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There were a wealth of great television pilots this season. In fact, there were so many, not all of them could be scheduled in the fall, and some had to wait until winter to debut. We have the skinny on sixteen different TV shows, on network and cable television, debuting between January and March. Also, we have the scoop on eight fan favorites that will be coming back to your screens this winter. Enjoy!

NEW SERIES

The Assets

An eight-part period drama set in the 1980s and 1990s, telling the story of Aldrich Ames, who worked for the CIA and gave important security secrets to the Soviet Union. Starring Paul Rhys, Jodie Whittaker and Harriet Walter. ABC, January 2

Chicago PD

winter_chicagoA spin-off of the popular series Chicago Fire, this drama will focus on the police officers and their Intelligence Unit, arresting criminals for various street crimes. Starring Jason Beghe, Jon Seda, Jesse Lee Soffer and Sophia Bush. NBC, January 8

Chozen

An animated comedy about a gay white rapper (sound like anyone you know?) who insists on turning his life around after leaving prison. Full of laughs but be prepared to wander through stereotypes to get there. Voices include Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, and Danny McBride. FX, January 13

Crisis

The President’s child and the children of other Washington D.C. elite are ambushed while on a field trip, triggering a national emergency. It is up to the FBI and the Secret Service to restore order and save the kidnapped children. Starring Gillian Anderson, Dermot Mulroney, Lance Gross and Rachael Taylor. NBC, Premiere Date TBA

Enlisted

winter_enlistedThree brothers, different in almost every way, all enroll in the Army and are stationed on the same military base. They have the run of the base while most of the people stationed there are deployed overseas. Starring Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, and Parker Young. FOX, January 10

Helix

Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control go on a trip to the Arctic to tame the source of a virus outbreak, but while they’re there, they discover something that could kill everyone on the planet. Starring Billy Campbell, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Kyra Zagorsky. SyFy, January 10

Intelligence

An intelligence operative can fight the enemies of this country as no one else before him could. How can he do that? He is the first person to have a microchip implanted in his brain, allowing him to be connected to the global information grid. Starring Josh Holloway, Marg Helgenberger, and Meghan Ory. CBS, January 7

Killer Women

A former beauty queen proves her mettle by becoming one of the few female Texas Rangers. She has to take down the bad guys in the Lone Star State and clash with her male superiors at the same time. Starring Tricia Helfer, Marc Blucas, Alex Fernandez and Marta Milans. ABC, January 7

Kim of Queens

winter_killerwomenKim Gravel, a singer and a former Miss Georgia, trains girls to snatch those trophies and win beauty pageants. Also seen are the interactions between Kim and the girls’ mothers. Sound familiar? It should: It will be running right after the deliciously trashy Dance Moms. Lifetime, January 1

Looking

This is a show I’ve been waiting for. Three gay men in their 30s experience life and love while living in San Francisco. They navigate the crazy city while strengthening their bonds as friends and finding out more and more about themselves in the process. Starring Jonathan Groff, Russell Tovey, and Murray Bartlett. HBO, January 19

Mind Games

Two con artist brothers go into business for themselves, manipulating people’s minds so their clients’ past issues can disappear and their dreams can become reality. The roadblocks to their success are one brother’s unmedicated bipolar disorder and the other’s questionable business practices. Starring Christian Slater and Steve Zahn. ABC, March 11

Mixology

A man recently dumped has not been out on the town in ten years, but his friends are throwing him to the wolves and making him go back to the dating scene whether he wants to do it or not. The women he encounters are not immediately encouraging. Starring Blake Lee, Craig Frank, Andrew Santino, and others. ABC, February 26

The Quest

winter_questA fantasy world comes to life for 12 contestants who must face off in epic challenges to find the “one true hero.” The producers of The Lord of the Rings spent months creating the world of “Everealm” for this high-energy reality game show. The producers of The Amazing Race developed this idea for television. ABC, January 2

Rake

In this adaptation of a successful Australian TV series, a brilliant criminal defense lawyer represents a motley group of characters, all the while having to rein in his self-destructive tendencies so he doesn’t lose everything he’s earned in life. Starring Greg Kinnear and Miranda Otto. FOX, January 23

Resurrection

Supernatural events happen to the people of Arcadia, Missouri. First, their dead loved ones come back to life. Finally, an 8-year-old boy appears, having woken up in a Chinese rice paddy, with no recollection of how he got there, insisting Arcadia is where he’s from. Starring Omar Epps, Kurtwood Smith, Devin Kelley, and Landon Gimenez. ABC, March 9

Togetherness

Two couples, forced to share a house together, balance playing nice with one another while pursuing their own life aims and dreams. Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass (The Mindy Project) created and wrote the series. Starring Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet, and Steve Zissis. HBO, Premiere Date TBA

RETURNING SERIES

Community

The show that has nine lives (and has escaped the chopping block for what feels like nine times) is back for a fifth season. These people have spent five years in community college. Let’s just think about that. Also, let’s rejoice in the news that creator and writer Dan Harmon, fired just last year, will be returning with new scripts this season. NBC, January 2

Dallas

winter_dallasThe reboot of the ’80s guilty pleasure is back for yet another season. John Ross and Christopher continue to fight it out for control of Southfork, the Ewing legacy, and billions and billions of dollars. TNT, February 24

Downton Abbey

This is a show that lights up my facebook news feed every winter. The fourth season has aired in the UK, but it is surprisingly easy to remain spoiler-free stateside. To start off the season, the people of Downton Abbey struggle to accept the death of Matthew. PBS, January 5

The Fosters

The surprise hit of 2013 is back for another season as moms Stef and Lena (Teri Polo, Sherri Saum) raise their blended family of children, but not without drama from inside the family and complications from the outside world. ABC Family, January 13

Girls

Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are back for another season of making (mostly bad) choices as they find out who they are as adults in the Big Apple. Hannah and Adam’s “will they or won’t they?” romance continues. HBO, January 12

Justified

The mysteries and intrigue regarding crime in small-town Kentucky (is Kentucky even really that exciting in real life?) continue for another season as the focus of the series switches to the Crowe crime family, a group of alligator farmers. FX, January 7

Parks and Recreation

Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the rest of the city workers of Pawnee, Indiana return in new episodes after a six-week hiatus. Leslie will try to get back on the city council, but how successful will she be? No matter what happens, it’ll definitely be funny. NBC, January 9

Pretty Little Liars

winter_liarsAria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer are no closer to finding out the secret of who “A” is, or what really happened to Alison (is she dead or not?). One thing is for certain; they are soon going to have many good reasons to doubt the brooding Ezra. ABC Family, January 7

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Mike Halterman
Mike Halterman has been the editor of Hotspots Central since its launch in July 2016. He joined the Hotspots Media Group family as editor of Hotspots' South Florida magazine in June 2013. A former "40 Under 40" honoree in The Advocate magazine, Mike lives in the Tampa Bay area.