In 2021, television kept me sane. While “Squid Game” was the most-watched and arguably most-thought-provoking Netflix show of the year, network series ranging from “Dynasty” to “Queens” captured my attention, prompting me to restart my Hulu + Live TV subscription. As “Black-ish” airs its final season on ABC, “The Wonder Years” is making its mark on the network and its audiences. Lest we forget the power of HBO with shows such as “White Lotus,” “Succession” and “Insecure.”
Despite heartbreaking news that “Good Girls” will not be returning for a fifth season, Flight 828 and the crew of “Manifest” will be returning in the new year on Netflix thanks to a passionate fan campaign to renew the series. Though art imitates life and vice versa, some (coughs Ellen Pompeo) are ready to pull the plug on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” which tackled COVID-19 then moved on from the pandemic once its star recovered.
Regardless, as we embark on a new year with a new variant, here are several TV series to look out for across Netflix, OWN, ABC and other networks.
New Shows
“Abbott Elementary” - Jan. 4
I’ve sincerely missed the presence of workplace mockumentaries on television, and I’m overjoyed that Quinta Brunson is reviving this era with ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” Inspired by the anecdotes of her mother, who worked as an educator in the School District of Philadelphia, the sitcom follows a group of five teachers and a principal as they attempt to give their students the best at a West Philly public school. Starring a few beloved, familiar faces — such as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter and Tyler James Williams — the “Abbott Elementary” pilot premiered on Dec. 7 and has already earned a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Replete with meddling yet heartwarming characters, cute kids and a budding romance, to me, it’s like a refreshing, predominantly Black version of “The Office” or my guilty pleasure, “Parks & Recreation” — but so much funnier. Watching Brunson’s evolution from BuzzFeed video star to comedienne, actress and author has been amazing to see and I can’t wait to watch the 13-episode season when it returns in January. —Ruth Etiesit Samuel
“Ladies Who List” - Jan. 7
I’m obsessed with “Selling Sunset.” I’m in love with its Tampa offshoot, “Selling Tampa.” So of course I’m super excited to see “Ladies Who List: Atlanta,” an upcoming reality-realty series on OWN. The network has a few love-related reality series that instantly hook you such as “Ready to Love” and “Put a Ring On It,” and “Ladies Who List” is sure to be an added fixture to my OWN watch list. Featuring six Black business women who work in real estate, the eight-episode season follows brokers, attorneys and agents as they navigate the Atlanta housing market. If the series is anything like its counterparts, there will absolutely be a lot of drama unfolding. —Erin E. Evans
“Kings of Napa” - Jan. 11
Since the end of OWN’s “Greenleaf,” there has been a dynastic, wealthy Black family-shaped void in my heart. And this January, “Kings of Napa” is going to fill it. Written and produced by Janine Sherman Barrois, who is also behind “Claws,” the series follows a patriarch’s departure from the House of Kings, one of the premier vineyards in the world. At the family-owned winery purchased by a Black surgeon, his three children must now fight over who gets to lead the company. People often question why there aren’t more Black characters in “Succession,” when the truth of the matter is that one, these shows exist and flourish on The Oprah Winfrey Network and two, we don’t need to watch Black characters be verbally hate-crimed and accosted by the Roy family. “Kings of Napa” premieres at 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 11 on OWN, and I’m ready for the return of mess. —Ruth Etiesit Samuel
“Archive 81” - Jan. 14
It’s all in the premise, really. Netflix’s “Archive 81” tells the story of an archivist (Mamoudou Athie) who stumbles across a demonic cult captured in a raggedy videotape from decades earlier — and gets lured into a mystery. Sold. —Candice Frederick
“Single Drunk Female” - Jan. 20
Not to be confused with the well-worn moniker Single White Female, Freeform’s “Single Drunk Female” centers a young woman (Sofia Black-D’Elia) who hits rock bottom following a catastrophically drunk moment and has to move back to her mom’s house to rebuild her life. In addition to the fact that the eternally wonderful Ally Sheedy plays the mother, it’s awesome to see a network that has a large young audience explore topics like this that are often under-discussed. —Candice Frederick
“As We See It” - Jan. 21
It’s rare that characters on the autistic spectrum are centered in TV series. It’s even more uncommon to see actors that all identify as on the autistic spectrum in these roles. That’s instantly why Amazon’s “As We See It” is so intriguing, because it seeks to present familiar experiences like dating and careers through the perspectives of three roommates on the spectrum (Sue Ann Pien, Rick Glassman, and Albert Rutecki). —Candice Frederick
“Promised Land” - Jan. 24
OK, I’m obsessed with watching families clamor for wealth and power on TV. So ABC’s upcoming series “Promised Land” will likely be a godsend to my DVR. The series features a Latinx cast and is helmed by a majority Latinx creative team and follows the Sandoval family in California’s Sonoma Valley. The Sandovals go head-to-head with a rival family, as they battle it out over who can reign supreme in the region’s wine business. “Promised Land,” alongside OWN’s “Kings of Napa,” is sure to quench my thirst for messy drama on my TV screen. —Erin E. Evans
“The Afterparty” - Jan. 28
Who knew so much could go down at an afterparty for a high school reunion? It gets pretty wild when Xavier (Dave Franco) ends up dead — killed, actually — and the cops intervene. They question each member of the party (filled with comedy greats like Ilana Glazer and Sam Anderson), who apparently all have different recollections of what happened. Cold winter temps are perfect murder mysteries, and here’s hoping this Apple TV+ whodunit doesn’t disappoint. —Candice Frederick
“Pam & Tommy” - Feb. 2
Remember that time when “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson married Mötley Crüe founding member Tommy Lee and mess ensued — including a sex tape? Hulu wants us to relive that sensational 1995 era in a new series starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan as the eponymous subjects beginning from when the two first got together to when their relationship became etched in pop culture history. Here for it. —Candice Frederick
“Inventing Anna” - Feb. 11
It’s hard to believe this is Shonda Rhimes’ first show as creator and showrunner since signing her mega deal with Netflix in 2017 (though she did executive-produce last year’s hit series “Bridgerton”). Given the show’s source material — Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine story on infamous scammer Anna Delvey — and the talent involved, it looks like it will be worth the wait. The cast has so many huge names: Julia Garner! Anna Chlumsky! Laverne Cox! Anna Deavere Smith! Arian Moayed (Stewy from “Succession”)! And it wouldn’t be a Shondaland show without several Shondaland regulars, like Jeff Perry, Kate Burton and Katie Lowes. February can be a slow time, especially as we head into Year 3 of the pandemic. This juicy show is what we’ll need to get us through another pandemic winter. —Marina Fang
“Severance” - Feb. 18
Work-life balance has never looked so severe as it does in the trailer for “Severance,” the Apple TV+ thriller that spotlights a company that includes an alluring benefit in its package: an option to entirely erase personal experience when on the job and work experiences while at home. Sure, it might sound appealing, but you know there’s got to be a catch. We shudder to guess what that is. —Candice Frederick
“From” - Feb. 20
“Do you believe in monsters?” Yes, if those monsters are people. That is what’s peering at the surface of Epix’s upcoming horror series that follows a group of residents trapped inside a nightmare in middle America, where freaks really do come out at night. —Candice Frederick
“The Dropout” - March 3
Grifter stories frequently make for riveting movies and television (see also: “Inventing Anna”). So it’s no surprise that the very dramatic rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes is the subject of several forthcoming dramatizations, including this upcoming Hulu limited series. Starring Amanda Seyfried as the turtleneck-wearing Theranos founder, who fooled a lot of people into investing in what appeared to be a revolutionary blood-testing startup, the show is based on the ABC News podcast of the same name. “Lost” star Naveen Andrews plays Sonny Balwani, the company’s president and Holmes’ then-boyfriend. There are a lot of big names involved behind the camera too: “New Girl” creator Elizabeth Meriwether is the series’ showrunner, and its executive producers include Liz Heldens (“Friday Night Lights,” “The Big Leap”) and Liz Hannah (“The Post”). —Marina Fang
“Pachinko” - spring
Min Jin Lee’s sweeping epic of a novel follows a Korean family who immigrated to Japan in the early 1900s during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Chronicling the family through intertwining storylines and over several generations that span close to a century, it’s a natural fit for a meaty TV series. There’s a lot of talent involved in the adaptation, premiering sometime this spring on Apple TV+. Executive producers Koganada and Justin Chon, both known for their gorgeous and personal filmmaking, each directed four of the eight episodes. The series features an international cast from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan — including Oscar-winning legend Youn Yuh-jung (“Minari”) as Sunja, the family’s matriarch. —Marina Fang
“Partner Track”
I’m a sucker for a legal drama. An adaptation of Helen Wan’s 2013 novel, “Partner Track” follows Ingrid Yun, a young lawyer in New York City, as she attempts to balance her values & passions while vying for partner at an elite firm. Created by Georgia Lee, the show is set to be released in 2022 with 10 episodes in Season 1. The shining star of the cast is none other than the understated but uber-talented Arden Cho. Since her role as Kira in “Teen Wolf,” I’ve missed seeing Cho on screen, and I’m excited to see the depth she’ll add to this story of “an Asian American woman trying to break the glass ceiling.” I imagine the series will touch on deconstructing and redefining what success looks like for high-powered women of color, whether we have to sacrifice ourselves to achieve such, etc., but truly hoping for just an ounce of the juiciness that made “How to Get Away With Murder” or “Scandal” so enthralling. — Ruth Etiesit Samuel
Shows That Are Returning, Many Of Them For The Final Time
“This Is Us” - Jan. 4
Will the Big Three finally be able to move through their grief over losing their dad (Milo Ventimiglia) and forward in their lives? How will their mother’s (Mandy Moore) failing health challenge that? What else will we learn about Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) when her own mother (Phylicia Rashad) reenters the story? These are all the questions we have going into the sixth and final season of “This Is Us.” And who knows what other drama the writers of this NBC series will tack on to that. Either way, we’ll be watching. —Candice Frederick
“Search Party” - Jan. 7
You’d think there wasn’t really anywhere to go after you kill off your lead protagonist (Alia Shawkat). But leave it to the masterminds behind HBO Max’s “Search Party,” showrunners Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, to put her and her crew — as well as the audience — through the ringer one final time before the laughably depraved series signs off for good. We can’t wait. —Candice Frederick
“Ozark” - Jan. 21
Truth be told, crooked white families have always been like catnip for TV audiences (“Succession” and “The Sopranos,” to name two). But Netflix’s “Ozark” is so cutthroat and stressful to watch now more than ever as the dramatic series thrusts a former financial adviser and his family (led by the great Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) into their most precarious state as legitimate cartel members. Good luck to everyone they encounter as the drama surely reaches a fever pitch in its final season. —Candice Frederick
“Snowfall” - Feb. 23
I didn’t start watching FX’s wildly addictive “Snowfall” until it was already three seasons in. But to anyone who needs a binge-worthy show to add to their list, it is never too late to start this series. Heading into its fifth season, the stakes are as high as ever. The performances are stellar and the plot, while dark and often anxiety-inducing, will take you on a ride that you won’t ever forget. I won’t say much more because I hope you’re going to check it out for yourself. —Erin E. Evans
“Killing Eve” - Feb. 27
The fourth and final season of BBC America’s “Killing Eve” has a lot at stake. The tantalizing cat-and-mouse game between MI6 agent Eve (Sandra Oh) and serial killer Villanelle (Jodie Comer) must come to an end. Knowing the show, it will not be a neat and tidy ending wrapped in a bow. There will be lots of blood (and opulent European locations and glamorous costumes). As much as I’ve loved this stylish and exhilarating show, its recent seasons have started to feel like it’s running out of steam. The show’s producers are wise to quit while they’re ahead. —Marina Fang
“Better Things” - Feb. 28
It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to Pamela Adlon’s brilliant comedy series inspired by her own experiences as an actor and girl-mom. With her daughters barreling toward adulthood and their shenanigans mostly subsided, Sam (Adlon) must confront the FX series’ most glaring question: Who is she outside of being a mother? According to the trailer, she apparently attempts to purchase a vintage car and is forced to join Hinge. Hilarity will certainly ensue in this endlessly charming series. —Candice Frederick
“Atlanta” - March 24
Believe it or not, it has been almost three years since we were introduced to Teddy Perkins, that haunting character from Season 2 of FX’s “Atlanta.” Lakeith Stanfield, Brian Tyree Henry and Zazie Beetz have appeared in a number of films since then. The Donald Glover-led series is finally coming back in 2022 and we can’t wait. Let this teaser trailer tide you over until then. And here’s hoping we won’t have to wait as long for the already confirmed Season 4. —Erin E. Evans
“P-Valley” - June
At this point, it seems like “P-Valley” premiered in 1997. At least it has felt like 25 years since the Katori Hall-helmed series debuted on Starz in summer 2020. “P-Valley” is set in a Mississippi strip club, where veteran dancer Mercedes (Brandee Evans), newcomer Autumn (Elarica Johnson) and owner Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) will do anything to keep The Pynk live and in living color. I fell in love with the cast, especially Keyshawn (Shannon Thornton), Diamond (Tyler Lepley) and Lil’ Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson), and the storylines are so tantalizing and full of soap-opera-like drama that it leaves you always wanting more after each episode. Here’s hoping we know what’s going down in the valley where the girls get naked sooner rather than later. —Erin E. Evans
“Industry”
While the premiere date has yet to be announced, “Industry” is returning for a second season in 2022 on HBO. Created by ex-bankers-turned-writers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the drama follows a class of young graduates as they compete for long-term roles at Pierpoint, a prestigious investment group in London. Rife with the debauchery, drugs and domineering characters emblematic of the finance world, the British American series sheds an searingly honest (and, dare I say, accurately traumatizing) spotlight on the toxicity and volatility of banking and corporate workplaces. Apart from the insidious pursuit of money and blurred boundaries at Pierpoint, Myha’la Herrold’s portrayal of Harper Stern, a Black American student whose journey to London is founded on half-truths, is so impressive and complex. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Harper, with all of her flaws, to win by any means necessary. Dubbed “a mashup of ‘Billions’ and ‘Skins,’” “Industry” is a critical examination of identity, capitalism and “success” with a dark, suspenseful twist. I can’t wait for its long-awaited return, and possibly some Pierpoint merch. —Ruth Etiesit Samuel