2019 is going to be an incredible year for TV shows on Netflix. PERIOD. With over 150 returning and brand new titles arriving you’ll have to plenty to binge throughout the year. Out of all the shows set to arrive this year, I painstakingly chose the Top 5 Netflix Original series I am most looking forward to in 2019.
The choices I made haven’t just been because of popularity or hype. Those in my list below are shows I’ve been excited for ever since their announcements. Also acknowledging other shows I am looking forward to, I have added in a small list of honorable mentions below.
Honorable Mentions:
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Part 2)
- The Last Kingdom (Season 4)
- Black Mirror (Season 5)
- Ozark (Season 3)
- The Umbrella Academy (Season 1)
5. Kingdom (Season 1)
Release Date: 25th January
Episodes: 6
Run Time: 45 Minutes
There’s nothing that terrifies me more than flesh-eating zombies, yet I am absolutely fascinated by anything undead-related. The sub-genre of horror has been huge in pop culture for decades and even more so in recent years thanks to shows like The Walking Dead and Z-Nation. One of the best zombie titles I have watched in recent years was Korean cult film Train to Busan. The film was an incredibly refreshing take on zombies and it’s thanks to Train to Busan that I am so hyped for Kingdom. Just from viewing the trailer, there are already some amazing visuals and fantastically shot moments that will stay in my memory forever. As I watch I’ll be feeling both terrified and excited.
Set in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, a crown prince is sent on a mission to investigate a mysterious plague ravishing the kingdom. Upon learning the truth the prince’s quest becomes a suicide mission when it is revealed the greatest threat to the nation has taken shape as flesh-eating zombies.
4. Mindhunter (Season 2)
Release Date: TBC
Episodes: 10
Run Time: 45 – 60 Minutes
Mindhunter was easily one of the standout TV series of 2018, and not just on Netflix but on television as a whole. While the show wasn’t groundbreaking, the way it approached its narrative was intriguing and kept me hooked throughout the entirety of the first season. There were some stellar performances throughout and there was a well-deserved Emmy nomination for actor Cameron Britton for his portrayal of Ed Kemper. After waiting for over a year now both myself and many fans are hyped for the release of the second season. With the many shocking and mind-blowing cases they can cover, I can’t wait to see how Season 2 plays out.
In the year 1977 criminal psychology and criminal profiling were still in the early stages of development. When three agents from the FBI form the Bureau’s Behavioural Science Unit, the pressure is on for them to provide clear evidence that psychology and profiling have its place in the FBI. Going across the country interviewing serial killers to understand how they think, the team hope they can apply the knowledge they’ve learned to brand new cases.
3. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Season 1)
Release Date: TBC
Episodes: 10
Run Time: 30 Minutes
1982 classic The Dark Crystal was one of my favorite childhood movies. The fact that the world of Thra is being brought back to life the way Jim Henson would have wanted has me incredibly excited. With the latest technology for animatronics and puppeteering, The Dark Crystal; Age of Resistance could be one of the most visually captivating series of 2019. The series will be a prequel to the original 1982 film, so this may be the only season of the series. Considering the narrative of the film, I am fully expecting the series to be full of heartbreaking emotion.
Set before the events of The Dark Crystal, three young Gelflings discover the evil Skesis Empire’s source of power. To fight back against the vile race, the three Gelflings must unite their people and rise against the Skesis in an act of rebellion.
2. The Crown (Season 3)
Release Date: TBC
Episodes: 10
Run Time: 54-61 Minutes
Of all the shows on Netflix, The Crown was never one that I thought I would be interested in. Safe to say I was incredibly wrong about that. After indulging in an episode or two (and a binge session later) I had blitzed through the entire first season. Season 2 didn’t last long for me, either. The cast from the first two seasons has been replaced to coincide with the age of the Royal Family as the years progress. It’s exciting to see what the new cast could bring to the show. Even though I will miss Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles respectively, I know Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies will be excellent in the roles. If Olivia Colman wins an Oscar this year as well, expect the third season to receive even more coverage.
The Crown chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, from the highs, the lows, and the most controversial events during Elizabeth’s long reign.
1. Stranger Things (Season 3)
Release Date: July 4th
Episodes: 8
Run Time: 42-62 Minutes
Blending drama, nostalgia and pop culture perfectly, Stranger Things is a show for all subscribers. After two excellent seasons, the entire cast has continued to impress. Not to mention watching the cast grow up as their characters do make them even more beloved. It’s been a hell of a long wait for Season 3 and as each passing day goes by the hype train is only getting faster.
In the town of Hawkins, Indiana in the early 1980s young Will Buyers goes missing on his way home from his friend’s home. The hope of finding Will rests in the hands of the mysterious girl named Eleven. Standing in the way of Eleven and Will’s friends are the nearby scientists of the Hawkins National Laboratory. Thanks to their experiments into the paranormal they have brought the calamity upon the small Indiana town.
What Netflix Original series are you looking forward to most in 2019? Let us know in the comments below.
Netflix Synopsis: "A financial adviser drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss."
