The most anticipated TV shows of 2021 (and when they might be coming back)

It's a new year, but for Hollywood, January 2021 is looking an awful lot like 2020.

Soaring coronavirus rates in Los Angeles led to a new shutdown of non-essential businesses in December. And while television productions were allowed (not without controversy) to continue taping if they follow stringent safety protocols, several have been shut down by COVID-19 exposures.

In late December, the Ted Danson and Holly Hunter NBC series "Mr. Mayor" paused production following six positive COVID-19 cases on set. Taping of the CBS comedy "Young Sheldon" was paused in December due to positive test cases as well.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing roughly 160,000 entertainment industry professionals, recommended a temporary halt on production. "Southern California hospitals are facing a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before," said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris in a statement. "This is not a safe environment for in-person production right now."

Meanwhile, major TV studios, including CBS, Universal, ABC Signature and Warner Bros., extended their holiday breaks until at least mid-January, Variety reported.

While it does not appear that this pause will affect premiere dates, the situation may change if delays continue or the coronavirus crisis worsens. Here's what else we know about when your favorite shows will return to TV — along with some new ones you won't want to miss.

Here's what to watch in 2021

Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation") returns to television in animated form — along with Jenny Slate ("Bob's Burgers") and Will Forte ("The Last Man on Earth") — in "The Great North," an animated comedy about a single dad in Alaska from the creators of "Bob's Burgers."

Season 1 was expected to premiere on Fox in February 2021. The series has already been renewed for a Season 2.

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

What does the future hold for Mando (Pedro Pascal) and The Child — and the production of this "Star Wars"-centered Disney+ hit? 

As of January 2021, there was no hard date for a Season 3 premiere. But there is some information out there. "The Mandalorian" showrunner Jon Favreau told Variety in October 2020 that the show was on schedule to start production on Season 3 "before the end of the year," using wall-sized video panels for location backdrops.

"I feel very grateful that we're able to be able to work remotely, because of the nature of the technology we're dealing with," Pascal said.

Riverdale (CW)

This CW teen drama full of romance, murder and mystery is teasing a bloody start to Season 5 when Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead were expected to return to your TV screen on January 20, 2021.

The Chase (ABC)

One of England's most popular quiz shows, "The Chase," was slated to join ABC's growing slate of prime-time gameshows on January 7. The high-stakes show pits contestants against its eponymous Chasers, "Jeopardy!" trivia legends Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter, in one-on-one tests of general knowledge.

Survivor (CBS)

Seasons 41 and 42 of this popular CBS reality TV show were expected to tape in Fiji earlier in 2020, but of course, COVID-19 scuttled those plans; the country's borders remain closed to Americans, even now.

Parade's Mike Bloom suggests "Survivor" is likely to resume taping back-to-back seasons from April to July 2021. So the show could return to TV as soon as Fall 2021 with a cast that includes at least 50% Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), though this timeline has not been confirmed by CBS.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!)

Over the last 14 years, the Kardashian family has built one of the best-known reality TV empires on the E! Network, spawning no fewer than 12 spinoff series. But in September 2020, Kim Kardashian confirmed that the upcoming 20th season of the family's flagship show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," will be its last.

"We are beyond grateful to all of you who've watched us for all of these years — through the good times, the bad times, the happiness, the tears, and the many relationships and children," she wrote on Instagram, adding that Season 20 would premiere in early 2021.

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

This live-action series about a dysfunctional family of superheroes, based on Gerard Way's comic book series, has been a boon for Netflix — the company reported that 45 million households watched Season 1 in its first month of release, and Season 2 topped Nielsen's first-ever Streaming Top 10 with over 3 billion watch-minutes.

Netflix renewed "The Umbrella Academy" for a 10-episode Season 3 in November 2020, with taping scheduled to begin in February 2021 in Toronto, Deadline reports. No release date has been announced as of January 2021, though the series will likely return in mid-to-late 2021.

The Crown (Netflix)

This critically acclaimed Netflix series keeps getting better and better — or, at least, that's what its stellar Rotten Tomatoes scores say. But for fans eager to see Imelda Staunton take over the role of Queen Elizabeth II, prepare for a long wait: Deadline reports that The Crown won't begin taping its fifth and final season until June 2021, and it won't premiere on the streaming service until 2022.

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

Season 4 of this sci-fi series starring Sonequa Martin-Green and Doug Jones began taping on November 2, 2020, less than a month after the premiere of Season 3 on CBS All Access. A premiere date for the next season of "Star Trek: Discovery" has yet to be announced as of January 2021, though it's expected that the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery will return to stream in late 2021.

WandaVision (Disney+)

The first-ever MCU-based show to premiere on streamer Disney+ mixes classic television with superhero drama, as Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) live idealized suburban lives, only to realize everything is not as it seems.

"WandaVision" was expected to debut Jan. 15, 2021. You can check out the trailer for "WandaVision" here.

All American (CW)

This high-school drama about a gifted football player (Daniel Ezra) from a poor neighborhood recruited to play for Beverly Hills High didn't get great ratings when it premiered on the CW in 2018. But the show was rescued from cancellation when it caught fire on Netflix — Season 2 was a Top 10 performer on the streaming service in 2020.

Filming for Season 3 of "All American" reportedly started in September 2010 (and paused in October 2020 after a positive coronavirus test), and was slated to premiere on the CW on January 18, 2021. Expect it to appear on Netflix following the conclusion of the season, likely sometime after June 2021.

Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Though this show, based off 1984 movie franchise "The Karate Kid," originally aired on YouTube Premium, it rose to new levels of popularity once Netflix acquired it in June 2020 and shared the first two seasons.

Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove (along with a new pair of actors from "The Karate Kid Part II") will all be returning for Season 3, which was expected to premiere on Netflix on January 8, 2021. "Cobra Kai" has already been renewed for Season 4, likely coming in 2022.

The Masked Dancer (Fox)

Building off the success of "The Masked Singer," this new series from Fox features masked dancers performing in elaborate costumes as a panel of celebrities (Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green and Ashley Tisdale) guesses their identities. Craig Robinson hosted the December 27, 2020 premiere.

Ted Lasso (Apple+)

The lead character in this fish-out-of-water comedy, played by Jason Sudekis, debuted as part of a NBC Sports commercial series in 2013. Since its August 2020 premiere, "Ted Lasso" has since become one of Apple+'s most popular shows, with its real life fans coming around to love the titular American football coach turned British soccer coach, much as the fictional fans in the series have.

The show got renewed for Season 2 (premiere TBA as of January 2021) just five days after its launch; it was then renewed for yet another season a couple months later. Don't expect a Season 4, however: Series creator Bill Lawrence said that the "Ted Lasso" story has a planned resolution in Season 3.

Central Park (Apple+)

If this animated musical streamer from Apple+ looks and sounds familiar, that's because it's created by Emmy-award winners Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith, the executive producers behind long-time Fox staple "Bob's Burgers."

The series about a park manager (voiced by Leslie Odom Jr.) and his family, which premiered in May 2020, scored a two-season order back in 2018. The premiere dates for Season 2 had yet to be announced as of December 2020, but it's expected to return sometime in mid-2021.

Picard (CBS All Access)

Though the taping of Season 2 of "Picard" was delayed due to coronavirus concerns, production of the Patrick Stewart-led "Star Trek" spin-off is expected to pick back up in January 2021. December 2020 was a bit too premature for the series to announce a premiere date for the new season, though late 2021 seems likely.

A third season of "Picard" has also been ordered by CBS.

Clarice (CBS)

This "deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of 'The Silence of the Lambs'" stars Rebecca Breeds ("Pretty Little Liars"). "Clarice" was expected to debut on February 11, 2020.

Walker (CW)

The series premiere of this reboot of the 90s action hit "Walker: Texas Ranger", starring Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") in the title role, was expected to arrive on the CW on January 21, 2021.

Big Mouth (Netflix)

This coming-of-age animated sitcom, based on comedian Nick Kroll's and "Family Guy" writer Andrew Goldberg's upbringing, launched its fourth season on Netflix on December 4, 2020. As of December 2020, there was no indication when Season 5 will be coming, though given the timing of this and past seasons' releases, late 2021 would be a good guess.

Netflix has renewed "Big Mouth" through Season 6.

NCIS (CBS)

The Season 18 premiere of this CBS police procedural drama slid in viewership a bit when it aired in November 2020, at least when compared with its top-of-the-charts Season 17 run. That said, "NCIS" remains one of the most popular shows on television, and as such, it would be a shocker if Mark Harmon, Wilmer Valderrama and the rest of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service crew didn't return for a Season 19 sometime in 2021.

Ozark (Netflix)

The fourth and final season of this Jason Bateman-led crime drama only recently began production — Bateman told IndieWire in August that taping would begin on November 9, 2020 with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

The expanded season of "Ozark" will feature 14 episodes, streaming in two blocks of seven episodes each. Though an exact premiere date had not been announced as of December 2020, expect the first block of new episodes to come in 2021. (The second block could be delayed until 2022.)

Big Brother (CBS)

Though some fans panned the 2020 All-Stars season of this summer reality TV staple, ratings for the show remained strong, even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In October 2020, CBS announced that "Big Brother" (and host Julie Chen Moonves) will be returning for Season 23 in Summer 2021 with a more diverse cast than in years past.

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central)

The brass at Comedy Central really loves this autobiographical comedy about Golden Globe-winning actress and rapper Awkwafina's time growing up in the outer reaches of New York City: The show was renewed for a Season 2 before the first episode of Season 1 even aired in January 2020.

A premiere date for Season 2 had not yet been announced as of January 2021, though it is likely coming sometime in 2021.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Season 3 of this popular 1950s and 1960s period dramedy about a stand-up comedienne, starring Rachel Brosnahan in the titular role, premiered in December 2019. But, as with many other shows, coronavirus concerns delayed the taping and premiere of Season 4.

In October 2020, series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino said that taping would resume on January 7, 2021. A recent job posting seeking background dancers states filming will take place through June 2021. That would likely push the yet-to-be-announced premiere date of Season 4 into late 2021, if not early 2022.

The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)

This series about a group of superpowered vigilantes who battle corrupt, corporate "superheroes," based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, has released two seasons to Amazon Prime Video as of December 2020, with a third on the way.

When will the third season of "The Boys" be released? Sometime this decade, joked executive producer Seth Rogan. 

"We hope to be shooting in early 2021," Rogan said during Comic-Con: At Home in July 2020, "but that's up to a microscopic virus."

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Taping on the sixth and final season of this "Breaking Bad" prequel was supposed to kick off in September 2020, but according to series co-star Giancarlo Esposito, that launch has been delayed until March 2021. That will likely push its premiere into mid-to-late 2021 — or, quite possibly, sometime in early 2022.

Call Your Mother (ABC)

Here's something new for 2021: This multi-camera ABC comedy from Kari Lizer ("The New Adventures of Old Christine"), expected to debut January 13, is about an empty-nester mom who seeks to get involved, once again, in her kids' lives. Kyra Sedgwick stars.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)

This quirky NBC musical comedy-drama starring Jane Levy, Alex Newell, Skylar Astin and Mary Steenburgen returned for its second season January 5, 2021.

RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)

Get ready for yet another eleganza extravaganza — and a whole ton of lip syncing: "RuPaul's Drag Race" has returned for its 13th season. The premiere aired on January 1, 2021 alongside its after-show, "Untucked."

A premiere date for Season 6 of "RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars" has yet to be announced as of December 2020, though it will likely air following the conclusion of "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 13 sometime in mid-2021.

Chicago Fire (NBC)

The most popular, and longest running, show in NBC's "Chicago" franchise kicked off its ninth season November 11, 2020. The real good news for fans, however, is that the crew of Chicago Fire House 51 will be returning for Season 10 in 2021 and Season 11, presumably sometime in 2022.

Chicago Med and Chicago Police (NBC)

And that's not all, Chicago franchise watchers: NBC has also given series executive producer Dick Wolf the greenlight for two more years' worth of both "Chicago Police" (now in Season 8) and "Chicago Med" (now in Season 6). Both were expected to get their mid-season return on January 6, 2021, alongside "Chicago Fire."

Batwoman (CW)

The biggest news about this CW superhero series isn't that Season 2 was expected to return January 17, 2021. It's that the role of Batwoman, played by Ruby Rose in Season 1, will now be played by Javicia Leslie ("God Friended Me").

"I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community," Leslie said in a statement.

Lovecraft Country (HBO Max)

This HBO Max horror series, which mixes the strange sci-fi of H.P. Lovecraft with 1950s-era racism in the U.S., is based on a 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. It's received plenty of praise from reviewers (and some criticism), earning a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes after its August 2020 Season 1 release.

There have been no announcements regarding Season 2 of the show, as of January 2021, though there are plenty of loose story threads yet to be wrapped up.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

ABC's longest running scripted TV show, on air since 2005, returned for Season 17 in November 2020 with coronavirus-centered storylines. Writer and executive producer Zoanne Clack notes that the number of characters who have contracted the virus on the medical drama is meant to mirror the world's infection rate.

But will "Grey's Anatomy: return for Season 18 in 2021? The show's fate, according to ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke, rests in whether star Ellen Pompeo decides to renew her contract. "'Grey's Anatomy' will live as long as Ellen (Pompeo) is interested in playing Meredith Grey," Burke told Deadline.

FBI (CBS)

This relatively young crime drama from "Law and Order" creator Dick Wolf has quickly become one of the most-watched shows on broadcast television. It's so popular, in fact, that the 2-year-old show has already spawned a spinoff, "FBI: Most Wanted," which premiered on CBS in January.

Season 3 of "FBI" premiered on November 17, 2020, a delayed start due to COVID-19. As of January 2021, CBS had not announced whether the show will return for Season 4, but given its strong ratings, it'd be a huge surprise if "FBI" was missing from the Fall 2021 prime time schedule.

Firefly Lane (Netflix)

Season 1 of this Netflix drama, based on the Kristin Hannah novel of the same name, is about an inseparable pair of best friends (Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke) set over three decades. It was slated to premiere on February 3, 2021.

black-ish (ABC)

This critically acclaimed ABC comedy, described by The Guardian as a show "not (about) a family who 'happen to be black' but a family who are black," has already spawned two spin-offs.

ABC ordered six more episodes of "black-ish" two days after the October 2020 premiere of Season 7, which will extend its 2020-21 season by a couple of months. Its mid-season return was slated for January 26, 2021. No announcement has been made regarding Season 8 yet, but there's still plenty for fans to look forward to: Series creator Kenya Barris is currently writing and producing a third spin-off for ABC called "old-ish," starring Laurence Fishburne and Jenifer Lewis.

mixed-ish (ABC)

Season 2 of this "black-ish" spinoff, starring Arica Himmel, Tika Sumpter and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, was expected to premiere on ABC on January 26, 2021.

grown-ish (Freeform)

Freeform cut Season 3 of "grown-ish" short due to coronavirus. The second half of Season 3 will premiere in 2021.

This is Us (NBC)

This addictive NBC drama scored a big three-year renewal back in 2019, which means that there will be a Season 6 after the current Season 5 wraps up sometime in 2021. The show had its mid-season return January 5, 2021.

But will "This is Us" continue past 2022? "We're keeping it open for now," NBC co-chairman Paul Telegdy told Deadline in 2019. "Creator Dan Fogelman has a plan for the show."

Housebroken (Fox)

Another new addition to Fox's Animation Domination lineup, this series follows therapy dog Honey (Lisa Kudrow) as she explores the world of human dysfunction. "Housebroken" is slated to premiere sometime in 2021.

Young Sheldon (CBS)

"Big Bang Theory" may no longer be on the air (unless you count its syndicated reruns, of course), but it lives on in spirit through the popular spinoff prequel "Young Sheldon." Season 4 of the show, set early-1990s Texas, got its coronavirus-delayed premiere on CBS in November 2020.

As of January 2021, the Chuck Lorre series had not yet officially been renewed for a Season 5 in 2021-2. But barring any unforeseen issues, that renewal is likely just a formality: "Young Sheldon" was CBS's second-highest-rated scripted show in 2019-20, behind only "NCIS."

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (CW)

The CW revival of this improvisational comedy show, hosted by Aisha Tyler, is still going strong. Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and more were expected to kick off Season 17 of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on Friday, January 8, 2021.

Blue Bloods (CBS)

Popular CBS crime drama "Blue Bloods" got a late start in 2020 due to COVID-19 -- the Season 11 premiere aired December 3. But will the show return for Season 12?

Though nothing had officially been announced as of January 2021, "Blue Bloods" star Tom Selleck told People earlier that year that, "I don't think there is an end point. I think there is a lot of life in the show, as long as you let your characters grow and get older."

America's Got Talent (NBC)

Terry Crews has been confirmed to return as host — and Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara will return as judges — on "America's Got Talent" when the popular NBC variety show returns to TV in summer 2021.

Homecoming (Amazon Prime Video)

Season 2 of this psychological thriller series premiered in May 2020 with a new story and new characters. A Season 3 has not yet been announced as of January 2021.

Kung Fu (CW)

This Olivia Liang-led reboot of the 1970s David Carradine series is about a Chinese-American woman who drops out of college, visits a monastery in China and uses her martial arts skills to battle criminals. Liang is joined by Tony Chung, Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Jon Prasida, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu and Vanessa Kai when the series premieres sometime in 2021.

9-1-1 (Fox)

This procedural, about the lives of Los Angeles first responders, was slated to kick off its Season 4 on January 18, 2021 "with another jaw-dropping signature disaster that only Los Angeles' finest and fearless first responders can handle," per Fox.

9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox)

Immediately following the Season 4 premiere of "9-1-1" on January 18 2020 comes the Season 2 premiere of "9-1-1: Lone Star." Rob Lowe was expected to return, but female lead Liv Tyler was not due to coronavirus travel concerns. Gina Torres ("Suits") has stepped in to fill the void, but Tyler's role will not be recast, leaving open the possibility of her returning in a future season.

Last Man Standing (Fox)

This Tim Allen-led comedy found new life on Fox in 2018 following its cancellation on ABC. But now that Fox-aired run will come to an end with its ninth and final season, which premiered January 3, 2021.

Vikings (Amazon)

Though the first half of this historical drama's sixth and final season aired on the History channel, the second half premiered on Amazon Prime Video on December 30, 2020, allowing for fans to enjoy it into January 2021.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

Though this show, starring Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina, was cancelled by Netflix in 2020, the second half of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's" Season 2 (AKA "part four") went live on December 31, 2020, giving fans eight more episodes to enjoy in January 2021.

Hell's Kitchen (Fox)

You'd have to be a real idiot sandwich to miss the Season 19 premiere of Gordon Ramsay's reality cooking competition for professional chefs. The epic journey to the $250,000 grand prize (and a position working as head chef in one of Ramsay's restaurants) was expected to begin January 7, 2021 on Fox.