15 unmissable TV shows to watch before the year ends

With the season into full swing, networks and streaming platforms are rolling out some of the most anticipated shows of the year before 2021 comes to an end. We sift through the clutter to pick the best from the rest that will screen on a TV near you in the coming weeks.

‘Karachi Division’: Based on the underworld of Karachi, this series follows the story of the two adversaries dominating the city. They want nothing else but complete control over the entire city. The rivalry has no bounds, and they will fight to death to achieve the power they are after, even if it means bringing the whole city to a standstill and its people to their knees. Imran Patel, Rafey Khan and Kashif Javed star. (StarzPlay, streaming now)

‘New Amsterdam’: Since its release in 2018, ‘New Amsterdam’ has built a loyal following of this modern-day medical drama series. The recently-instated medical director, Dr. Max Goodwin, is on a mission to resuscitate one of America’s oldest public hospitals, ripping out bureaucracy, and providing exceptional care to patients. The physicians rediscover their passion for healing and the heart-rending storylines in this series will keep you craving for the next dose. (OSN, Streaming now)

‘Utopia’: Don’t forget to check out this eight-episode conspiracy thriller about saving the world, while trying to find your place in it. Inspired by the British series of the same name, the new Amazon Original series was written by Gillian Flynn, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. ‘Utopia’ centers on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called, ‘Utopia’. Together, Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Ian (Dan Byrd), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon “Wanna” Walton) unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of the comic, while predicting threats to humanity. They realise these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world. The group embarks on a high-stakes adventure, bringing them face-to-face with the comic’s famed central character, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), who joins them on their mission to save the world while harboring secrets of her own. The series also stars John Cusack as Dr. Kevin Christie, in his first series regular role for television. (Amazon Prime Video, streaming now)

‘Black Mafia Family’: The show is inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980’s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in the country. Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory’s charismatic leadership, Terry “Southwest T” Flenory’s business acumen and the fraternal partnership’s vision is beyond the drug trade and into the world of hip hop. Their unwavering belief in family loyalty would be the cornerstone of their partnership and the crux of their eventual estrangement. The show features cameos by Snoop Dogg and Eminem. (StarzPlay, September 27)

‘The Problem With Jon Stewart’: The man whose DNA is spread throughout late-night TV returns to the field of regularly scheduled comic commentary with this punnily titled biweekly show. He’ll be competing in the space (though not on the late-night cable grid) with several of his former employees from ‘The Daily Show’, in particular John Oliver, whose ‘Last Week Tonight’ on HBO has won five Emmys for best variety talk series during Stewart’s six-year absence. (Apple TV+, September 30)

‘Young Sheldon’: Season 3 opens with Mary concerned about Sheldon’s mental health, worried that he might end up in a mental hospital like Dr. Sturgis. With Dr. Sturgis out of the picture, Sheldon tries to find a new mentor in Dr. Linkletter who makes things awkward when he tries to win Connie (Annie Potts) over. Meanwhile, Georgie (Montana Jordan) tries to convince George to buy snow globes and resell them for profit, and then tries to impress a girl with his get-rich scheme, but without success. For those who haven’t watched the comedy series yet, Seasons 1 and 2 are available on StarzPlay. (StarzPlay, Septemer 30)

‘Maid’: Margaret Qualley — who was great in her last TV role, as dancer Ann Reinking in ‘Fosse/Verdon’ — stars in this adaptation of Stephanie Land’s memoir about turning to housecleaning as a route away from homelessness, poverty and male violence. The top-notch cast includes Andie MacDowell (Qualley’s mother) and Billy Burke as the protagonist’s parents and Anika Noni Rose as a lawyer whose house she cleans. (Netflix, October 1)

‘Chucky’: This new series pretends that the 2019 ‘Child’s Play’ remake never happened and returns to the film franchise’s original continuity, which means that Brad Dourif also returns as the voice of Chucky, the little plastic serial killer. The doll’s appearance on a sale table in a suburban town coincides with a murder spree, but let’s not assume he’s guilty — after 33 years, maybe he can be rehabilitated as well as rebooted.

‘You’: It’s appropriate that Dexter Morgan is returning in the same TV season as his mini-me, Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg in ‘You’, another serial killer who’s meticulous and romantic and just generally better behaved than the people he kills. In the third season of this very dark comic melodrama — in which the murders take the place of pratfalls — Joe is still with Love (Victoria Pedretti), the woman who turned out to be as twisted as he, and he has to decide how he’s going to deal with a serious rival for her attention: their new baby. (Netflix, October 15)

‘Maya and the Three’: An animated princess from someone other than Disney. Jorge R. Gutierrez (‘El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera’) created this 3D saga about a 15-year-old girl on a quest to save the world, which blends Mesoamerican and Caribbean mythologies and features a bountifully talented voice cast that includes, to name a few, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Alfred Molina, Stephanie Beatriz, Kate del Castillo, Danny Trejo, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah and Rita Moreno. (Netflix, October 22)

‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’: Written and executive produced by Sara Goodman, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ is based on Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel, which was also the basis of the iconic 1997 film. One year after the fatal car accident that haunted their graduation night, a group of teenagers find themselves bound together by a dark secret and stalked by a brutal killer. As they try to piece together who’s after them, they reveal the dark side of their seemingly perfect town—and themselves. Everyone is hiding something, and uncovering the wrong secret could be deadly. The series stars Madison Iseman, Bill Heck, Brianne Tju, Ezekiel Goodman, Ashley Moore, Sebastian Amoruso, Fiona Rene, Cassie Beck, and Brooke Bloom. (Amazon Prime Video, October 15)

‘Maradona: Blessed Dream’: Nazareno Casero (‘Historia de un Clan’), Juan Palomino (‘Magnifica 70’) and Nicolas Goldschmidt (‘Supermax’) portray Diego Armando Maradona through different phases of his life and career. The series takes viewers into his humble beginnings in Villa Fiorito in his home country of Argentina, to his game changing career through Barcelona and Napoli, and finally, the series will portray his key role in taking his national team to win the World Cup in Mexico in ’86. Produced by BTF Media, in coproduction with Dhana Media and Latin We, the biographical series was filmed on location in Argentina, Spain, Italy, Uruguay and Mexico and features 10 one-hour long episodes capturing key moments along the life and career of the legendary soccer star. (Amazon Prime Video, October 29)

‘The Shrink Next Door’: The story of Manhattan psychiatrist Isaac Herschkopf and his patient Martin Markowitz — who claimed that Herschkopf exploited their relationship for decades, taking over every aspect of Markowitz’s life including his business and his Hamptons home — comes to the screen starring Paul Rudd as the psychiatrist and Will Ferrell as the analysand. (Apple TV+, November 12)

‘Cowboy Bebop’: A live-action version of the coolest anime series of all time? Real actors in place of Shinichiro Watanabe’s animated, psychedelic-noir outer-space bounty hunters and scam artists? A real dog playing Ein the robot Corgi? The world holds its breath. (One reason for optimism: The protean anime composer Yoko Kanno, who was in charge of the eclectic music that was essential to the original’s mood, returns for the remake.) (Netflix, November 19)

‘Hawkeye’: The Marvel migration to Disney+ continues with Jeremy Renner’s emo archer. The show’s creator, Jonathan Igla, doesn’t have a superhero background — his credits as a writer and producer include ‘Mad Men’, ‘Masters of Sex’ and ‘Bridgerton’ — and neither does Renner’s co-star, Hailee Steinfeld of “Dickinson,” who plays a Hawkeye-in-training. Florence Pugh provides Marvel Cinematic Universe DNA as an avenging Black Widow and Alaqua Cox makes her screen debut as the hero Echo, who is deaf. (OSN, November 24)