The Biggest TV Shows to Watch in 2018

With 2017 coming to an end, it’s time to look ahead to the new year. And when it comes to TV, it’s easy to become daunted by all the selections available for consumption. Let's cut through the clutter, shall we?

While fans will have to wait until 2019 before Stranger Things and Game of Thrones return, there are still a ton of small screen goodies worth getting excited about. There are some huge shows coming from broadcast network, premium cable, and streaming platforms. From returning favorites to edgy new genre offerings, here are 18 TV shows to be excited for in 2018.

18. The X-Files, Season 11

January 3, Fox

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are returning as Mulder and Scully once again. The reboot series ended on a huge cliffhanger in Season 10, with the fate of the entire world hanging in the balance. Government conspiracies, UFOs, and whole bunch of FBI drama abound as the pair will once again face their old nemesis, The Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis). And since Season 11 may be Anderson's final go as Scully, we're hoping the series goes out with a bang.

17. Krypton

SYFY

SYFY takes a step into the DCEU with Krypton, a Superman prequel series created by David S. Goyer (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight). The program will follow Superman’s grandfather, Seyg El (Cameron Cuffe), as he fights to bring honor back to the House of El, while attempting to save Krypton from falling into complete chaos. The series is billed as a prequel but the timeline will allegedly take place in the past, present, and future. And since this is a DC show, we’re expecting other comic-book heroes--like Adam Strange and Hawkwoman--to make appearances too.

16. Maniac

Netflix

Maniac will probably be one of the weirder series of the year. Given the names attached, though, the show comes with huge buzz. Cary Fukunaga helms the dark comedy, which stars Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, and Justin Theroux. The story centers on a patient living in a psychiatric hospital who escapes reality by living his life inside a fantasy world maintained solely inside his own mind. It sounds bonkers, but if Fukunaga brings the same sensibilities he brought to True Detective, the network may have a winner on its hands.

15. Sharp Objects

June, HBO

The HBO drama is inspired by Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name. The series stars Amy Adams as a journalist who heads home after a stint in a psychiatric facility, only to find herself investigating the murder of two girls. If you take the tone and subject matter of Flynn’s previous work (Gone Girl) and add Jean-Marc Vallee's (Big Little Lies) directorial skills into the mix, it’s easy to see Sharp Objects’ edgy allure.

14. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Netflix

The Coen Brothers are coming to TV. That sentence alone should get people excited. The duo--who brought classics like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men to the big screen--will both write and direct a new western anthology series for Netflix. The six episode program will star Tim Blake Nelson, with each episode following a different character and story. Not much else has been announced regarding the series, but that’s fine. The Coen Brothers are coming to TV and that’s pretty awesome.

13. Altered Carbon

Netflix

Netflix’s Altered Carbon is based on Richard K. Morgan’s novel of the same name. The story takes place in the 25th century, where people can transfer their consciousness from one body to another. Of course this sort of immortality ain’t cheap--the procedure is reserved for the story’s rich upper class. Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, Robocop) stars as a soldier who finds himself caught up in a conspiracy, as his own consciousness gets transferred into a police officer’s body. With a budget of roughly $6 million per episode, Netflix has a lot riding on the series.

12. Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams

January 12, Amazon

Thanks to shows like Black Mirror, the anthology trend is popular again. Its success has inspired similar programs to follow suit, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams is one of them. The title is a reference to Dick's classic novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep--which Ridley Scott famously adapted into Blade Runner--and will surely feature a plethora of dark, edgy science fiction goodness. Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Maura Tierney, and Terrence Howard are just a handful of the names tied to the project.

11. The Umbrella Academy

Netflix

A comic book property outside of Marvel’s purview is on its way to Netflix. The Umbrella Academy comes from the mind of My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. The series tells the story of some not-pregnant women who suddenly give birth to a bunch of superpowered babies. Taking place in an alternate timeline--one where JFK is still very much alive--the story follows seven kids as they undergo training to save the world. Ellen Page has been tapped to star in the program, and Way will serve as producer.

10. The Twilight Zone

CBS: All Access

Since anthology TV shows are all the rage now, it seems only right that the granddaddy that started it all come out of retirement. Jordan Peele (Get Out, Key and Peele) and Simon Kinberg (Deadpool, Logan) have teamed up to bring a new Twilight Zone to the masses. Sure, multiple versions of The Twilight Zone have graced the big and small screen over the past 60 years--some better than others--but now seems like the perfect time for the series to return.

9. Black Lightning

January 16, The CW

The newest DC series coming to The CW will finally put an African-American hero in the spotlight. Black Lightning follows the story of retired superhero Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) who has spent the last nine years building a family and respected career within his community. But with crime and corruption on the rise, Pierce is forced to embrace his meta-human ability--the dude can harness the power of electricity--and superhero alter-ego to not only save his family, but the community he calls home.

8. Watchmen

HBO

Zack Snyder’s Watchmen movie was visually stunning, to be sure. The story, however, was a bit lacking. Is it possible a TV series is the right way to go? We’ll soon see, as HBO has tapped Damon Lindelof (LOST, The Leftovers) to helm a small-screen adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic graphic novel. There’s huge buzz behind the series, but fans have sort of been left in the dark on what to expect. Will this draw from Moore’s comic, the 2012 prequel story, or DC’s 2017 sequel, Doomsday Clock?

7. Legion, Season 2

February, FX

Noah Hawley’s (Fargo) Legion accomplished some of the most intense, strange, and visually stunning TV moments of 2017. So of course the anticipation is high for Season 2. Not only has David Haller (Dan Stevens) embraced his super-mutant abilities, it seems that the Marvel story will dig deeper into the history of The Shadow King. While nothing has been confirmed, hopes are high that Professor Xavier will grace the X-Men spinoff with his presence. If that happens, would it be James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, or a new actor entirely?

6. Luther, Series 5

BBC

Fans of Luther were both excited and dismayed when the series returned for a two-episode fourth season in 2015. With a busy actor like Idris Elba playing the title role, sometimes schedules can be tight. That said, it looks like Elba has donned his signature tweed coat for another go-round as brilliant detective John Luther. We don’t know what sort of gruesome crimes he will be investigating, but one thing is for certain: Idris Elba is at his best when the world is at its worst. Right now, John Luther is the hero we need and deserve.

5. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Netflix

Channeling the success of Riverdale, another Archie Comics story was in the works at The CW. But due to their concern of having too many witch shows--the network’s Charmed reboot is still on the horizon--the untitled Sabrina the Teenage Witch series was handed over to Netflix. The series will explore the origins of the half-witch, half-mortal as she battles the evil forces that threaten her friends and family. Tonally, Deadline describes the series as being “in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist.”

4. Marvel’s Jessica Jones/Daredevil/Luke Cage

March, Netflix

Iron Fist and The Defenders may have cracked the impeccable partnership Netflix cemented with Marvel but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost with the comic book giant’s street level heroes. While Frank Castle came in to disrupt Marvel’s small screen universe, it’s clear that Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage still have more work to do.

3. Black Mirror, Season 4

December 29, Netflix

Black Mirror will return to Netflix on December 29th, but we’re going to assume the majority of viewers won’t fully be binging these new episodes until after the New Year. The Charlie Booker series will explore more technological horrors, twisted morality plays, and heartbreaking plot-lines when Season 4 premieres. We can’t wait to watch “USS Callister,” the Star Trek-inspired episode. But really, it’s hard not to hope for another San Junipero.

2. Castle Rock

Hulu

The Stephen King renaissance has shown no sign of slowing down and with Castle Rock, Hulu’s aiming to bring the author’s story universe to the small-screen. The program’s cast features names like Sissy Spacek, Bill Skarsgard, and Melanie Lynskey. But what makes Castle Rock so special is the connected nature of the anthology series itself. Fans should expect to see familiar stories, characters, and themes that originated in the author’s previous works. There may be a decent wait before Pennywise the Dancing Clown returns to the big-screen, but that’s okay. We're about to head back into Shawshank Prison, and that's pretty dang cool.

1. Westworld, Season 2

Spring, HBO

It’s been about a year since Westworld’s first run ended on HBO. Throughout a season filled with jaw-dropping twists and gut-punching revelations, the end of Season 1 left fans with so many questions. Hopefully, the answers will be delivered once Season 2 hits the cable giant. While speculation has us wondering if the show will follow the path Michael Crichton’s original film took--could Delos introduce audiences to a Medieval and Roman World in 2018?-- there’s a surefire bet the new episodes will be rife with chaos. Oh, and Samurais. There’s totally going to be Samurais.