Jon Snow on Game of Thrones on HBO TV / Image: HBO
In the world of TV, there are few constants. Just as good things come, others must go — and 2019 is no exception.
This year has already been an embarrassment of riches when it comes to new TV series. In January alone, Sex Education, Carmen Sandiego, and Russian Doll hit Netflix, The ABC Murders premiered on Amazon Prime, I am the Night started its run on TNT, A Discovery of Witches dropped on Sundance Now, and The Passage began on Fox. And 2019’s just getting warmed up!
There are many, many more amazing series on the horizon this year, and we can’t wait to binge them all.
While the year will have no shortage of new series, there are also several that are coming to an end that we will sorely miss. These are shows we’ve dedicated years of our lives to. We’ve fallen in love with the characters, enjoyed the ups and downs of their stories, and looked forward to spending time with them. Already in 2019, Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has released its series finale and it’s quite possible the same is true of The Punisher.
No matter what, these shows will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Here, we’ll discuss five promising series that are premiering in 2019 and we’ll also look at five series that will air their very last episodes this year. They come from a variety of genres, represent broadcast, cable, and streaming services, but each one of these series is worthy representatives of the era of peak TV.
Coming: Shrill
Premiering March 15, 2019 on Hulu
In the 6-episode TV series Shrill, current Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, an overweight woman who wants to change her life — but that doesn’t include changing her body.
The series is based on New York Times opinion columnist Lindy West’s 2016 memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, and will also feature SNL alum Julia Sweeney as Annie’s mother.
This show looks to be a hilarious but topical examination of what it means to want more from life and to try to get it despite the limitations society attempts to place on an individual.
As can be seen in the trailer above, the show will be witty but also take its characters and their situations seriously. We’re looking forward to seeing more when the show comes to Hulu on March 15.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — “I Need A Break” — Image Number: CEG412a_0405.jpg — Pictured: Rachel Bloom as Rebecca — Photo: Erica Parise/The CW — © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Going: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Final Season is Currently Airing on The CW
From the start, the story of Rebecca Bunch, the titular Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, has been a rocky journey. Rebecca ditched a lucrative job at a law firm in New York City to follow her ex to West Covina, California. She teamed up with new friend Paula for all kinds of shenanigans, won her man and lost him, attempted suicide and fought her way back, and is finally attempting to work on her issues and find some happiness.
Through it all, she’s had a song in her heart — and fans have had the opportunity to share it with her.
While the show’s story sounds either bonkers or depressing, its use of songs to punctuate its observations, it’s delicate handling of mental health issues, and its smart approach to the story of a difficult character has made it one of TV’s most unique and funny options.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will be coming to an end with its fourth season and the series finale will air in April. Life won’t be the same without Rebecca Bunch, but at least we can listen to one of the more than 100 songs the series produced to remind us of this gem.
Coming: Hanna
Premiering March 2019 on Amazon Prime
Hanna is the story of a girl who’s trained to be an assassin by her father. If this sounds familiar, it’s because the series is based on the 2011 movie of the same name, which featured Saoirse Ronan in the title role.
This time around Hanna will be played by Esme Creed-Miles. The series promises to expand on Hanna’s story, providing more insight into her origins, her circumstances, and what it’s like to be a weapon who’s also still a teenager.
Another thing that should interest fans of the AMC/Netflix series The Killing is that the series will reunite the lead actors from that show, Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. Kinnaman will appear as Hanna’s father, the man who trains her in the deadly arts. And Enos will play the CIA agent hunting her.
Amazon Prime seems to have a lot of confidence in this one — it made the premiere episode available for 24 hours on Superbowl Sunday. Even if you missed that, the first season of this action-heavy thriller drops in March.
Photo: Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Emilia Clarke (Credit: Courtesy HBO)
Going: Game of Thrones
Final Season Premieres April 14 on HBO
For eight seasons, Game of Thrones has kept us on the edge of our seats and wowed us with epic battle scenes, shocking deaths, and fire-breathing dragons.
For the first few seasons, the series was an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. However, the series soon outpaced the arrival of the novels, so Game of Thrones has been telling its own story for several seasons now. That means anything could happen with these final six episodes — and it’s likely pretty much anything will.
Each episode will be the length of a movie, and Richard Piepler, CEO of HBO, has said that he’s in “awe” of the last season. Piepler called it “an extraordinary treat of storytelling and of magical, magical production.”
While it will be sad to say good-bye to Game of Thrones, fans can comfort themselves with the knowledge that HBO is working on several spin-offs, including an upcoming prequel series.
Coming: Fosse/Verdon on FX
Premiering April 2019 on Amazon Prime
Anyone who’s a fan of musicals or sudsy showbiz tales should be excited about the upcoming FX limited series Fosse/Verdon. The show explores the relationship between legendary choreographer Bob Fosse and his partner and muse, dancer Gwen Verdon.
If the promise of a glimpse behind the curtain at this famous couple’s story weren’t enough, the series boasts some serious acting talent. Oscar-winner Sam Rockwell plays Fosse and Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams plays Verdon.
Based on the trailer, which you can watch above, the series will be an atmospheric tale of theater world excess, amazing choreography, and a romance blossoming in extraordinary circumstances.
iZombie / Image by The CW
Going: iZombie
Final Season Premieres May 2 on The CW
This quirky and fun zombie series will be shambling to an end with season 5 — but not before we get to see a bit more of the zombie revolution.
Unlike many a zombie TV show, iZombie has a simple conceit — if kept well-fed, zombies can maintain their humanity. Eating brains also have an interesting side-effect: the temporary adoption of the person’s characteristics and the ability to see their memories. This can lead to all sorts of insights into the deceased.
It’s a skill that Liv, who was turned into a zombie during a party, has used to help a police detective solve crimes. Liv has continued her crime-fighting ways throughout the series, but as the zombies have revealed themselves in her hometown of Seattle, she’s also become an activist. Liv runs an underground railroad that brings sickly people into the city and turns them into zombies.
This and other plot developments have caused the show to deepen and become more complex even as it maintains its humor and light touch. We’re sorry to see it go, but we’re hoping for a happy ending for Liv.
If you’d like to catch up on iZombie before the final episodes begin, you can stream the first four seasons on Netflix.
The Watchmen / Image by Warner Bros.
Coming: Watchmen
Premiering 2019 on HBO
Damon Lindelof, the visionary writer and creator behind shows like Lost and The Leftovers, is next bringing a brand new series based on the Watchmen comics to the small screen. While Zach Snyder directed a movie adaptation of the comics in 2009, this TV series promises to take a completely different approach.
In an open letter to fans, Lindelof explained that the show will take place in the world of the comics and will take them as canon, but will tell an entirely original story. This will enable the series to include new characters and new plot lines.
The series sounds intriguing, dark, and twisty. And the cast, which includes big names like Jeremy Irons (Justice League), Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), is fantastic.
HBO hasn’t announced a firm release date yet, but you can bet when it does premiere we’ll be there!
Credit: HBO
Going: Veep
Final Season Premieres Spring 2019 on HBO
We haven’t seen Selina Meyer and company on TV since 2017. While we expected more Veep in 2018, the series was delayed after star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, after completing treatment, we can rejoice that Louis-Dreyfus made it through and that Veep will be back for its seventh and final season on HBO in 2019.
The season will reportedly be only 7 episodes, the show’s shortest yet, but at least these characters will get a proper send-off. Over six seasons and multiple Emmy wins, Veep has been a reliable satire of American politics. And as American politics have gotten increasingly zany, the show has started to seem almost like a documentary.
While fans would love to see the show continue, Louis-Dreyfus said that the seventh season’s story feels like a series ending.
We hate to see the show go, but we’re glad we have 7 more episodes of Veep to help us deal with the loss..
Coming: Good Omens
Premiering Spring 2019 on Amazon Prime
Good Omens deals with nothing less than the fate of the world, and with Neil Gaiman involved we anticipate a spectacular apocalypse.
This 6-episode series is based on the book by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and tells the story of an angel named Aziraphale and a demon named Crowley who team up to stop the end of days. Why? They like Earth just the way it is.
Based on the trailer, which is available to watch above, the series will be thrilling and funny, the special effects will be top-notch, and the acting will be brilliant. The series stars Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) as Aziraphale and David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Crowley. It also includes an eclectic group of supporting players, including Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), and many other familiar faces.
Good Omens looks like it’ll be a lot of fun and we’re excited to binge in when it drops on Amazon Prime later this year.
Mr. Robot / Image by USA Network
Going: Mr. Robot
Final Season Premieres 2019 on USA
Over three seasons, Mr. Robot has been a head-trip of a TV series. The story of how ace computer hacker Elliot gets involved in a plan to bring down the largest corporation in the world, Elliott finds he’s not always in control of his own life.
Elliot’s an unreliable narrator both for the audience and himself, leading to a show that twists, turns, and doubles back on itself in the most compelling ways. Mr. Robot is a high-wire act of storytelling, so it’s not altogether surprising that creator Sam Esmail wanted to bring it to a close with the fourth season.
Plus, both his and star Rami Malek’s careers appear to be taking off. Esmail directed all the episodes in the recent Julia Roberts-starring Amazon prime series Homecoming and Malek was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Esmail says the final season will offer complete closure for Mr. Robot. We can’t wait to see what that means for such a complicated show when it premieres on USA sometime in 2019.
If you need a refresher or want to explore the mysteries of Mr. Robot for the first time, the series’ first three seasons are available to stream on Amazon Prime.