Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Poorna Jagannathan
Plot: We were all hooked on coming-of-age dramedy Never Have I Ever during the first lockdown –telling the story of first-gen Indian American teenage girl Devi, inspired by Mindy Kaling's own childhood – and we can't wait to see what Devi and the crew will be up to in the coming season. The notable cliffhanger of season 1 was regarding Devi's love life, so we hope that gets addressed ASAP.
Release date: TBC
Platform: Netflix
Umbrella Academy S3
Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda
Plot: Season 3 will consist of 10 one-hour episodes following the Hargreeves family of former child heroes, now grown apart, who reunite to continue to protect the world.
Release date: Production for the new series starts in February, so maybe a summer or autumn 2021 release?
Platform: Netflix
