2021's most anticipated new TV shows have one thing in common: they all look amazing. 2021 is primed to be a landmark year for television, arguably ushering in an entirely new era for the medium. There are several highly anticipated shows arriving this year, and several more yet to be confirmed, which span across several genres. 2021 looks to be a year offering quality TV series for everyone's tastes.

Of course, 2020 offered plenty of promise at its start. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the industry, stalling the debut of multiple much-anticipated shows. While the pandemic won't be going anywhere for the better part of 2021, there is still plenty to get excited about in the television realm since productions have resumed in varying capacities.

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Many of this year's most anticipated shows are part of a broader world, whether it be the MCU or the Star Wars universe. While the best TV shows have seen larger and larger budgets over the years, 2021 may mark the arrival of television blockbusters, shows that are just as essential as feature films to some of the world's biggest franchises. The immense popularity of The Mandalorian predates this movement, but several shows in 2021 seem primed to solidify it.

The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+)

Boba Fett and Jabbas Palace in The Mandalorian

The Book of Boba Fett was first teased in a post-credits sequence at the end of The Mandalorian's season 2 finale. The show will follow the journey of legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett. The post-credits scene showed Boba Fett infiltrating Jabba the Hutt's palace and killing everyone in sight, including Bib Fortuna. The Book of Boba Fett will likely pick up where the scene left off, although the series likely will not be limited to Tatooine. Boba Fett was initially expected to star in his own solo film, so his presence here in a spin-off television series on Disney+ reinforces the industry's newfound focus on blockbuster television as a viable future. The Book of Boba Fett will arrive in December of 2021.

Lord of the Rings (Amazon Prime)

Aragorn wearing the crown in Gondor in The Lord of the Rings

Sprawling cinematic universes seem to be a Disney thing, but Amazon Prime may be carving out its own territory in this space with its $250 million acquisition of the rights to the Lord of the Rings franchise. The upcoming series set in the legendary fantasy world is currently unnamed, with very little details known regarding its plot. Even the release date for the show is unconfirmed, and yet fans are expecting its arrival some time in 2021. For now, all that is certain is that the show will take place in the Second Age of Tolkien's universe, which is all Amazon has the rights to at the moment. Amazon also plans to produce at least five seasons of the show, with room for potential spin-offs as well. Several roles have been cast, and the show is, of course, shot in New Zealand. The first season will also feature a whopping 20 episodes. Fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to on Amazon Prime, and the show's eventual arrival could signal an absolute transformation for the television industry at large.

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Halo (Showtime)

halo showtime

Showtime's Halo series has been in development for what feels like forever, and its 2021 release date is still yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, fans are banking on the show's arrival in 2021. Halo will primarily adapt the story of the first entry in the legendary video game franchise, Halo: Combat Evolved. Pablo Schreiber stars as Master Chief, a casting decision that has been met with equal parts excitement and ire. Of course, the show will also introduce The Covenant, the alien race that acts as the antagonizing force of the first few games in the series. It also doesn't hurt that Steven Spielberg is producing the series. While other details remain scarce, Halo has the opportunity to be one of the few great video game adaptations.

Mr. Mayor (NBC)

Ted Danson Mr. Mayor

NBC's Mr. Mayor arrives early in 2021, January 7th to be exact. The series is an incredible fusion of talent, with Ted Danson starring as Mayor Neil Bremer and employing the same kind of naïve charm that made his character on The Good Place such a hit. Tina Fey wrote and created the new series, which also stars Holly Hunter and Bobby Moynihan. It also seems safe to say that Mr. Mayor takes direct influence from recent political events, namely the rise of Donald Trump. Danson's Bremer is a wealthy businessman who decides to run for mayor of L.A. for purely selfish reasons. Sound familiar? While these sorts of shows always run the risk of being too on-the-nose, Danson's likability should almost surely make Mr. Mayor a much-needed success for NBC.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Martin Short Selena Gomez Steve Martin Only Murders in the Building

Selena Gomez joins legendary comedy duo Martin Short and Steve Martin for a murder mystery miniseries. The show follows a trio of characters who are obsessed with true crime and soon find themselves wrapped up in a real-life murder right in their NYC apartment building. Steve Martin created the series, so fans can expect his signature style of humor to make a triumphant return when Only Murders in the Building debuts on Hulu (Disney+ outside the U.S.) later in 2021.

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WandaVision

One could look forward to 2021's most anticipated TV shows and only mention the slate of MCU shows coming to Disney+. WandaVision, however, stands out as the most intriguing of the bunch. While each MCU show will likely be a huge hit, WandaVision seems to have a unique sense of ambition. The series will blend traditional MCU-esque storytelling with an old-school sitcom aesthetic, focusing on the domestic life of The Vision and Scarlet Witch. The series is expected to take inspiration from Tom King's impressive run on The Vision comic book series, while connecting with the broader MCU in new and exciting ways. Of course, beneath the surface of the central couple's seemingly idyllic life is a rage waiting to burst, particularly for Scarlet WitchWandaVision is primed to be a gamechanger for television when it premieres on January 15th, 2021.

Loki

Loki TVA Scanner

Aside from WandaVisionLoki may be the most exciting addition to the MCU's stable of films and television shows. Sure, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will advance the legacy of Captain America, and What If? will offer a boldly animated rendition of unprecedented Marvel moments, but Loki will fill in some key gaps in the MCU's lore. The show will follow Loki after the events of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, in which he managed to steal the Tesseract, creating a new timeline from what was previously established in 2012's The Avengers. The show finds its titular character at the mercy of the Time Variance Association, who Loki must work for (or against) in order to break free of this new timeline. The show will offer a new direction for MCU's Phase 4, and is expected to tie in with films such as Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. It premieres in May of 2021.

Foundation

Apple TV+ just might have the next great sci-fi series on its hands. Foundation adapts Isaac Asimov's seminal book series into a sprawling thousand-year epic. The show follows a group of exiles who must rebel against the Galactic Empire in order to save it from destruction. Jared Harris, who won an Emmy for his work on Chernobyl, stars as mathematics professor Hari Seldon. Lee Pace and Terrence Mann co-star. Apple's marketing for the series has been suspect, bizarrely connecting the show's emphasis on technology with the company's own success in the field, but the series is undoubtedly in good hands, with sci-fi gurus David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman serving as showrunners. Marvel may have many releases set for 2021, as does the Star Wars universe, but a show like Foundation may still emerge as one of the more exciting sci-fi releases of the year.

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