As 2018 closes to bank another set of TV memories within our cranium, the New Year opens a window for the new shows gunning to populate our sleepless nights.
We might have proclaimed TV is dead in our round-up of shows ending in 2019, but this was a deceitful ruse purely designed to spark fear and disappointment as we scrub you down with positive outlooks in this sequel.
So what’s coming down the pipeline in 2019? Here’s our picks of the concerning amount of shows beaming into our screens.
Good Omens
Starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, this adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel looks set to be one of the big-hitters on Amazon Prime next year.
While those names might be enough to get you on board, the cast also includes Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Sherlock’s Sian Brooke, Line Of Duty’s Daniel Mays and League Of Gentlemen creators Mark Gatiss, Stephen Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.
Game Of Thrones season 8
Few TV shows can boast the global impact of Game Of Thrones. A defining landmark of the TV golden era which has placed characters like Jon Snow and Ned Stark as cultural touchstones alongside Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings.
The final eighth season in April will answer who, if anyone, will claim the Iron Throne. While season seven had some questionable narrative choices, this will undoubtedly deliver as the biggest TV spectacle of 2019.
The Umbrella Academy
Based on the comic book series by My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, The Umbrella Academy follows seven children raised to be superheroes.
If the source material isn’t flying your kite, the cast will probably seal the deal; with Ellen Page, Mary J Blige, Robert Sheehan and Tom Hopper.
Killing Eve season 2
One of the biggest TV success stories of 2018 is returning in spring 2019, fresh from tipped success at next year’s Golden Globes.
This second outing will continue the cat-and-mouse chase between psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and MI5 officer Eve (Sandra Oh), in what should hopefully be another stellar outing.
Mindhunter season 2
The first season of Mindhunter was a methodical fresh spin on the tired serial killer thriller, charting developments in criminology and asking whether it’s worth uncovering the psychology behind ‘monsters’ in society.
The next season will see a batch of new serial killers given the interview treatment, with depictions of Charles Manson, Tex Watson and William Henry Hance aka ‘The Stocking Strangler’.
The Witcher
Following the successful translation of Castlevania to TV, Netflix are hoping for a repeated win with The Witcher starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
While the franchise has become synonymous with the video game adaptations, this series will be based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski.
Big Little Lies season 2
Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley will all return for the second round of HBO’s Big Little Lies, which met universal acclaim back in 2017.
They’ll be joined by Meryl Streep as the mother of Perry (Alexander Skarsgard) and Denis O’Hare as new character Ira Farber.
Star Trek: Discovery season 2
January will beam us back into space for a second outing on the USS Discovery, which managed to overcome severe behind-the-scenes production woes to deliver an impressive first season.
The second will deliver a youthful Spock, played by Ethan Peck, who will be reunited with his adopted sister Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
With hopes to continue Netflix’s documentary success, the platform is releasing a new four-part series about famed serial killer Ted Bundy 30 years after he was executed.
Along with being convicted for murdering 30 women in the 1970s, the show will also explore his trial and his marriage to Carol Ann Boone.
Taboo season 2
Tom Hardy will be back as James Delaney for another round of historical grit in Taboo, which was given a prestigious BBC slot on Saturday nights.
Speaking about the next series, creator Steven Knight said: ‘James Delaney will continue to explore many realities as he takes his band of misfits to a new world, thanks to FX and the BBC, partners who could not be more suited to collaborating in ground breaking work.’
Rick And Morty season 4
While the show’s return is yet to be confirmed for 2019, Rick And Morty’s fourth season looks to be a safe bet for the coming year.
A whopping 70 episodes are in the pipeline. With a gap of two years between season two and three, it’s likely there’ll be a repeated cycle between the third and fourth.
Peaky Blinders series 5
Steven Knight looks set for a busy 2019 with Peaky Blinders also set to return, boasting newcomers Sam Claflin and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The fifth series will follow Tommy Shelby’s ascent to an MP for Birmingham, potentially offering a distinct political flavour to the flat cap gangster antics.
Shipwrecked
E4’s Shipwrecked is getting the reboot treatment with Capital FM host and Strictly contestant Vick Hope, as a bunch of young castaways are left to survive on a desert island.
Keen to capitalise on the success of Love Island with a survival twist, this rebooted show looks to ignite a new wave of T4 nostalgia.
The Crown season 3
A new cast is seeking the Royal seal of approval as original stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith ditch Buckingham Palace in the name of rapid time-jump.
Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies will take the reins on Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, which will pick up events in 1964 through to the 1970s.
Stranger Things season 3
The third season of Stranger Things will dodge its typical winter release date for summer to match its 1985 sunshine setting.
Little else is known about the third outing aside from a batch of episode titles, but it’ll hopefully shake up the formula in some significant ways to steer away from the 80s nostalgia.
True Detective season 3
After a disappointing second season, True Detective is hoping to recapture its groove with Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali in the lead role.
This could be a make-or-break outing for True Detective if it fails to provide a worthwhile reason to return, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s pairing still the show’s benchmark.
Fleabag series 2
Phoebe Waller-Bridge returns in this overlooked BBC series which is part situational comedy and part tragic account of dealing with loss.
Ben Aldridge confirmed to Metro.co.uk he’ll be back in the second series too, albeit in a smaller capacity as Arsehole Guy.
Sex Education
Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield star in this surreal comedy about a sex therapist mother who is slightly too open to her teenage son.
While early word isn’t entirely positive, at least it’ll offer another chance to see Anderson on spectacularly kooky form.
Line Of Duty series 5
With Bodyguard dominating 2018, Jed Mercurio’s original thriller is back to spark theory conversation with another round of Line Of Duty.
This time around Stephen Graham will be playing a mysterious villain opposite regulars Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar.
His Dark Materials
Based on the beloved novels by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials is being given an eight-part TV adaptation starring James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ruth Wilson.
As a co-production between BBC and HBO, and having already been renewed for a second season, this will surely be one of the biggest shows of the year.
Black Mirror season 5
While everyone navigates their way through movie Bandersnatch, Netflix are still preparing a full fifth season of Black Mirror for release in 2019.
Details are scarce however when exactly this will arrive. Knowing the series’ reputation for surprises though, we imagine it’ll creep up when we least expect it.
This Time With Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan’s most beloved creation Alan Partridge is returning to the BBC following several outings on Sky, which is set to be released in early 2019.
Little else is known about the shows, other than Tim Key and Felicity Montague will both be back as Sidekick Simon and Alan’s PA Lynn respectively.
Derry Girls series 2
Channel 4 found gold with coming-of-age comedy Derry Girls, which follows 16-year-old Erin and her pals with the backdrop of Northern Ireland conflict in the 1990s.
Creator Lisa McGee has teased a second outing could revolve around the ceasefire, along with Bill Clinton’s 1995 visit to Derry.
Big Mouth season 3
Netflix’s animated comedy series about the treacherous plights of puberty will be back for a third season after a successful second bout.
Co-creator Andrew Goldberg discussed the possibility of aging up the characters in a third outing, so will we be plunging into the eighth grade?
Bojack Horseman season 6
From one adult animation to another, BoJack Horseman will return next year for a sixth season about everyone’s favourite depressed celebrity horse.
The series has gone from strength-to-strength with each season packing some of the year’s best TV episodes of recent years, so we can’t wait to see what else is in store.
Liar season 2
Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd will return for a second series of Liar, which will revolve around who killed the serial rapist Andrew Earlham.
It became one of the most discussed ITV dramas of 2018, so let’s hope this won’t go the way of Broadchurch and offer a disappointing follow-up.
A Series Of Unfortunate Events season 3
One of the most underrated shows in Netflix’s collection is bowing out with a third season, which will adapt the final books in Lemony Snicket’s series.
The first two seasons represent the best family TV outings you can find on the platform, with an excellently malevolent turn from Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf.
Orange Is The New Black season 7
After House Of Cards came to an end this year, Netflix is cutting ties with another of its original flagships in prison drama Orange Is The New Black.
The seventh and final season will wave goodbye to Litchfield prison, which will pick up after the season six cliffhanger of inmate Piper Chapman finally being released.
Victoria series 3
Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will return as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for the third series of this ITV drama.
The show is expected to return to ITV in early 2019 with eight episodes, which was teased to cover ‘turbulent times’ between the couple.
Queer As Folk
The beloved Channel 4 series is getting the reboot treatment with original writer Russell T Davies taking up the project as an executive producer alongside Stephen Dunn.
The show will see brand new characters and most likely a brand new setting, with the original taking place on Manchester’s Canal Street.
Luther series 5
Idris Elba returns as Luther for another batch of episodes, which will kick off on New Year’s Day.
The new series promises a return to the Luther of old, packing twisted storylines with plenty of swagger to match its dark tales.
Queer Eye season 3
After becoming one of the defining shows of 2018, Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye will be back for a third season and even more Fab Five makeovers.
This time around they’ll be transforming the lives of more women. Let’s be honest though, we just want Jonathan Van Ness pirouetting a destruction cyclone as they burst into unsuspecting homes.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina season 2
One of the best things to emerge from Halloween was Netflix’s reboot of Sabrina The Teenage Witch, which transformed the show into a darker, horror-orientated trip.
Filming kicked off on a second season directly after the first, with a release date set for 5 April 2019.
RuPaul Drag Race UK
After RuPaul’s Drag Race has become arguably the best reality show on the box, a UK version is now officially in the pipeline for BBC Three next year.
It’s unclear exactly who will be involved though, aside from Michelle Visage who has already confirmed she’ll be a judge on the show.
Chernobyl
HBO and Sky are teaming up for a new TV miniseries which revolves around the tragic disaster at Chernobyl which occurred in Ukraine 1986.
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard and Emily Watson will star in the series, which will retell how and why it happened with the remarkable stories of those who suffered.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Kimmy, Titus, Jacqueline and Lillian will be dropping quips for the last time in January, when the second half of season four arrives on Netflix.
This might not be the end altogether, though, with claims there could be a standalone movie to put a bow on this sharply-written colourful zinger.
The Punisher season 2
Jon Bernthal will be back as Frank Castle in the second season of Marvel’s The Punisher.
Following the cancellations of Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, many are now expecting this will be the last outing – so let’s hope he’s given the swansong he deserves.
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