Fifteen new shows that could fill the Game of Thrones void

15. The Umbrella Academy

Netflix kicked off the new year the right way with a massive sci-fi release. The Umbrella Academy follows a group of strangely powerful children adopted by billionaire Reginald Hargreeves. Now in their thirties, the family of misfits teams up to solve the mystery behind their adoptive father’s death.

Pros

There’s a lot of potential here. The cast is great, with seasoned performers like Ellen Page and Mary J. Blige making regular appearances. There’s also plenty of hype: The Umbrella Academy is an adaptation of a popular comic of the same name, so it’s drawing both fans of the source material and curious new viewers. There’s also some great subject matter to work with here. Superheroes are hot and these Umbrella Academy members fit right in.

Cons

There are two big concerns for Umbrella Academy. The first is the release date. This new series came out last week, making it the earliest arrival on this list. It might get buried under the mounting hype for Game of Thrones’ final season. By the time GoT is over, will people even think to look to Umbrella Academy as a worthy alternative watch?

There’s also the matter of critical reception. While The Umbrella Academy definitely got internet fans excited, early reviews for the series have been mixed. Will fans err on the side of Love It or Hate It? Sounds like a major gamble for Netflix if The Umbrella Academy was intended to be one of their tentpole series.