Should I Even Bother Watching Any of These New Winter TV Shows?
10 network and cable TV shows premiere this January. Are any of them worth your time?
The biggest network TV shows used to premiere in the fall. Now they hold them for March and we get this awkward little eight weeks of winter TV. It’s a strange little mini-season and a chance for networks to use the relative down time to suck an available audience into a new show they’re launching. Welcome to January in Peak TV.
There’s a new reality competition show on every major network, cookie cutter sitcoms, FOX’s “next big hit” sci-fi thriller, a cable prestige drama, and more. But is any of it worth your time?
I took a look at ten new network and cable TV shows below and whether any of them are even worth watching…
The Passage
Mondays 9–10pm FOX
Based on the eponymous best-selling trilogy, The Passage tells of a dangerous virus that could potentially lead to the cure for all diseases… or wipe out the entire human race by turning them into vampires. Potato, po-tah-to, am I right? Old man Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) gets put in charge of a young girl chosen as a test subject, so basically this is a sci-fi reboot of Pitch. Think science meets family meets apocalypse with a network TV budget.
Should I watch it?
If you like sci-fi thrillers, definitely. If you’re not really into that vampire crap, you might want to skip it… but Ridley Scott did the premiere, so why not?
I Am the Night
Mondays 9–10pm TNT (starting January 28)
TNT presents this limited series from Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. Inspired by true events, I Am the Night is the story of a young woman given away at birth who begins to investigate her past and stumbles into the middle of Hollywood’s most infamous crime, the Black Dahlia murder. With the help of Chris Pine, the duo follow a sinister trail that leads them to a famous doctor and the heart of the unsolved crime.
Should I watch it?
This looks like this winter’s big prestige TV hit and a likely Emmy nomination for Pine, and honestly it’s only six episodes, so it’s probably worth a shot.
America’s Got Talent: The Champions
Mondays 8–10pm NBC
AGT is a summer show, but it’s back for a special winter run and it’s bringing back Susan Boyle, Darci Lynne, Piff the Magic Dragon, Tape Face, and all our other favorites. There’s 50 competitors in all, plus the usual judges and new host Terry Crews, and it’s a star-studded competition with only the best talent in the world. We got song, dance, magic, danger, comedy, even the occasional animal act. The talent level is off the charts, and the presentation is top notch.
Should I watch it?
Definitely. This is the best reality competition show on TV, and this is the best of the best. Plus, I’m recapping each episode so you can follow along for all my snarky rankings each week.
Roswell, New Mexico
Tuesdays 9–10pm CW
It’s a CW show about Roswell, so you’re getting a soapy teen drama involving aliens…both extraterrestrial and undocumented, as it turns out. An alien girl (illegal type) returns home to Roswell and discovers her teenage crush is also an alien (E.T. type) whose always hidden his abilities. And, look out! An alien invasion is coming — and not the kind a Trump wall can keep out.
Should I watch it?
I mean, the trailer literally features a dude telling a girl, “I can show you… but I’d need to touch you.” If you enjoy Vampire Dairies or other CW shows, you’re the demo for this, too. Too bad Jason Katims already did this show better.
Schooled
Wednesdays 8:30–9pm ABC
I like The Goldbergs more than anyone I know — I grew up in the 80s and they’re basically my family — and even I wouldn’t have wanted a spinoff. Schooled spins all the tertiary characters from Goldbergs forward into the 90s. It’s a decent idea for one Goldbergs episode but a terrible one for a new series. Lainey isn’t as good a narrator, the bit characters are better in bit roles, and there’s no Beverly or 80s nostalgia, nor any real-life Goldbergs footage.
Should I watch it?
If you’re desperate for 90s nostalgia and can’t just watch Everything Sucks! or Fresh Prince reruns, then sure, I guess. But few people love sitcoms more than me, and I won’t be sticking around.
HALFTIME! 7 returning shows to jump into…
Celebrity Big Brother, CBS various days & times starting January 21
What’s more fun than three weeks of D-list celebrities trapped in a house trying desperately to grab America’s attention for 15 last minutes of fame?
New Amsterdam, Tuesdays 10–11pm NBC
Fall’s best new show is your new favorite doctor show, with a whole crew of excellent leads and a great jazzy soundtrack along with them.
Grown-ish, Wednesdays 8–8:30pm Freeform
This Black-ish spinoff follows the Johnsons’ oldest daughter Zoey to college as Kenya Barris tells stories about college and millennial life in a meaningful, new way. Season 2 just started — and yes, you have a channel called Freeform.
All American, Wednesdays 9–10pm CW
The O.C. meets Friday Night Lights has been every bit as good as expected. If you like teen soaps and sports, jump into the first season and catch up.
A Million Little Things, Thursdays 9–10pm ABC
It’s the new This Is Us, but with less heartwarming cries and more tragedy and depression. Something bad happens to just about every character every week, and still this show hits you in the feels and keeps you coming back.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place, Thursday 9–10pm NBC
NBC revived Brooklyn after FOX tried to send it to the Bad Place, and now we get back-to-back Michael Schur shows in the funniest hour on television.
Broad City, Thursdays 10–10:30pm Comedy Central (January 24)
Ilana and Abbi are back for one final season, the hilarious story of two young women trying to survive work, life, and relationships in the Big Apple with endless hijinks and cameos. Catch up or jump in if you don’t have time.
The Masked Singer
Wednesdays 9–10pm FOX
Masked Singer is a bizarre remake of a hit Korean game show featuring B-list celebrities in full costume singing for a panel of C-list celebrity judges. If Nick Cannon hosts a new show ft. Pineapple vs Unicorn while Ken Jeong judges, isn’t it just TV Mad Libs at this point? The singing is meh, and the judges’ opinions are genuinely terrible. The only real fun is solving the mystery of which celebrity is behind each mask based on a few vague clues, and of course their singing voices. Spoiler alert: it’s Antonio Brown and Tommy Chong.
Should I watch it?
Watch it once, just to appreciate how good we have it with American television. You’re on your own from there.
The World’s Best
Wednesdays 8–9pm CBS (starting February 6)
James Corden hosts CBS’s new global reality competition with acts “from every genre imaginable, from every corner of the planet.” Created by the makers of American Idol (Mike Darnell) and Survivor (Mark Burnett), this is basically reality show royalty. Each act will be judged by the talented trio of Drew Barrymore, RuPaul, and Faith Hill along with a “Wall of the World” panel of 50 expert judges. It’s all pretty ambitious, but with names like that behind it, this looks like it could be the next big reality hit.
Should I watch it?
It premieres immediately following the Super Bowl so you’re probably going to end up watching it at some party while you fend off a nacho hangover.
The Titan Games
Thursdays 8–9pm NBC
Hey, you know how Ninja Warrior is a hit? And how much fun American Gladiators was in the 90s? And how The Rock is a huge movie star? Well this is none of that, really. It’s trying to do it all, but it’s just a bunch of talented athletes doing stuff we don’t quite know how to appreciate at home. There’s not enough Rock and not enough creativity in the athletic feats.
Should I watch it?
Meh. NBC promoted this for months, but it’s been pretty disappointing.
Fam
Thursdays 9:30–10pm CBS
Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev has the perfect life with the perfect fiance and in-laws until her 16-year-old half sister moves in. And then, you know, sitcommy stuff happens. You won’t believe the crazy hijinks their yeah-sure-she’s-16 sister gets into. The characters are all pretty likable but… nah, fam.
Should I watch it?
It’s a CBS sitcom with a predictably mismatched family and a laugh track every four seconds. If you read my stuff, there’s a pretty good chance this show is not for you.
The Other Two
Thursdays 10:30–11pm Comedy Central (starting January 24)
This Lorne Michaels and Saturday Night Live bit-turned-show is about 29- and 30-year-old siblings trying to rebalance their lives when their little brother becomes internet famous overnight. Creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider have written a lot of funny stuff you’ve seen, including as co-head writers the last couple years at SNL.
Should I watch it?
You should watch Broad City right before anyway, and it’s made by funny people and features funny actors like Molly Shannon and Ken Marino.
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