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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
