The Most Talked About TV Shows Debuting in 2019 and Beyond

2019 may not be done yet but the world is already talking about the upcoming new TV series that are going to stream in the second half of 2019 and beyond. People are expecting several shows renewed for another season as confirmed by media companies. Some can’t wait for the final season of many series and returning shows that were cancelled but are being given another chance. But, everyone is going gaga over new shows that are debuting in this and the coming years. 

TV screens will showcase some of the biggest high-budget shows by major production companies and casting of a number of the most brilliant actors today. The much-anticipated line-up of shows includes stories based on best-selling books, adaptations of box-office movies, live-action versions of animated films or TV series, and prequels and spin-offs of successful franchises. Several high-profile series have been teasing viewers with pre-production photos, ensemble casting, press releases, and one-minute trailers.  

Which shows have you been expecting? Here are several TV series that are coming for an onslaught to your screens and streaming sites. Prepare your boxes of popcorn and large soda for a binge-watching. 

The Witcher

Netflix is bringing more fantasy series to the small screen than any other media company. This year, it has tapped Superman’s Henry Cavill to play the lead role of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher book series, the first season is helmed by seasoned directors Alik Sakharov (Game of Thrones) and Charlotte Brandstrom (Outlander). Joining Cavill are Freya Allan as the princess of Citra and Anya Chalotra as the sorceress Yennefer. 

The first season of eight episodes will debut in the last quarter of 2019. Early in July, Netflix released a first look at Henry Cavill as the Witcher and showed the first trailer during the San Diego Comic Con on July 19. The series has made fans speculate that this is Netflix’s response to Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings. 

His Dark Materials

After the successful runs of Bodyguard, Sherlock and Killing Eve, BBC is teaming up with HBO for the TV adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The fantasy series is headlined by Dafne Keen (Logan) as the young and audacious Lyra Belacqua, the series protagonist who journeys in parallel worlds. Joining the British-Spanish actress are James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jack Thorne signed to write the season premiere with Tom Hooper directing. 

BBC and HBO have yet to announce the exact date the series will premiere but noted that the show will have screen time before the year ends. In February, BBC released a 30-second trailer for a sneak peek of the first season. 

Lord of the Rings

Amazon Prime has acquired the rights to produce the legendary novels and phenomenal movie success of the Lord of the Rings. The media company has locked the deal at $250 million and aims to surpass the fame of Game of Thrones with a projected $1 billion production cost. 

There have not been many announcements as to the details of the TV series. But the news has kept fans at the edge of their seats and busy making theories on the casting and storytelling. Recently, Amazon Prime revealed the creative team that will handle the series. The big names include J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay of Star Trek 4, J.A. Bayona of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and several writers, producers and creative pool from various hit shows such as Stranger Things, Hannibal and The Revenant. 

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Hulu has lined up its big-budget shows to maintain its large share of the subscription video on-demand market. After The Handmaid’s Tale, The First and Catch-22, the media company is gearing up for another huge production by getting Douglas Adams’s popular science fiction series on board. 

Hulu is yet to shed light on the details of the project after it made the news just this month. But, it has been revealed that Carlton Cuse and Jason Fuchs will be the series’ showrunner and feature writer, respectively. 

Today is the golden age of television, as they say, and media companies are giving us more reasons to turn on the boob tube for a longer time with epic line-ups of fantasy, horror, drama and other shows. Also in the upcoming line-up are The Chronicles of Narnia, Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Kingkiller Chronicle. It may be months or years before the first episode rolls. Still, the wait is going to be all worth it. 

So for now, keep your days busy. If you’re an uninsured motorist and collecting from UM insurance, process your claims now. Sleep while you can. Clean your room. Feed your cats. Play all your video games. When these series start to air, you might not have time to do anything other than enjoy the shows.