Some of Netflix’s most popular shows are set to return this year, including Stranger Things and Black Mirror, but 2019 is also ushering in a brand-spankin’ new line-up of shows that everyone should be excited about.
Cardi B’s new hip-hop show Rhythm + Flow will be the first singing competition to ever appear on a streaming service, and Henry Cavill is set to portray a monster hunter with supernatural abilities in the new fantasy drama, Witcher. Ricky Gervais will be making his return to TV, and Iris Elba will be flexing his comedy muscles as a struggling DJ and “Manny.” But that’s not all. Here are 10 shows that will be making the jump to Netflix this year.
Turn Up Charlie
Yes, that’s Idris Elba portraying a struggling DJ in Turn Up Charlie, a British comedy web television series that’s set to hit Netflix on March 15, 2019.
It’s not exactly the kind of role we’re using to seeing Elba in (a drug trafficker in The Wire, for example), but that makes it all the more intriguing. Interestingly, fans often forget that Elba is a musician/DJ himself, so it’s likely that he was able to draw on his own past experience when prepping for this role that he himself helped to create (Elba is also one of the executive producers). Looking forward to it!
Ultraman
Ultraman, originally a Japanese science fiction series which aired from 1966 to 1967, is now getting its own anime series that will be coming to Netflix on April 1.
The show follows a young boy named Shinjiro who learns of his connection to the legendary hero Ultraman and busts out the iconic metallic ultra-suit to fight alien invaders. This will be Netflix’s latest anime production, and judging by the success of Castlevania, it’s bound to be good. Check out the cool AF trailer now.
The Order
The Order is an upcoming drama series, created by Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen, that will jump to Netflix on March 7. With the success of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, viewers will be seeing more and more teen-based shows involving black magic and fresh-faced actors. According to Wikipedia, the show follows college freshman (and future TV heartthrob) Jack Morton, who joins a secret society called The Order. As he progresses within the society, Jack uncovers a world of magic, monsters, dark family secrets and an underground battle between werewolves and the magical dark arts.
After Life
After Life is a British dark comedy series created by (and starring) Ricky Gervais in his first TV role since Derek. The show follows Tony, a formerly happy man who finds himself completely devastated after the unexpected loss of his wife.
As a grieving widower who finds himself angry at the world for her death, Tony decides to say and do whatever he wants for the rest of his life, thinking of it as a kind of superpower. Unfortunately for Tony, his friends know there’s a good person in there somewhere and they attempt to draw him back out. The show will also star David Bradley from Game of Thrones and Penelope Wilton from Downton Abbey.
6. Love, Death + Robots
Love, Death + Robots is the brainchild of Oscar-nominated director David Fincher (Gone Girl, The Social Network) and Tim Miller (Deadpool) that’s described as a “collection of animated short stories that span the science fiction, fantasy, horror and comedy genres.” If it sounds weird, that’s because it totally is. This anthology of NSFW animated stories includes 18 episodes in season one, with each installment featuring a unique animation style. There are alien spiders, demons, cyborg bounty hunters, and God knows what else. This series will arrive on Netflix on March 15.
Our Planet
Fans of Blue Planet and Planet Earth have a treat coming their way with the upcoming release of Our Planet, a new eight-part nature documentary made for Netflix that will release on April fifth. Narrated by David Attenborough, this docuseries will take viewers on a beautifully shot journey through some of the world’s most precious natural habitats (ice caps, remote forests, deep oceans) and will showcase the world’s incredible species with jaw-dropping images like the one pictured above. Watch the incredible trailer here.
Rhythm & Flow
For those who are fans of reality singing competitions (a la America’s Got Talent), Rhythm & Flow is a new hip-hop focused talent competition with a pretty impressive line-up of rap stars serving as judges, like Cardi B, TI, and Chance the Rapper.
According to sources, the 10-episode multi-city show has been in development for over a year and will release on Netflix sometime in October. Auditions will take place in the judges’ home cities of New York, Chicago and Atlanta, and hip-hop stars from each audition city will drop in to serve as guest judges. So, will Kanye “drop-in” and represent Chicago? We’ll see.
The Central Park 5
Central Park 5 is a new TV series from Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle In Time) that tells the true story of five African-Americans who were blamed for the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park in 1989. Although it’s a true story, the series is a dramatization of the events that actually happened, not a documentary. True to the name, there are five episodes in season one and the cast includes Felicity Huffman, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, and Michael K. Williams. The show is scheduled to arrive on Netflix later this year.
What/If
What/If is a 10-episode drama series starring Renée Zelwegger that’s set to premiere on Netflix sometime this year. The series explores “the ripple effects” of bad life choices, and each season will tackle how a single decision can change the trajectory of an entire life.
The first season will follow two struggling newlyweds who accept a lucrative but “morally dubious” offer from a random female benefactor. Although the concept of actions having consequences is nothing new, applying that idea to an entire TV series is compelling, to say the least.
The Witcher
The Witcher is an upcoming fantasy drama TV series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich that is based on the book series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski. Henry Cavill is practically unrecognizable as Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter with supernatural powers who struggles to find his place in a wicked world.
Despite his solitary existence, Geralt unexpectedly finds himself in league with a powerful sorceress and a young princess. Honestly, who could stay away from Henry Cavill?!
