- Numerous TV shows will make their debut in 2020, from reboots of beloved classics like Disney Plus’ “Lizzie McGuire” to original shows like “The Outsider” from HBO.
- Other shows, like the CW’s “Katy Keene,” will also premiere in the coming year.
- And 2020 will see the return of hit series like HBO’s “Succession” and “Westworld.”
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Plenty of exciting new shows are set to premiere in 2020, from reboots of beloved classics like Disney Plus’ “Lizzie McGuire” and “Clueless” to original shows like HBO’s “The Outsider.”
Other series, like Hulu’s “Normal People” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” will also make their debut in the coming year.
With so many new shows premiering in 2020, it can be tough to keep track of which shows to add to your watch list. That’s why we’ve compiled the 12 TV shows we’re most excited about that are premiering in 2020.
“The Outsider” is a new HBO thriller/drama series based on Stephen King’s book of the same name.
Release date: January 12, 2020 on HBO
What it's about: "The Outsider" follows investigators as they try to solve mysteries surround the gruesome murder of an 11-year-old boy in a small town.
Why you should watch: The trailer alone has us sold on watching this murder mystery play out, with "Ozark" and "Arrested Development" actor Jason Bateman working both behind the camera as a director and costarring on the series. Add in Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, and the compelling Stephen King source material, and it looks like "The Outsider" could be an early entry for 2020's television highlights. - Kim Renfro
"Riverdale" spin-off "Katy Keene" will premiere in February.
Release date: February 6, 2020 on The CW
What it's about: "Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale plays the titular role in this glitzy "Riverdale" spin-off from CW, which centers on an aspiring fashion designer and her three friends chasing their dreams in New York City. It's set around five years after "Riverdale" and based on characters from the Archie Comics.
Why you should watch: If the trailers are any indication, "Katy Keene" will be filled with humor, heart, hope, and musical numbers. Hale is joined on the series by "Riverdale" star Ashleigh Murray (Josie McCoy), Jonny Beauchamp (Jorge/Ginger Lopez), and Julia Chan (Pepper Smith).
For "Riverdale" fans looking for a lighter, less gory show with "Devil Wears Prada" and "Gossip Girl" vibes, "Katy Keene" will probably be a good fit. The titular character will also be part of an Archieverse crossover episode airing the day before "Katy Keene" officially premieres. - Olivia Singh
"Better Call Saul" is finally returning for its long-awaited fifth season in February.
Release date: Sunday, February 23 at 10 p.m. and Monday, February 24 at 9 p.m. on AMC.
What it's about: AMC's "Breaking Bad" prequel follows Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) before he was Walter White's criminal lawyer. Season after season, we see how the happy-go-lucky McGill, with big dreams of being an honest lawyer, was slowly hardened and pushed into becoming Saul Goodman.
Why you should watch: Fans have waited more than a year to see what happens next to Jimmy on "Breaking Bad." When the 10-episode fifth season picks up, McGill decides to start practicing the law under his pseudonym of Goodman. We're tremendously concerned about his partner-in-crime and love interest Kim (Rhea Seehorn), whose been having a bit of an emotional break of her own in secret, and who never appears on "Breaking Bad." If you're a fan of the original show, expect to see more of fan favorite, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).
In addition to seeing Jimmy's transformation, the series gives us tiny black-and-white glimpses of what happened to his character after "Breaking Bad" concluded. The prequel series is just as good as - if not better than - the original. - Kirsten Acuna
"Doom Patrol" is one of the best superhero TV shows you're probably not watching.
Release date: July 20, 2019 on the DC Universe app and HBO Max
What it's about: A quirky group of misfit super-powered humans ranging from a brain in a robot (voiced by Brendan Fraser) to a young woman with 64 personalities and superpowers (Jane Guerrero) are forced to work together when the world is threatened.
Why you should watch: Think of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" mixed with the raunchy self-awareness of "Deadpool" and that's "Doom Patrol." The ludicrously unapologetic superhero series masterfully maneuvers between the past and present to showcase the lives of its rag-tag group all while fighting Nazis, themselves, a rat named Admiral Whiskers, and more.
The best part of the series is Alan Tudyk's villainous Mr. Nobody who breaks the fourth wall and hilariously narrates the entire series. - Kirsten Acuna
The third season of "Westworld" is sure to bring more mind-bending drama to HBO.
Release date: TBD (expected around spring 2020) on HBO
What it's about: Artificial intelligence technology has reached a point where robots (called "hosts") and humans are nearly indistinguishable, and a decades-long theme park experiment gone disastrously wrong has led to the start of an uprising.
Why you should watch: "Westworld" creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are making some of the most compelling and brain-twisting dystopian TV out there right now. The third season looks like a promising continuation of the bleak themes associated with manipulation of technology and the boundaries of human life as we know it.
The second season unfolded like a sometimes-excruciatingly complex puzzle box, but with our timeline in hand and minds open, we're eager to see where this unpredictable drama goes next. - Kim Renfro
"Succession" is one of the best dramas (or honestly, comedies) on television right now.
Release date: TBD (expected around summer 2020) on HBO
What it's about: The Roy family, a group of one-percenters who own a powerhouse media business, are in constant turmoil as the head of the house Logan Roy wavers in choosing which child will take over the company.
Why you should watch: The first two seasons of "Succession" did an astounding job weaving between biting satire and enthralling drama, bringing legions of cult followers to the fandom thanks to memorable expletive-laden insults and the Shakespearean style of family infighting. If you've already been sleeping on this HBO gem, don't make the mistake of missing out next year, too. - Kim Renfro
"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" will carry on Captain America's legacy after "Endgame."
Release date: TBD (slated for fall 2020) on Disney Plus
What it's about: The Disney Plus series will feature two Marvel superheroes that played a major role in Captain America's movie arc: Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier. Little is known about the show's plot, but after the events of "Avengers: Endgame" - spoiler, if you somehow still need it - we'll presumably watch the two grapple with the loss of the Steve Rogers they knew, as well as Wilson's journey to become the new Captain America. Helmut Zemo, the villain from "Captain America: Civil War," and Sharon Carter, SHIELD agent and onetime Rogers squeeze, will also play a role.
Why you should watch: Cap passing the shield to Wilson, who has largely played a sidekick role in MCU thus far, was one of the more affecting moments in "Endgame" - especially considering how often the franchise has relegated its black heroes to sidekick roles. Seeing him take on the Captain America mantle will be emotional. Plus, I'm every fan of the MCU has a soft spot for Barnes, who has really been put through the ringer. Here's hoping he finally finds some peace post-Thanos. - Callie Ahlgrim
"Normal People" is an upcoming adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel of the same name.
Release date: TBD on Hulu
What it's about: Much like Rooney's novel of the same name, the show will focus on Marianne and Connell, high school classmates who fall in love but have to overcome peer pressure, social differences, and failures in their own relationship as they grow into adults.
Why you should watch: Rooney's novel was a critical success when it was released in the US in April of this year, and it'll be exciting to see her characters make their screen debut on Hulu. While her yearning, heartbreaking writing style was part of what made the book so good, Marianne and Connell's romance (or lack thereof) is still rife with dramatic moments that will surely make for an excellent TV show. - Libby Torres
An adaptation of the novel "Nine Perfect Strangers" is coming to Hulu.
Release date: TBD (slated for late 2020) on Hulu
What it's about: The novel by Liane Moriarty - who also wrote "Big Little Lies," which the HBO series was based - follows a group of Australians who all wind up at the Tranquillum House, a "boutique health and wellness resort." According to a rave review from the New York Times, each person's motivations for the getaway are explored throughout the story - whether it's a woman with low self-esteem, a family grappling with a recent death, or a couple trying to salvage their marriage. The domineering director of Tranquillum House, Masha Dmitrichenko, promises her guests that their lives will change in 10 days.
Why you should watch: The adaptation will star "Big Little Lies" cornerstone Nicole Kidman and be co-written David E. Kelley, who also worked on the celebrated HBO show. Given Moriarty's knack for creating complex, interesting characters and Hulu's recruitment of both Kidman and Kelley, "Nine Perfect Strangers" is sure to be a riveting delight. - Callie Ahlgrim
An adaptation of Bong Joon-Ho's 2013 film "Snowpiercer" will premiere in 2020.
Release date: TBD on TNT
What it's about: The new TNT series is a reboot of the 2013 film, and, like the film, will follow a group of human survivors stuck on a train that endlessly circles the post apocalyptic, frozen earth.
Why you should watch: Bong Joon-Ho's film, which stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Octavia Spencer, is a masterpiece, but doesn't explore the politics of the train (or the events that led to the collapse of humanity) in depth, mostly due to time constraints. But with a TV show, the "Snowpiercer" world can be explored more fully, even if the characters and plot is similar.
"Run" is a new comedy series from "Fleabag" creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Release date: TBD on HBO
What it's about: Without a trailer, we know little about "Run" other than the short synopsis shared by HBO: "Ruby, a woman living a humdrum existence, gets a text inviting her to fulfill a youthful pact promising true love and self-reinvention by stepping out of her life to take a journey with her oldest flame."
Why you should watch: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the woman responsible for both recent breakout hits "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve," is both co-executive producing and costarring on "Run." The two lead actors, Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, are phenomenal performers we can't wait to see share the screen together. This is yet another HBO series you should keep an eye on in 2020. - Kim Renfro
A revival of "Lizzie McGuire" is set to air next year.
Release date: TBD on Disney Plus
What it's about: The reboot of the classic Disney show will follow a grown-up Lizzie McGuire as she navigates life and love in 2019 Brooklyn. Numerous characters from the original, including Lizzie's best friend/love interest Gordo, will appear on the new version of the show.
Why you should watch: With most of the original cast attached, Disney Plus' reboot of "Lizzie McGuire" will be a must-watch for fans of the 2000s show. Plus, the concept sounds super intriguing, and who doesn't want to see grown-up versions of Lizzie, Gordo, et. al as they live their best lives in New York City? - Libby Torres