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Explaining what’s expected to amount to a nearly $14 billion investment in programming in 2021 (and almost $19 billion by 2025), according to S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan media research unit, Netflix made a slew of programming announcements during its first-ever fan-focused online event, Netflix Tudum, on Saturday, Sept. 25. Many of its most popular shows—including Tiger King, Cobra Kai, Emily in Paris and The Witcher—will be back before the end of the year with many more slated to return in 2022.
That’s the case for The Crown, which is just coming off an Emmys sweep, including outstanding drama series. The Sony-produced show won’t return for season five until November 2022, with an all-new cast led by Imelda Staunton in the central role of Queen Elizabeth as well as Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.
That’s also the case for the much-anticipated return of Stranger Things, which comes back for its fourth season sometime next year.
Below is the third full trailer that Netflix has revealed ahead of season four. In the trailer, a happy family drives up to their new home, only to discover that it’s haunted by its former inhabitant, Victor Creel, who was imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital in the 1950s after committing a grisly murder. Many years later, the Stranger Things gang finds themselves investigating the abandoned property.
Stranger Things has been off the air since 2019 as a result of the pandemic, with shooting on season four only getting back on track last September.
Season two of pandemic darling Bridgerton also will not return until sometime next year, with a focus this time around on oldest son Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who, in the below scene is having a tete-a-tete with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
While fans are having to wait for season two, there’s plenty of Bridgerton on the horizon. The series has been renewed through season four and is spinning off a show about young Queen Charlotte.
Netflix also offered a bloody first look at the fourth and final season of Ozark, starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, which also comes back next year.
Tiger King, an early pandemic break-out, will return Nov. 17 with an update on how big-cat keeper Joe Exotic is doing from prison, although Carole Baskin, who went on to dance with the stars on ABC’s long-running competitive dance series, will not participate.
Season two of Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins, returns just in time for the holidays on Dec. 22.
Cobra Kai, which Netflix picked up from YouTube and turned into a huge hit, returns Dec. 31 for its fourth season.
New to Netflix is Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, for which Netflix offered a first-look on Saturday. In the clip, occultist Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance) performs a ceremony to capture Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), but ends up with one of Death’s siblings, Dream (Tom Sturridge).
Death and Dream have a third sibling, Desire (Mason Alexander Park), with all three featured in series posters (below).
Netflix on Saturday announced that fantasy epic The Witcher is already renewed for a third season even though season two doesn’t premiere until December 17.
Sex Education, which just debuted its third season on Sept. 17, is renewed for a fourth season. Below is an animated opening from season three, based on Lily, who routinely creates sci-fi stories featuring female characters who are exploring their sexuality and identity. Each episode of Sex Education features an open that tells a short story related to the episode.
Speaking of animation, Netflix revealed the below anime tease ahead of the event, which previewed the premieres of such films as Drifting Home, Super Crooks and Bright: Samurai Soul.
Tags: bridgerton emily in paris netflix netflix tudum ozark stranger things the crown the sandman the witcher