Happy new year! Also, happy midseason! It’s that nebulous time of year when new programs debut to fill in the gaps until the shows you like return from hiatus. Here are some shows to keep on notice.
Thursday, January 2
ABC will debut the miniseries The Assets, a Cold War/CIA saga that may be the broadcast network version of The Americans. Also, The Taste returns for a second season with a two-hour premiere. My guess is the Anthony Bourdain Emmy nomination is what saved this series. Over on NBC, Community returns with Dan Harmon back at the helm. Expect Twitter to be insufferable starting at about 8:00:01 pm.
Sunday, January 5
Downton Abbey is back for those of us who opted not to watch it through methods. New this season: people of color! Here’s the season 4 Downton Abbey trailer.
Monday, January 6
Juan Pablo begins his second quest for love on this winter’s edition of The Bachelor. Which woman will “win” this show and which will be drafted into this summer’s The Bachelorette? Sandra will be keeping us updated throughout the journey.
Tuesday, January 7
The show I’m most excited about this winter: Intelligence on CBS. A dude has the Internet implanted in his brain, making him the ultimate law enforcement individual. It sounds super-doofy, but I’m a sucker for the cyber-thriller genre. I’ll keep you posted if the dude turns into a cat gif.
Meanwhile, BET will be expanding its scripted offerings, debuting its first long-form drama series Being Mary Jane. The network has had some major hits from scripted development—will this trend continue?
