TV Sneak Peek: Upcoming Series Returns and Premiers
Now that the holidays are but a memory, it’s time to get back to business. TV business that is. Television pretty much comes to a grinding halt during the festive season and aside from the holiday specials, we’re forced to watch other things. Which isn’t really a bad thing per se, but it makes for difficult decision-making. Should I stream this show I’ve been sitting on for ages or should I watch that movie. You get the idea.
Since there is a whole lot of TV coming back in the following weeks, I’ve done a bit of a round-up. Below is a listing of shows (not every single one) returning from their winter break, and shows that are just starting. Everything is listed by premier date to make it easy.
1/11
Network: SyFy
Time: 10pm
Tonight kicks off the second season premier of SyFy’s make up effects reality contest show. I originally dismissed this show during its first season, but then got sucked in to it. A new group of make up artists hope to take home the prize and make a name for themselves starting with tonight’s premier.
1/13
Network: Fox
Time: 9pm
Fringe finally returns after an almost two month hiatus. Winter breaks kill me when it comes to this show. This season has taken an interesting turn with Peter’s storyline and how no one remembers him. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this decision. On one hand it’s taken away from the relationships that the characters have built over three seasons. On the other hand, it’s a way to explore the characters on a different level. I’d really like the collective memory of Peter to return however because Joshua Jackson and John Noble work very well together.
1/14
Network: BBC America
Time: 9pm
This a another British import that looks pretty cool. The show focuses on Paul (Iain De Caestecker), an awkward teenager who’s been having horrible apocalyptic dreams and also has the ability to see the spirits of the dead (aka Fades). When a nasty Fade finds a way to bridge the gap between the spirit world and the mortal world, all hell breaks loose and it’s up to Paul and his friends to save humanity. Because the pressures of just being a teenager aren’t enough.
I really like BBC America’s programming and after see a few different ads for this, I’m in. The nice thing about British shows is that their season are pretty short. They utilize effective story telling to cram a lot in a short amount of time. I am expecting something rather dark with a sharp wit with this one.
Network: BBC America
Time: 10:15pm
The Nerdist is a podcast that you must check out. If you’re a nerd, or a geek, this is the thing for you. Chris Hardwick is an absolute riot and tends to nerd out over pretty much everything, even his guests. I love the podcast because he’s so down to earth and just chats with his guests instead of making it feel like the Spanish Inquisition. He’s now got a show on BBC America and I’m not sure if this will be a weekly thing or not, I really hope that it is. If you’re unsure about checking this one out, head over the Nerdist.com website and give a listen. It’s totally worth it.
1/16
Network: Fox
Time: 8pm (2 hour season premier)
This is the newest show from Executive Producer J.J. Abrams and once again, he’s got me hook, line and sinker. The story is about a the mysterious disappearance and reappearance, 50 years later, of 302 Alcatraz prisoners and guards. Police detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) teams up with Alcatraz expert Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia) and government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) to track down the former prisoners and figure out what happened. Mystery, intrigue and a sci-ci-ish premise? I’m so there! Alcatraz’s normal time slot will be Monday’s at 9pm starting 1/23.
Network: SyFy
Time: 9pm
SyFy’s take on the BBC version starts is sophomore season tonight and you’re unfamiliar with it, you might want to get caught up. The show centers on a trio of otherworldly friends, a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost as they cohabitate together and try to navigate the individual challenges their respective predicaments throws their way. When we left off last season, Aidan (Sam Witwer) waxed his maker, Bishop. Josh (Sam Huntington) transformed in front of his girlfriend Nora, and accidentally scratched her, and Sally (Meagan Rath) missed her door.
I really ended up enjoying the first season of this show and hope that it just gets better and better. I was originally skeptical because of my love for the original version, but I’m happy to say SyFy has done a pretty bang up job.
Network: SyFy
Time: 10pm
This is a Canadian import that has been around for a few seasons already but is making its way to American television thanks to SyFy. The show follows a girl named Bo (Anna Silk). Bo is a succubus and only found out when she killed her boyfriend during their first romantic tryst. She hits the road to find she’s not alone and actually comes from a race called the Fae. The Fae pass themselves off as humans, and live by feeding off of them. Bo sets out on a mission to unlock the secrets of her past while helping humans and Fae’s in the meantime.
It’s an interesting premise and a bit racy as well. I’ll check this one out and I’m interested to see how audiences will respond to the subject matter. I can’t say I’ve seen a series based on a succubus before.
1/17
Network: F/X
Time: 10pm
Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) makes his return in the third season premier and I. Can’t. Wait. The span of time between seasons for this is show is brutal. The second season left off with Raylan getting into the middle of the Bennett/Crowder feud. Last season saw a formidable enemy in Mags Bennett (Marlo Martindale) who ended up drinking her own laced moonshine, killing herself. I don’t know where this season is headed just yet, but I don’t care. I could watch Raylan and Boyd Crowder (Walter Goggins) sit at a table and discuss the weather and be perfectly content.
Network: Fox
Time 8pm
Glee makes its way back to the schedule this week and all I can say is they need to bring the quality in the second half of the season. The first half of the season irritated me more and more with each new episode that aired. All the girls are just straight up bitchy and it’s getting to the point where I can’t take it anymore. I’m fastly approaching my limit but will hold off on giving this show the axe for now. I’ll give it a chance, now that I’ve had a break.
Network: Fox
Time: 9pm
I have to say, I really dig this show. Zooey Deschanel is awesome and she had great chemistry with Jake M. Johnson (Nick), Max Greenfield (Schmidt) and Lamorne Morris (Winston). It’s a simple premise but the performances make it much more that what it reads on paper. Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) will be making an appearance in the next couple of weeks so that makes it even more interesting.
Network: Fox
Time: 9:30pm
This was not a show I watched when it first started. I would catch little bits here and there but never sat through an entire episode until I watched the entire first season on Netflix instant. Consider me hooked because this show is freaking hilarious. The show follows the parental bumblings of Jimmy (Lucas Neff) who impregnated a serial killer and has to raise the baby when she’s executed. He’s not alone however, he’s got his parents, Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and Burt (Garret Dillahunt) and his senile great Maw-Maw (Cloris Leachman) to help him out. It’s dysfunction in its funniest form.
1/25
Network: Fox
Time: 9pm (special preview)
This show doesn’t actually start until the Spring, but Fox is showing a special preview on 1/25. The show, created by Tim Kring (Heroes) stars Kiefer Sutherland as Martin Bohm. Martin is a widow and a single father to his 11-year-old, severely autistic, mute son Jake (David Mazouz). Jake sees the connection to things that others don’t see and Martin slowly realizes his son’s ability and tries to find a way to understand.
First of all, Kiefer Sutherland. Sold. That’s pretty much all the info I need. Since this was also created by the mind behind Heroes, I’m hoping for some extra-ordinary story lines / storytelling. The first season of Heroes was off the chain and blew my mind and I’m hoping for something similar here.
1/29
Network: HBO
Time: 9pm
I read somewhere that show actually premiered in December, but back then I didn’t hear anything about it. From the brain trust of David Milch and Michael Mann comes a show that centers around different characters who frequent the same horse racing track. The series stars Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, Kevin Dunn, and loads of other people. Jason Gedrick is even in this one. Yeah, they guy from Iron Eagle! Anyway, I think this is one to keep an eye on.
That about sums up January. There are loads upon loads of other shows coming back so forgive me for leaving a good portion of them out. These are the ones that I plan to watch and hopefully you will too.
Tags: Alcatraz, Anna Silk, Anna Torv, BBC America, Being Human, Chris Hardwick, Cloris Leachman, David Mazouz, Dennis Farina, Dustin Hoffman, F/X, Face Off, Fox, Fringe, Garret Dillahunt, Glee, HBO, J.J. Abrams, Jake M. Johnson, Jason Gedrick, John Noble, Jorge Garcia, Joshua Jackson, Justified, Kevin Dunn, Kiefer Sutherland, Lamorne Morris, Lost Girl, Lucas Neff, Luck, Marlo Martindale, Martha Plimpton, Max Greenfield, Meagan Rath, New Girl, Nick Nolte, Raising Hope, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Huntington, Sam Neill, Sam Witwer, Sarah Jones, SyFy, The Fade, The Nerdist, Tim Kring, Timothy Olyphant, Touch, Walter Goggins, Zooey Deschanel
