6 TV Fandoms That Were Doing the Most in 2021

The past year has delivered plenty of amazing TV moments, but those moments wouldn’t mean anything without the fans who prop them up.

In 2021, there were plenty of fandoms hard at work creating pop culture awareness for their favorite titles ranging from Marvel’s many Disney+ entries to Netflix‘s phenomenons like Bridgerton and Squid Game. Below, we’re taking a look at some of the fandoms that really rose to the occasion and garnered some big attention for their shows.

And it’s hard to address every great fandom — because, let’s admit it, there are so many amazing fans out there — but for now, we’re focusing on a few that really shone in 2021. See which fandoms were among some of the most notable in 2021, and let us know which TV fandom you’re all-in on in the comments section.

Marvel’s Many Disney+ Shows

(Credit: Disney+/Marvel Studios)

The MCU hive was super strong as the superhero brand unveiled several Disney+ titles, but none of them had viewers as sucked in as they were with WandaVision. The show following Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and her synthezoid love Vision (Paul Bettany) was a trippy and fantastical exploration of grief through the lens of popular television. But Kathryn Hahn was the one stealing hearts as magical baddie Agatha Harkness, particularly with her catch “Agatha All Along” musical moment. The fan attention was nearly unparalleled to the point where Hahn’s jingle has actually been nominated for a Grammy. She even earned her own spinoff, Agatha House of Harkness.

Then, of course, there was Loki, which made way for the rise of everyone’s favorite cold-blooded boxed wine-drinking variant, Alligator Loki! While he didn’t reach Baby Yoda levels of fame, the internet surely fell in love with the horn-wearing animal that was supposed to be a version of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in another timeline.

Sanditon Is Saved

(Credit: PBS Masterpiece)

Persistence paid off for the fans of PBS Masterpiece’s Jane Austen-inspired drama Sanditon after the show was initially canceled by ITV in 2019. After debuting on PBS in the United States in early 2020, the first season’s unsatisfying cliffhanger continued to spark interest in a second season. Thankfully the #SaveSanditon crowd stuck their ground with public displays of fandom love. Their hard work paid off when PBS announced in 2021, that they’d not only bring the series back for a second season, but for a third as well.

Good Omens Gets a Second Go

(Credit: Amazon Studios)

The dream angel-demon duo of Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant) are back together again for a previously unplanned second season of Good Omens. While Season 1 chronicled the events of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s book, Season 2 is an entirely new and original story. Despite debuting back in 2019, fan fervor for Aziraphale and Crowley never faded, and that enthusiasm was recognized by Prime Video’s 2021 renewal. Currently filming, Season 2 will also make way for the return of Jon Hamm‘s archangel, Gabriel.

Squid Game Mania

(Credit: Netflix)

Netflix’s South Korean series about a secret game that recruits desperate individuals to participate in a fight to the death took streamers by storm. Despite only arriving in September, the show has gone on to become Netflix’s most-streamed series and spawned a must-have Halloween costume. While certain fandoms were fed in 2021, the Squid Game fandom was born, and we’re already starved for Season 2.

Succession‘s Triumphant Return

(Credit: HBO)

What do people want more than power? To watch the Roy family fight for control of it in HBO’s Emmy-winning dramedy from Jesse Armstrong. Every Sunday night, fresh memes were born, but after Season 3’s triumphant return, we have a feeling that Kieran Culkin‘s reaction face to Logan (Brian Cox) discovering Roman’s dick pic will continue to be a meme-worthy tool.

Bridgerton’s Broad Fanbase

(Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

Before Squid Game arrived later in 2021, Shonda Rhimes‘ Regency Era drama Bridgerton, based on the books by Julia Quinn, took Netflix by storm. Debuting on Christmas Day in 2020, the beginning months of 2021 manifested a ton of buzz about the Ton. The masses’ fevered obsession grew so large that Season 1’s breakout star Regé-Jean Page was hosting Saturday Night Live a few weeks into 2021.

And don’t get us started don’t the fan backlash after it was revealed that the Golden Globe-nominated performer wouldn’t return for a second season. Not unlike Squid Game, Bridgerton became a part of the pop culture zeitgeist that left us burning for more. And more sexy times are surely ahead as Bridgerton is poised to return for an Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) centric second season in 2022.

Let us know which fandom you spent the most time with during 2021 in the comments, below, and stay tuned to see which fandoms make an impression in 2022.