With a new year comes a new wave of content, and Netflix has a good number of original series coming in 2020, both returning series and new material. 2019 witnessed the arrival of many interesting series, such as the animated anthology series Love, Death, and Robots, the superhero drama Raising Dion, a double dose of Paul Rudd with Living With Yourself, and the dark superhero series The Umbrella Academy, among others.
Last year also saw the return of some fan-favorite series: season 2 of The End of the F***ing World finally arrived, as well as Stranger Things season 3, Jessica Jones’ final season, Big Mouth’s season 3, and Black Mirror’s season 5. As the streaming wars heat up and more platforms emerge, life at Netflix continues, and it has some entertaining series lined up for this year, including some highly anticipated releases that fans are hoping will truly arrive before the year is over.
The list of Netflix original series for 2020 includes adaptations of different comic books and graphic novels, final seasons, historical dramas, animated series for adults, and more. Here are the most anticipated Netflix original series coming this year.
Cursed
This drama series is based on the illustrated novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, and it’s been described as a re-imagining of the legend of King Arthur, told through the eyes of Nimue (Katherine Langford), a teenager with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful Lady of the Lake. Nimue finds an unexpected partner in Arthur (Devon Terrell), a young mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgård) and deliver an ancient sword (yes, that sword).
Locke & Key
Locke & Key is a fantasy horror series based on the comic book series of the same name by Joe Hill. It follows three siblings – Bode, Tyler, and Kinsey Locke – who move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts after the murder of their father. Once there, they find out that the house has magical keys that give them powers and abilities – but there’s a demon that wants the keys, and won’t stop until it gets them. Locke & Key was originally going to be released by Hulu, but it passed on the pilot and declined to order it to series. It was later rescued by Netflix and given a series order.
Ratched
From producer Ryan Murphy comes a series based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but telling the origin story of Nurse Mildred Ratched (Sarah Paulson). The series will follow her journey and evolution from nurse to living nightmare for those under her care. Mildred Ratched was played by Louise Fletcher in the 1975 adaptation of the novel, and the character also appeared in the ABC series Once Upon a Time, played by Ingrid Torrance.
Space Force
Space Force is a comedy series created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell, and centers on a group of people tasked with creating a sixth branch of the United States armed services: Space Force. The goal of this new task is to “defend satellites from attack” and “perform other space-related tasks”. Carell stars as General Mark R. Naird, alongside John Malkovich as Dr. Adrian Mallory, Ben Schwartz as F. Tony Scarapiducci, Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, and Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali.
Big Mouth – season 4
The kids and their hormone monsters will be back with a fourth season. At the end of Big Mouth’s season 3, Andrew ended his friendship with Nick, the latter broke up with Missy, and Jessi was getting ready to move to the city with her mother. Big Mouth has been renewed through season 6, and Netflix has been releasing a new season every year, so fans won’t have to wait long to know what’s going to happen with the group and their hormone monsters.
BoJack Horseman – season 6 (part 2)
The second part of BoJack Horseman‘s season 6 will mark the end of the series, and will continue BoJack’s journey to recovery, where he will find out that the after-effects of his toxic behavior and lifestyle are harder to treat than addiction itself. BoJack Horseman’s finale probably won’t be a cheery one, but hopefully, it won’t leave any loose ends, as there’s no afterlife for the series.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – season 2 (part 1)
Part 1 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 2 is arriving this year (not to be confused with a third season, though). The first season was divided in two parts, with a Christmas special in-between, and was released between October, 2018, and April, 2019 – it’s about time viewers reunite with Sabrina. This new season will see Sabrina rescuing Nick after he sacrificed himself as a prison for the Dark Lord. Meanwhile, what’s left of the Church of Night continues going through a transformation, especially after Aunt Zelda appointed herself High Priestess. Things are about to change (a lot) in Greendale.
Dark – season 3
The critically acclaimed German sci-fi series Dark is getting a third season, and it will be released sometime this year. Season 2 of Dark included yet another twist, with the characters being able to not only travel through time but also through different dimensions. The older Jonas saved Bartosz, Magnus, and Franziska from the nuclear power plant meltdown thanks to one of the time machines, so season 3 will show viewers what time they traveled to – and hopefully, it will solve some of the new mysteries of the series.
GLOW – season 4
Another Netflix series ending this year is GLOW. Season 4 will see how the future of the ladies unfolds after they bought a TV network in Los Angeles, which allows them to leave Las Vegas and return to LA. Problem is, not all of them were on board with the plan, and others left at some point in season 3, so hopefully season 4 of GLOW will bring closure to all its characters.
Lucifer – season 5 (part 1)
After some issues in 2018 with its cancellation at Fox and moving to Netflix for a fourth season, Lucifer is coming to an end. Like with many other series, Lucifer’s final season will be split into two parts, and the first one will be released this year. Season 4 saw Lucifer being sent back to Hell in order to keep Chloe and Earth safe from all those demons he left unattended for a long, long time. Season 5 of Lucifer could take different paths: maybe he will leave Hell and go back to Earth, or maybe part of the season will take place in Hell – there are many possibilities for his final adventure.
Queer Eye – season 5
The Fab Five will continue changing lives in a fifth season. After four successful seasons, one special episode set in Australia, a mini season in Japan, and a special appearance in Big Mouth, the group will be back with new projects, experiences, and stories to share with the world. Queer Eye season 5 doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s expected to arrive sometime in the summer.
Stranger Things – season 4
Stranger Things season 4 is happening – problem is, it’s unknown when. A new season is expected to arrive sometime this year, though it’s also possible, based on the series’ production schedule, that it could be released until 2021. But hope dies last, and Stranger Things season 4 will have many mysteries to solve, especially those about Hopper’s fate and the identity of the American prisoner in Russia. Unsurprisingly, there are no plot details or clues yet, just a bunch of fan theories based on the previous seasons.
The Crown- season 4
The Crown will continue telling the story of Queen Elizabeth in a fourth season. Olivia Colman will be back as Queen Elizabeth, as well as Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten, and Emerald Fennell as Camilla Shand. The Crown season 4 will also add two key characters: Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), as it will follow the story of the Royal Family into the 1980s.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (The Haunting of Hill House season 2)
The Haunting of Hill House is getting a second season under a different name and with different characters: The Haunting of Bly Manor. This season is loosely based on the 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. The story is about a young woman who is hired to be the governess to two orphaned children living in a grand house called Bly. Once she gets there, she starts to suspect there’s some evil influence around, threatening to corrupt the children’s innocence. Though it has different characters, some cast members from season 1 will return, namely Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
The Umbrella Academy – season 2
The Umbrella Academy was one of Netflix’s biggest 2019 surprises, and it was quickly renewed for a second season. Very much like Stranger Things, it’s unknown if The Umbrella Academy season 2 will truly arrive this year or will be pushed to 2021. Either way, The Umbrella Academy season 2 will reveal where the Hargreeves were transported to when Five used his powers to save himself and his siblings during the end of the world. It’s quite possible that, wherever they are landing on, they will do so as their 16 year-old selves, as happened to Five in season 1. The Umbrella Academy has a lot of questions to answer, so hopefully, season 2 will arrive sometime this year.
