Lucky number 13 is the name of the game this May. The month features several long-running summer favorites returning to the screen alongside several standouts hoping to avoid the sophomore slump. Catch up on the supernatural with iZombie and Lucifer, the character-driven with Deadwood and Fleabag, and the crime-ridden with Line of Duty and Elementary before new episodes drop in the coming weeks.
What it is: A wonderfully original spin on the TV zombie craze started by The Walking Dead, iZombie stars Rose McIver as Olivia Moore, a med student-turned-zombie who helps the Seattle police solve homicides by eating victims’ brains and reliving their memories.
Why you should watch it: There’s no limit to the creative turns TV writers can take the simple premise of “zombies exist” — hat tip to the dearly departed Santa Clarita Diet — but as iZombie heads into its fifth and final season, it remains one of the genre’s best, most off-kilter examples. Season 5 premieres May 2 on The CW.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 42 hours (for the first four seasons)
What it is: Most people escape their locale to vacation where it’s warm, but where do you vacation when your home is in Hell? Los Angeles, apparently. That’s where our titular antihero Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) sets his sights, at least, after resigning his post as ruler of the underworld and wanting to spice up his life. Once in LA, he opens up a nightclub and stumbles into becoming a civilian consultant for the LAPD.
Why you should watch it: Based on the DC Comics character created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg, Lucifer Morningstar is a protagonist like we haven’t seen before. Ruler of Hell, sure, but also charismatic as hell (and charming, witty, and handsome), proving himself to be the perfect right-hand man for homicide detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). (Over the course of three seasons, their beguiling relationship is one of the reasons to stick around, too.) Lucifer was cancelled by Fox last year, but revived by Netflix, which will premiere its fourth season on May 8.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 42 hours (for the first three seasons)
What it is: With Netflix’s romantic comedy series, it’s all in the name. That’s because there’s nothing, well, easy about modern love. Easy’s first two seasons follow an intertwining group of friends and couples living and loving in Chicago.
Why you should watch it: The best of television is often character-driven, and Easy gives you plenty of characters to work with. While this Windy City–set series focuses on people and relationships that occasionally overlap, each episode largely stands on its own as a singular meditation on a given couple’s romantic dynamic and exploration of intimacy. And with Drinking Buddies writer-director Joe Swanberg at the helm, the whole thing goes down smoothly (you thought there was going to be another “easy” joke, didn’t you?). Plus, it’s just a hoot to see some of our favorite talents (from Judy Greer to Aubrey Plaza to Dave Franco to Orlando Bloom) pop in for a quick half-hour installment.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours (for the first two seasons)
What it is: S.H.I.E.L.D. is the kind of agency you want at your back. Led by fan-favorite Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg, who caused uproar upon his character’s death in 2012’s The Avengers), Marvel Comics’ fictional Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division fights the behind-the-scenes battles that the average human wouldn’t dare face (see: Project Centipede and more). It’s wild, it’s crazy, and it’s a heck of a fun time for Marvel superfans.
Why you should watch it: Sure, this puzzle piece within the Marvel Cinematic Universe maintains the franchise call-backs and tonally checks all the boxes of what we look for in a Marvel romp, but you don’t have to be a die-hard lover of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and co. to fall for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s extraterrestrial adventures and the now-beloved ensemble of characters it has built throughout its 100-plus episodes. Season 6 premieres on ABC May 10.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 82 hours (for the first five seasons)
What it is: Longtime character actor and standout supporter Giovanni Ribisi gets top billing as conman Marius who, once out of prison, takes on the identity of his cellmate, Pete. On the run from a cold-blooded mobster, Marius holes up with Pete’s unsuspecting small-town family.
Why you should watch it: This Amazon original series from creators David Shore and Bryan Cranston (who also co-stars as the aforementioned mobster, Vince) will sneak up and floor you — and we don’t say that simply as a play on words. Each ensemble member (but especially Ribisi and series breakout Marin Ireland) delivers lived-in and moving dramatic turns with fast-paced scripts that don’t skimp on nuance or character. In other words, Sneaky Pete doesn’t have to con its way onto your must-watch list. Season 3 premieres May 10 on Amazon Prime.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 18 hours (for the first two seasons)
What it is: Netflix’s Bodyguard may have taken the world by storm last year (along with a Golden Globe win for star Richard Madden), but it’s another cop thriller from creator Jed Mercurio that has us itching for more: Line of Duty. Five seasons in, the series remains one of the U.K.’s highest-rated dramas. Line of Duty follows D.S. Steve Arnott after he’s transferred to an anti-corruption unit and is partnered with a brilliant undercover investigator, D.C. Kate Fleming.
Why you should watch it: While dry in summary, the performances and procedural dramas here are absolutely astounding — some of the best nail-biters TV has to offer. Season 5 is already acclaimed overseas, but premieres for U.S. audiences May 13 on Acorn TV.
Where to watch it: Acorn TV, Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu
Commitment: Approx. 23 hours (for the first four seasons)
What it is: Well it’s about time! Fleabag’s six-episode first season premiered to critical acclaim back in 2016 — which means we’ve been waiting for quite a while to reacquaint ourselves with creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her titular and adrift heroine, who is learning to cope with the death of her best friend in varying self-destructive ways while building a life in London.
Why you should watch it: Few other creators are as exciting as Fleabag’s Waller-Bridge. The beloved and all-too-short first season of Amazon’s fuss-free comedy is based on the writer and actress’ hit one-woman play of the same name, which just wrapped a sold-out Off-Broadway run after its 2013 debut overseas. Crass, fearless, and heartbreaking in equal measure, the series trumpeted the arrival of a thrilling new creative voice. And now that Waller-Bridge has other hits with Killing Eve and an arc in Star Wars under her belt, she’s going into season 2 of Fleabag as a bonafide international superstar. Do yourself a favor and learn what the buzz is about. Season 2 premieres May 17 on Amazon Prime Video.
Where to watch it: Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 3 hours (for the first season)
What it is: A contemporary (and gender-bending) update on the classic Sherlock Holmes, Elementary is a New York crime procedural starring Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson and Jonny Lee Miller as the iconic Holmes. Watson begins as Holmes’ sober companion (the ex-Scotland Yard consultant is also a recovering drug addict), but as the series progresses, she becomes his apprentice and partner in solving NYPD’s most chin-scratching mysteries.
Why you should watch it: Liu is endlessly watchable in just about anything, so her involvement in this Robert Doherty series is reason enough to tune in. But Elementary is more than just a spellbinding leading lady: it’s a solid, reliable procedural that puts a clever twist on an old classic. Season 7 premieres May 23 on CBS.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 103 hours (for the first six seasons)
What it is: Set in the rarely depicted neighborhood of East Los Angeles, Vida follows estranged Mexican-American sisters Lyn and Emma Hernandez, who are forced to revisit their childhood home and memories after the sudden death of their mother. Familial secrets and personal growth abounds.
Why you should watch it: Shows don’t get much more refreshingly original than Vida, Starz’s half-hour dramedy from showrunner Tanya Saracho. Centering queer, Latinx voices both in front of and behind the camera is a feat in and of itself, but the fact that the series is compellingly alive (and bingeable) is what will keep you sticking around. It’s wonderfully grounded by Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada as the central reunited sisters. Season 2 premieres May 23 on Starz.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 3 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Spike Lee updated his original 1986 film in series form. She’s Gotta Have It is the story of Brooklyn-based artist Nola Darling and her three lovers — a love life she juggles while navigating her personal life in an ever-gentrifying Brooklyn and ever-shifting social and political climate.
Why you should watch it: Talk about a star-making performance: you simply can’t take your eyes off the magnetic DeWanda Wise. While season 1 admittedly goes a bit off the rails with some of its sillier subplots, She’s Gotta Have It is a series that packs a timely, sociopolitical punch while laying the drama (and sexiness) on thick. With Lee at the helm and Wise front and center, She’s Gotta Have It is a televisual update that’s an absolutely engrossing joy to watch. Season 2 premieres May 24 on Netflix.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: About 5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Based on the 2010 Australian feature film of the same name from writer-director David Michôd, Animal Kingdom reconfigures itself in Southern California and showcases the city’s grittier side through a crime family led by iron-fisted matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin). Our point of entry is Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole), a 17-year-old who’s swept up into the family business after his mother dies of a heroin overdose.
Why you should watch it: Ellen Barkin, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Barkin. The series’ thrilling writing and direction, led by creator Jonathan Lisco, is well worth the binge, but Barkin, a Tony and Emmy winner and two-time Golden Globe nominee, brings a conniving richness to Smurf that must be seen to be believed. Season 4 premieres May 28 on TNT.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 27 hours (for the first three seasons)
What it is: Even the sleekest of action-packed espionage thrillers have an air of cartoonish hyperbole to them, but FXX’s Archer does away with that suspension of disbelief by making the whole thing a cartoon to begin with. The half-hour comedy from creator Adam Reed can land a joke as deftly as its titular man-child spy can land a punch, so expect to be thrilled while laughing yourself silly.
Why you should watch it: Over nine hit seasons, Archer has never shied away from genre experimentation. Season 8’s Dreamland and last season’s Danger Island were particularly high-concept highlights. Season 10 continues the genre-jumping trend of Archer’s coma-dream with 1999, which sees Archer not as the ass-kicking spy of ISIS we know from earlier incarnations, but a futuristic explorer of space on the M/V Seamus alongside our longstanding favorite characters and the voice actors behind them. While it’s a bottle season and therefore easily accessible to newcomers, we still recommend you catch up on all things Archer that have come before it. That’s where the payoff is! Archer: 1999 premieres May 29 on FXX.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 38 hours (for the first nine seasons)
What it is: In what is quickly proving to be one of the television events of the year, Deadwood’s long-awaited feature film finale is finally coming to HBO on May 31. The fan-favorite Western from creator David Milch reunites stars Timothy Olyphant as Seth Bullock and Ian McShane as Al Swearengen (along with the majority of the original ensemble) for a bookend installment set 10 years after the events of season 3’s unexpected ending.
Why you should watch it: A fascinating, lurid, and original take on the classic Western genre, Deadwood built its devout fan base thanks to its ability to explore the human condition in tandem with the principles of early American society. With a smattering of scene-stealing performances from its expansive cast, it also has the writing, direction, and design to be one of the most gritty and authentic takes on America’s roots to ever hit the small screen. Deadwood: The Movie premieres May 31 on HBO.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, HBO Now, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 36 hours (for all three seasons)
Some of 2017’s best new series are finally returning for round two this month, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Catch up on those — plus a handful of favorite long-running offerings — below with our monthly roundup of what to binge.
What it is: Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) gets the leading lady treatment with CBS All Access’ hit spin-off of The Good Wife. Set one year after the events of that acclaimed series’ finale (and picking up on the morning of President Donald Trump’s storied inauguration), The Good Fight follows Lockhart after she’s forced out of her own firm with Maia Rindell (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) and joins up with Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo).
Why you should watch it: Sure, if you loved The Good Wife, you’ll love The Good Fight — but believe it or not, Baranski is better than ever here and finds exciting new shades to our beloved Lockhart. Season 2 premieres March 4.
Where to watch it: Amazon, CBS All Access, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8.5 hours
What it is: If you’re up to no good, Jessica Jones is the last person you’d want to bump into in a dark alleyway. The super-strong P.I. has thrown in her towel as a superhero and instead taken to bringing justice to New York City’s most nefarious by more traditional means — until a super-villain from her past named Kilgrave comes back into her life, that is.
Why you should watch it: Even if you’ve already seen Season 1 of Jessica Jones, and even if you got a much-needed fix from Marvel’s The Defenders last year, Krysten Ritter alone is worthy of repeat viewing for a quick catch-up before season 2 on March 8. Daring, crass, and ball-busting, she and her Jones take on a whole new significance in the era of Times Up and #MeToo. But most importantly, she’s addictively watchable, now more than ever.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: This half-hour comedy from Judd Apatow and Lesley Arfin charts the unlikely relationship of goofy everyman Gus (Paul Rust) and the beautiful-but-flawed Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), both of whom live and work in Hollywood.
Why you should watch it: They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and particularly with Love, it’s best to not judge a series by its title, either. More a darkly comic look at 20-30something aimlessness, addiction, and the things we do to make a connection in the modern world, Love likely won’t leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy. What is worth loving, though, are stop-you-in-your-tracks performances from Community vet Jacobs and Rust. Season 3 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: FandangoNow, Google Play, Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 11 hours
What it is: Longtime character actor and standout supporter Giovanni Ribisi gets top-billing as “titular” conman Marius who, once out of prison, takes on the identity of his cellmate, Pete. On the run from a coldblooded mobster, Marius holes up with Pete’s unsuspecting small-town family.
Why you should watch it: This Amazon original series from creators David Shore and Bryan Cranston (who also co-stars as mobster Vince) will sneak up and floor you — and we don’t say that simply as a play on words. Each ensemble member (but especially Ribisi and series breakout Marin Ireland) delivers lived-in and moving dramatic turns with fast-paced scripts that don’t skimp on nuance of character. Sneaky Pete doesn’t have to con its way onto your must-watch list; it deserves to be there. Season 2 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 7.5 hours
What it is: This time-hopping, sci-fi adventure series from creators Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke stars Abigail Spencer, Malcolm Barrett, and Matt Lanter as a history professor, a scientist, and a soldier, respectively, who travel through time to stop another more sinister time traveler from altering the course of history.
Why you should watch it: Oftentimes, high-concept big swings from the networks take a little while to find their footing, but Timeless on NBC stormed out of the gate in fall 2016 as an admirably audacious drama with tricks up its sleeve to spare. Season 2 premieres March 11.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: Showtime’s Billions dramatizes the high-stakes world of Wall Street when Chuck Rhoades, a U.S. attorney, sets his sights on bringing down hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod for insider trading and other illegal proclivities.
Why you should watch it: Paul Giamatti has built a career on playing the everyman, and here, he’s fighting for him. Giamatti’s turn as the hard-hitting U.S. attorney Rhoades would be reason alone to watch (scenes of unexpected BDSM and all), but Billions also boasts a timely, engrossing premise and firecracker performances from Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff that meet Giamatti mark for mark. Season 3 premieres March 25.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 24 hours
What it is: This decorated HBO comedy from creators John Altschuler, Mike Judge, and Dave Krinsky is the story of wunderkind coder Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) as he and partner Erlich Bachman (T.J. Miller) struggle to to get their startup off the ground during Northern California’s tech boom.
Why you should watch it: Few shows pack as many laughs-per-episode as Silicon Valley. Through its hilarious portrayal of a company on the rise, it also taps into the real-world “brotopia” of the West Coast’s tech industry in more than just name with an assortment of memorable (and in the case of Middleditch, Emmy-nominated) performances across the board.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, HBO Now, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 19 hours
What it is: Now entering its sixth and final season, this slow-burning espionage series stars real-life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as married KGB spies infiltrating the nation’s capital at the height of the Cold War.
Why you should watch it: We know, we know: You’ve heard enough about Russia in today’s headlines, so why should you want to watch a show about KGB spies infiltrating the States? Trust us: The Americans isn’t just any show. In Russell and Rhys, the FX critical darling boasts two of television’s finest performers matched with airtight scripts and sublime direction and cinematography well deserving of its slew of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over its five-year run. Season 6 premieres March 28.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 48 hours
What it is: Those poor, poor Baudelaire orphans — always getting caught up in events that are, well, unfortunate. Netflix’s whimsically dark series follows Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who, after they’re parents’ death, are put in the care of an evil distant cousin, Count Olaf, who’s set on getting his hands on their sizable inheritance.
Why you should watch it: Here, Neil Patrick Harris is doing more than just stealing the show here, as he did on for nine seasons on How I Met Your Mother. He is the show, making each master-of-disguise get-up as the menacing Olaf more beguiling than the one before it. It’s just an added bonus that the sets, music, and just about everything else about this series is technically dazzling.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
What it is: While Legion is among the most original — and, as a result, undefinable — series on TV today, in the simplest of terms, it’s the story of psych-ward patient David Haller (Dan Stevens) and his sidekick-turned-nemesis Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) as David more fully becomes what he’s always known himself to be: a mutant.
Why you should watch it: To anyone who says they’re tiring of the superhero genre overtaking film and TV, we say, “Have you seen Legion?” Noah Hawley’s absolutely singular X-Men–based vision is a mind-bending and engrossing head-scratcher that’s well worth committing to. And committing is exactly what Stevens and Plaza do with their no-holds-barred, fearless performances. Season 2 premieres April 3.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
The dominance of the streaming services is front and center in the New Show category — eight out of 10 series topping our shortlist are streaming titles. Netflix claims four slots, Amazon has two, while Hulu and CBS All Access each hold one.
The order of the rank below reflects the Adjusted Score as of December 31, 2017. Scores might change over time.
This week on streaming video, we’ve got some Certified Fresh treats on Netflix — including their newest original series — and a Bryan Cranston-produced series on Amazon, as well as a mix of classics and brand new films on FandangoNOW. Read on for the full list.
Maika Monroe stars as a suburban Michigan teen who becomes infected with a malevolent spirit after a sexual encounter, and it won’t stop pursuing her until she gives it to someone else — or dies.
Available now on: Netflix
Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Ehle star in this drama about a friendship between two boys that’s threatened by a conflict between their parents.
Available now on: Netflix
Sonia Braga stars in this drama from Brazil about a woman’s standoff with the developers trying to push her out of her apartment.
Available now on: Netflix
Neil Patrick Harris stars in this adaptation of the popular novels, about three orphaned children dealing with an evil uncle as they search for the truths behind their parents’ deaths.
Available now on: Netflix
Documentarian Steve James (Hoop Dreams) reconnects with a troubled man he mentored as a Big Brother 10 years earlier and attempts to figure out what circumstances led to his impoverished state.
Available now on: Netflix
David Naughton and Griffin Dunne star in this classic horror comedy from John Landis, about an American college student who becomes a werewolf after a brutal attack on the English moors.
Available now on: Netflix
Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan star in Roman Polanski’s thriller about a writer who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy when he discovers a secret while working on a former Prime Minister’s memoirs.
Available now on: Netflix
Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star in J.A. Bayona’s disaster thriller, based on true events, about a family vacationing in Thailand who are separated during a massively destructive tsunami.
Available now on: Netflix
This French-Tunisian drama revolves around the Arab Spring’s impact on a Tunisian family, particularly the teenage daughter, whose role as lead singer of a rebellious rock band lands her in trouble.
Available now on: Netflix
This Guatemalan drama centers on a young girl on the verge of an arranged marriage.
Available now on: Netflix
This dramedy follows a novitiate nun as she returns home to see her war veteran brother.
Available now on: Netflix
This thriller set in 1968 follows eight people headed to Mexico City on bus who begin to experience strange phenomenon that changes them and attempt to figure out what’s causing it.
Available now on: Netflix
This French drama centers on an immigrant’s struggles to support — and connect with — her children.
Available now on: Netflix
Ethan Hawke stars as a true crime writer who moves with his family into a new home with a dark past, only to be terrorized by the same evil that haunted the previous owners.
Available now on: Netflix
Jodie Foster directs Mel Gibson (and herself) in this dramedy about a depressed man who begins communicating with the world through a beaver hand puppet.
Available now on: Netflix
Giovanni Ribisi and Marin Ireland star in this Amazon original drama about a con man who assumes his cellmate’s identity and lands a job with his faux-family’s bail-bond business.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Christopher Walken stars in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel about a teacher who awakens from a coma and discovers he has psychic powers.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Jeremy Irons stars in a dual role in David Cronenberg’s thriller about a pair of twin doctors who frequently substitute for each other for kicks, until an actress comes between them and causes a rift.
Available 1/11 on: FandangoNOW
This fact-based drama centers on a man’s recovery from addiction and friendship with a cat (not necessarily in that order).
Available now on: FandangoNOW
River Phoenix and a young Ethan Hawke both made their film debut in Joe Dante’s sci-fi fantasy about a trio of kids who utilize spare parts and computer know how to man their own expedition into space.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson star in this multigenerational tale of outlaws living in the British countryside.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton star in this drama that interweaves three stories in contemporary London.
Available 1/13 on: FandangoNOW
Tom Cruise reprises his role as author Lee Child’s wandering fixer, who attempts to clear his name after he is wrongly accused of murder, and discovers he may have a child he never met.
Available now on: FandangoNOW
It’s time for our weekly countdown of the Winter TV premieres! Here are the best new shows for the week of Friday, January 13, 2017. See how this week’s shows, The Young Pope, Sneaky Pete, Victoria, Taboo, and A Series of Unfortunate Events stack up against each other on the Tomatometer!
Bryan Cranston returning to TV is probably reason enough to celebrate, let alone the fact that he co-created a show. Sneaky Pete stars Giovanni Ribisi as Marius, a con artist who assumes his prison cellmate Pete’s identity. Posing as Pete, Marius and his cousin Julia (Marin Ireland) fall in with the real Pete’s grandparents, Audrey (Margo Martindale) and Otto (Peter Gerety), who collect bounties for bail bonds, in an effort to pay off gangster Vince (Cranston) to bail out his own brother.
Cranston created the show with David Shore, who has since passed the showrunning baton to Graham Yost. Cranston, Yost, Ribisi, Ireland, and Martindale spoke with reporters during the Television Critics Association winter press tour.
Here are 10 things to know about the new show, which premieres January 13 on Amazon.
As he revealed in his biography and hinted at during one of his many Emmy speeches, Cranston was nicknamed Sneaky Pete growing up. He would find shortcuts to chores and mini-scams like reselling used suntan lotion. Sony Pictures Television exec Zack Van Amber thought his Sneaky Pete persona could become the lead of a series.
“I might be a con man if I wasn’t [an actor],” Cranston said. “Zack Van Amber said, ‘What if you were a teenager and you didn’t grow out of it and you’re now 35? What are you then?’ So that got us thinking about a bad man with a sense of purpose and goodness in his soul that’s undiscovered.”
The show only gets its name from Bryan Cranston, whose Sneaky Pete schemes were simple. Ribisi is playing a whole different character, and each of his plans creates more problems like a game of whack-a-mole.
“Ultimately the character is his own concoction from Graham and Bryan, and David Shore originally,” Ribisi said. “In a way, you could distill it down to a simple thing where a guy wants to save his brother from a situation, or extricate his brother from that. What was so fascinating for me was how complicated it became, because of his own logic, because of his own reasoning. The various tributaries he would go down to cover his tracks or lie or build a bigger lie.”
While performing off Broadway in the 1980s, Martindale worked as a private investigator to make ends meet. Wayne Knight (Newman from Seinfeld) worked in the same office. That gave her some real world experience in Audrey’s line of work.
“Everybody there was an actor,” Martindale said. “Wayne and the boys got to go out on the street and bust up counterfeit rings and stuff, do surveillance in a car. All of mine was done sweet talking people on the phone, getting dirt on people, getting dirt on husbands from neighbors, getting dirt on anybody who was applying for a job for headhunters. It was a deceptive job. Very Audrey.”
Sneaky Pete began as a CBS show, where Shore had conceived it as a “con of the week.” Marius/Pete and Julia would catch a different crook every episode. Yost took over in February 2016, when it was already an Amazon show, and realized he could go into more detail. For example, Marius trying to crack Audrey’s safe became a major subplot.
“I was originally thinking getting into the safe will take one episode,” Yost said. “The writers room said, ‘You know what? We’re doing a streaming show. We can slow that roll. Let’s explore that. Let’s make that harder, and let’s make the safe be a big thing, so that once we finally get into that safe, it’s a big reveal, and then there are ramifications because of that.’”
For the CBS incarnation of the show, Ireland studied bounty hunters, especially female bounty hunters. But the Amazon version became more character-driven.
“Originally in the CBS version, we were much more bounty hunting sidekicks,” Ireland said. “At that point I was doing all this crazy research on lady bounty hunters. You really uncover some fascinating people. One of the most famous female bounty hunters is 4’2”. That was very fun, but ultimately the interesting thing about the character is she is kind of bad at it. She’s trying to get better at it and gets shown up a lot by him.”
Watching Cranston play a charismatic villain will certainly be a treat for Breaking Bad fans, or anyone who loves great characters. Cranston created himself a very different role in Sneaky Pete, though.
“Walter was an everyman,” Cranston said. “Over the course of six years, we got to unveil the type of personality he eventually became. Under the right set of circumstances, I think anybody could have that same journey. Vince is a different guy. He had a different track. He had more of a Sneaky Pete nature to him from the very beginning. Even while he was a cop, he was not a clean cop. He was working an angle from the very beginning, so he’s a very different character than Walter White.”
There’s a long history of con artists in movies, and maybe less so on television. Sneaky Pete captures the American hustle, but with a twist on crime story cliches. Holding someone at gunpoint doesn’t always make them obedient, and catching a liar doesn’t make them honest.
“One of our guiding principals is to give the audience what they want in a way they don’t expect,” Yost said. “So a lot of that is turning things on their head and going a little farther. You pull a gun on someone and they’re maybe not going to do what you say. They’re going to say, ‘Okay, kill me.’ We want to play with those things. It comes from the tradition of hopefully the best of the con artist stories, whether it’s The Sting, which is something we actually reference a couple times, or Paper Moon. Even Focus, which was a rock solid sting movie with Will Smith. That tradition of con artist stories is something we’re living up to with a new twist.”
Ribisi is playing two characters on Sneaky Pete. There’s Marius, and there’s Marius as Pete. The same things that make Ribisi convincing on screen are what makes Marius convincing to Pete’s own family.
“From a con man’s perspective, it’s that the more you believe in it, the more they believe in it,” Ribisi said. “There were certain situations where there was an accent or a specific vocation or certain thing that you’re trying to put forward, but I think at the end of the day, it’s just, ‘Look the guy in the eye and say the line.’”
Alfred Hitchcock and George Lucas frequently refer to a story’s “MacGuffin,” the object or goal of the story’s hero. Marius/Pete has a lot of MaGuffins. He’s trying to get into Audrey’s safe, he’s got to forge Pete’s driver’s license, and there are plenty of other MacGuffins they won’t spoil yet. In one upcoming scene, Ireland decided to sit on the MacGuffin that Marius needs, adding a layer to Julia’s scene with him. She’s talking to him, and he just wants her to move!
“I was like, ‘What if you have put it down, and when I show up, I sit on it?’” Ireland said. “‘So you look like you’re really interested in what I’m saying, but I’m literally sitting right on the thing.’”
Yost cast stage and screen legend Ben Vereen as Porter, a character who enters the story in the second half of the season, with a rich history tied to con artist legend.
“Ben Vereen pops up in this series and plays a big role from the midpoint on,” Yost said. “That was an interesting character to create. That’s part of the con world. We worked with Apollo Robins, who’s a great recovered con artist and one of the greatest pickpockets in the world. His sense of what it is to be a con artist and the personal costs, that was a big part of the story of the series, is Marius and Marius’s growth. It needed to be incremental, but also the sense of con history, these people in the world and the camaraderie they had amongst themselves. They’re like show folk.”
Sneaky Pete premieres on Friday, January 13 on Amazon.
Clockwise from top left: The Mindy Project, Homeland, Throwing Shade, Reign, Jeff and Some Aliens, The Young Pope
The cold weather ushers in some familiar TV favorites like Homeland, Girls, and The Path that debut new seasons after the holidays, while fall titles like How to Get Away With Murder and The Walking Dead will return from a quick holiday break. Many new shows like The Mick, Planet Earth II, and The Young Pope will debut. Throw in a few TV movies (Beaches, Christmas special Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio) and some events (Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour, Hairspray Live!), and we’ll call it “Winter TV.” Here’s the big list of upcoming premiere dates, starting in December through February. We’ll update this list as more dates are announced.
December | January | February | Preview: Spring
Friday, Dec. 2
Fauda: Season 1 (2016) 100% Netflix
Lost in Oz: Season 1 (2017) Amazon (US premiere)
Pacific Heat: Season 1 (2016) 17% Netflix
Mariah’s World
Sunday, Dec. 4
Mariah's World: Season 1 (2016) 44% 9 p.m., E!
The Royals: Season 3 (2016) 10 p.m., E!
Monday, Dec. 5
() 8 p.m., FOX (special event)
Timber Creek Lodge: Season 1 (2016) 10 p.m., Bravo
Wednesday, Dec. 7
Shut Eye: Season 1 (2016) 37% Hulu
Hairspray Live! (2016) 76% 8 p.m., NBC
Thursday, Dec. 8
Gangland Undercover: Season 2 (2016) 10 p.m., A&E
Friday, Dec. 9
Captive: Season 1 () 75% Netflix
Club of Crows: Season 2 (2016) Netflix
Fuller House: Season 2 (2016) 50% Netflix
Mozart in the Jungle: Season 3 (2016) 100% Amazon
() 9 p.m., Showtime
Sunday, Dec. 11
The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016) 100% 9 p.m., PBS
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Lee Daniel's Star: Season 1 () 35% 9 p.m., FOX
The Bureau: Season 1 (2009) 100% 11:50 p.m., Sundance (US premiere)
Friday, Dec. 16
Call Me Francis: Season 1 (2016) Netflix
Crazyhead: Season 1 (2016) 100% Netflix
The Man in the High Castle: Season 2 (2016) 64% Amazon
No Second Chance: Miniseries (2015) Netflix
The OA: Season 1 (2016) 77% Netflix
Tuesday, Dec. 20
The Break: Season 1 (2016) Netflix
Call My Agent!: Season 1 (2015) 100% Netflix
Trollhunters
Friday, Dec. 23
Sense8: Happy F... New Year (2016) 88% Netflix
Travelers: Season 1 (2016) 100% Netflix (US premiere)
Trollhunters: Tales Of Arcadia: Part 1 (2016) 94% Netflix
Sunday, Dec. 25
Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016) 89% BBC America
Tuesday, Dec. 27
Ajin: Demi-Human: Season 2 (2016) Netflix
Chasing Cameron: Season 1 (2016) Netflix
Sherlock
Sunday, Jan. 1
Sherlock: Season 4 (2017) 54% PBS
The Mick: Season 1 (2017) 58% 8 p.m., FOX
Ransom: Season 1 (2017) 47% 8 p.m., CBS
Monday, Jan. 2
My Knight and Me: Season 1 () 4 p.m., Cartoon Network
The New Celebrity Apprentice: Season 15 (2017) 17% 8 p.m., NBC
Shadowhunters: Season 2 (2017) 86% 8 p.m., Freeform
Beyond: Season 1 (2017) 42% 9 p.m., Freeform
Bones
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Bones: Season 12 (2017) 93% 9 p.m., Fox
Killing Fields: Season 2 (2017) 10 p.m., Discovery
Wednesday, Jan. 4
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 12 (2017) 90% 10 p.m., FXX
Too Close to Home: Season 2 (2017) 10 p.m., TLC
Man Seeking Woman: Season 3 (2017) 100% 10:30 p.m., FXX
Thursday, Jan. 5
Nashville: Season 5 (2017) 86% 9 p.m., CMT/TV Land
Ghosts in the Hood: Season 1 (2017) 10 p.m., WE tv
Portlandia: Season 7 (2017) 10 p.m., IFC
Friday, Jan. 6
Coin Heist (2017) 40% Netflix
Degrassi: Next Class: Season 1 (2016) Netflix
One Day at a Time: Season 1 (2017) 97% Netflix
Tarzan and Jane: Season 1 (2017) Netflix
Grimm: Season 6 (2017) 83% 8 p.m., NBC
Emerald City: Season 1 (2017) 38% 9 p.m., NBC
Sleepy Hollow: Season 4 (2017) 9 p.m., FOX
Saturday, Jan. 7
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016) 100% 8 p.m., HBO
Tuesday, Jan.10
We're Lalaloopsy: Season 1 (2017) Netflix
Being Mary Jane: Season 4 (2017) 100% 9 p.m., BET
Taboo: Season 1 (2017) 76% 10 p.m., FX
Schitt’s Creek
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Schitt's Creek: Season 3 (2017) 8 p.m., POP
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 3 (2017) 10 p.m., Bravo
Workaholics: Season 7 (2017) 100% 10 p.m., Comedy Central
Jeff & Some Aliens: Season 1 (2017) 100% 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
Thursday, Jan. 12
() Crackle
Colony: Season 2 (2017) 100% 10 p.m., USA
Friday, Jan. 13
Clinical (2017) Netflix
The Investigator: A British Crime Story: Season 1 () Netflix
Just Add Magic: Season 2 (2016) Amazon
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 1 (2017) 94% Netflix
Sneaky Pete: Season 1 (2015) 97% Amazon
Victoria
Sunday, Jan. 15
The Young Pope: Miniseries (2016) 80% 6 p.m., HBO (US premiere)
Homeland: Season 6 (2017) 78% 9 p.m., Showtime
Victoria on Masterpiece: Season 1 (2016) 80% 9 p.m., PBS
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Teachers: Season 2 (2017) 10 p.m., TV Land
() % 10:30 p.m., TV Land
Wednesday, Jan. 18
SIX: Season 1 (2017) 62% 10 p.m., History
Baskets
Thursday, Jan. 19
Baskets: Season 2 (2017) 100% 10 p.m., FX
Friday, Jan. 20
Frontier: Season 1 (2016) 50% Netflix
Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 2 (2017) 100% Netflix
Saturday, Jan. 21
Beaches (2017) 50% 8 p.m., Lifetime
Sunday, Jan. 22
Mercy Street: Season 2 (2017) 8 p.m., PBS
Hunted: Season 1 (2017) 10 p.m., CBS
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley: Season 1 (2016) 10 p.m., PBS
Monday, Jan. 23
Quantico: Season 2 (2016) 60% 10 p.m., ABC (returning)
Tuesday, Jan. 24
() % Netflix
Outsiders: Season 2 (2017) 10 p.m., WGN
The Path
Wednesday, Jan. 25
The Path: Season 2 (2017) 75% Hulu
The Magicians: Season 2 (2017) 91% 9 p.m., SyFy
Suits: Season 6 (2016) 100% 10 p.m., USA (returning)
Thursday, Jan. 26
Grey's Anatomy: Season 13 (2016) 89% 8 p.m., ABC (returning)
Riverdale: Season 1 (2017) 88% 9 p.m., CW
Scandal: Season 6 (2017) 95% 9 p.m., ABC
How to Get Away With Murder: Season 3 (2016) 90% 10 p.m., ABC (returning)
Friday, Jan. 27
iBoy (2017) 69% Netflix
Z: The Beginning of Everything: Season 1 (2015) 69% Amazon
Monday, Jan. 30
() % 7:30 p.m., Cartoon Network
Tuesday, Jan. 31
The Fosters: Season 4 (2016) 8 p.m., Freeform (returning)
Switched at Birth: Season 5 (2017) 9 p.m., Freeform
Wednesday, Feb. 1
The 100: Season 4 (2017) 93% 9 p.m., CW
The Expanse: Season 2 (2017) 95% 10 p.m., SyFy
Thursday, Feb. 2
Powerless: Season 1 (2017) 61% 8:30 p.m., NBC
Superior Donuts: Season 1 (2017) 62% 8:30 p.m., CBS
Training Day: Season 1 (2017) 24% 10 p.m., CBS
Friday, Feb. 3
Santa Clarita Diet: Season 1 (2017) 78% Netflix
Sunday, Feb. 5
24: Legacy: Season 1 (2017) 60% 10 p.m., FOX
Monday, Feb. 6
APB: Season 1 (2017) 35% 9 p.m., FOX
Imposters
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Imposters: Season 1 (2017) 93% 10 p.m., Bravo
Detroiters: Season 1 (2017) 89% 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Legion: Season 1 (2017) 90% 10 p.m., FX
Friday, Feb. 10
The Collection: Season 1 (2016) 42% Amazon
Reign: Season 4 (2017) 9 p.m., CW
Sunday, Feb. 12
The Missing: Season 2 (2016) 96% 8 p.m., Starz
The Walking Dead: Season 7 (2016) 66% 9 p.m., AMC (returning)
Girls: Season 6 (2017) 90% 10 p.m., HBO
() % 11 p.m., HBO
Monday, Feb. 13
Humans: Season 2 (2016) 94% 10 p.m., AMC
Tuesday, Feb. 14
The Mindy Project: Season 5 (2016) 80% Hulu (returning)
Project MC2: Season 1 (2017), Netflix
You Me Her: Season 2 (2017), 8:30 p.m., DirecTV
Wednesday, Feb. 15
Doubt: Season 1 (2017) 55% 10 p.m., CBS
Thurssday, Feb. 16
SuperMansion: Season 2 (2017) Crackle
Planet Earth II
Saturday, Feb. 18
Britney Ever After (2017) 8 p.m., Lifetime
Planet Earth II: Miniseries (2016) 100% 9 p.m., BBC America
Sunday, Feb. 19
The Good Fight: Season 1 (2017) 98% 8 p.m., CBS All Access
Big Little Lies: Season 1 (2017) 93% 9 p.m., HBO
Billions: Season 2 (2017) 89% 10 p.m., Showtime
Crashing: Season 1 (2017) 90% 10:30 p.m., HBO
Monday, Feb. 20
The Breaks: Season 1 (2017) 9 p.m., VH1
Bates Motel: Season 5 (2017) 100% 10 p.m., A&E
Tuesday, Feb. 21
The Detour: Season 2 (2017) 100% 10 p.m., TBS
Wednesday, Feb. 22
() % 9 p.m., TNT (returning)
Thursday, Feb. 23
The Blacklist: Redemption: Season 1 (2017) 10 p.m., NBC
Sun Records: Season 1 (2017) 60% 10 p.m., CMT
Friday, Feb. 24
Patriot: Season 1 (2015) 82% Amazon
Taken
Monday, Feb. 27
When We Rise: Season 1 (2017) 82% 9 p.m., ABC
Taken: Season 1 (2017) 32% 10 p.m. NBC
Emmy nominations are out for last season, but it’s already time for a new one. Television continues to rival, and sometimes surpass, the quality and success of film industry releases, with more networks than we ever thought possible 20 years ago. And, with the growing number of cable networks, we witness the capability of catering to more adult-oriented content. This fall, we will continue to see television grow, for better and for worse. Which new shows will achieve Fresh, or even Certified Fresh, status? Which will quickly go Rotten? And which of your favorite returning shows made the cut this year? Here’s the list as we know it, and we’ll continue to update it as premiere dates continue to be broadcast.
August | September | October | November | Winter | Fall TBA
Monday, Aug. 3
Significant Mother series premiere, 9:30 p.m., CW
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Playing House season two premiere, 10 p.m., USA
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Difficult People series premiere, Hulu
Mr. Robinson series premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
Mr. Robinson
Friday, Aug. 7
Casanova series premiere, Amazon
Sneaky Pete series premiere, Amazon
Saturday, Aug. 8
Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman series premiere, 11 p.m., TBS
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Young & Hungry season two return, 8 p.m., ABC Family
Kevin from Work series premiere, 8:30 p.m., ABC Family
Sunday, Aug. 16
Show Me a Hero miniseries premiere, 9 p.m., HBO
Tuesday, Aug. 18
The Hotwives of Las Vegas series premiere, Hulu
Thursday, Aug. 20
Documentary Now! series premiere, 10 p.m., IFC
Saturday, Aug. 22
Blunt Talk series premiere, 9 p.m., Starz
Survivor’s Remorse season two premiere, 9:30 p.m., Starz
Sunday, Aug. 23
Fear the Walking Dead series premiere, 9 p.m., AMC
Vicious season two premiere, 10:30 p.m., PBS
Vicious
Monday, Aug. 24
Switched at Birth season four return, 8 p.m., ABC Family
Tuesday, Aug. 25
From Dusk Till Dawn season two premiere, 10 p.m., El Rey
Public Morals series premiere, 10 p.m., TNT
Wednesday, Aug. 26
The Carmichael Show series premiere, 9:30 p.m., NBC
Friday, Aug. 28
Narcos series premiere, Netflix
Monday, Aug. 31
Awkward season five premiere, 9 p.m., MTV
Faking It season two return, 9:30 p.m., MTV
Tuesday, Sep. 1
Drunk History season three premiere, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
Friday, Sep. 4
Hand of God series premiere, Amazon Instant Video
Hand of God
Sunday, Sep. 6
Arthur & George series premiere, 8 p.m., PBS
Tuesday, Sep. 8
The Awesomes season three premiere, Hulu
Late Show with Stephen Colbert series premiere, 10:30 p.m., CBS
Wednesday, Sep. 9
The League season seven premiere, 10 p.m., FXX
You’re the Worst season two premiere, 10:30 p.m., FXX
Thursday, Sep. 10
Longmire season four premiere, Netflix
Friday, Sep. 11
Z Nation season two premiere, 10 p.m. SyFy
Continuum season four premiere, 11 p.m., SyFy
Saturday, Sep. 12
Ferrell Takes the Field special event premiere, 10 p.m. HBO
Sunday, Sep. 13
Project Greenlight season four premiere, 10 p.m., HBO
Doll & Em season two premiere, 11 p.m., HBO
Tuesday, Sep. 15
The Mindy Project season four premiere, Hulu
The Bastard Executioner series premiere, 10 p.m., FX
Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, series premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Wednesday, Sep. 16
South Park season 19 premiere, 10 p.m., Comedy Central
Moonbeam City series premiere, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
South Park
Friday, Sep. 18
Black Jesus season two premiere, 11 p.m., Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
Saturday, Sep. 19
Doctor Who season nine premiere, 9 p.m., BBC America
Sunday, Sep. 20
67th Primetime Emmy Awards special event, 8 p.m., Fox
Monday, Sep. 21
The Big Bang Theory season nine premiere, 8 p.m., CBS
Gotham season two premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
The Voice season nine premiere, 8 p.m., NBC
Life in Pieces series premiere, 8:30 p.m., CBS
Minority Report series premiere, 9 p.m., Fox
Scorpion season two premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Blindspot series premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Castle season eight premiere, 10 p.m., ABC
NCIS: Los Angeles season seven premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
Tuesday, Sep. 22
NCIS season 13 premiere, 8 p.m., CBS
The Muppets series premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
Scream Queens series premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
Fresh off the Boat season two premiere, 8:30 p.m., ABC
NCIS: New Orleans season two premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Limitless series premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
Scream Queens
Wednesday, Sep. 23
The Middle season seven premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
The Mysteries of Laura season two premiere, 8 p.m., NBC
Rosewood series premiere, 8 p.m., FOX
Survivor season 31 premiere, 8 p.m., CBS
The Goldbergs season three premiere, 8:30 p.m., ABC
Empire season two premiere, 9 p.m., Fox
Law & Order: SVU season 17 premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
Modern Family season eight premiere, 9 p.m., ABC
black-ish season two premiere, 9:30 p.m., ABC
Nashville season four premiere, 10 p.m., ABC
Thursday, Sep. 24
Grey’s Anatomy season 12 premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
Heroes Reborn series premiere, 8 p.m., NBC
Scandal season five premiere, 9 p.m., ABC
The Player series premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
How to Get Away with Murder season two premiere, 10 p.m., ABC
Heroes Reborn
Friday, Sep. 25
The Amazing Race season 25 premiere, 8 p.m., CBS
Last Man Standing season five premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
Margaret Cho: psyCHO comedy special premiere, 9 p.m., Comedy Central
Hawaii Five-0 season six premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Blue Bloods season six premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
Saturday, Sep. 26
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series premiere, 9:30 p.m., Disney XD
Sunday, Sep. 27
Bob’s Burgers season six premiere, 7:30 p.m., Fox
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation two-part series finale, 8 p.m., CBS
Once Upon a Time season five premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
The Simpsons season 27 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
Brooklyn Nine-Nine season three premiere, 8:30 p.m., Fox
Blood & Oil series premiere, 9 p.m., ABC
Family Guy season 14 premiere, 9 p.m., Fox
Indian Summers miniseries premiere, 9 p.m., PBS
The Last Man on Earth season two premiere, 9:30 p.m., Fox
Quantico series premiere, 10 p.m., ABC
Blood & Oil
Monday, Sep. 28
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah series premiere, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
Tuesday, Sep. 29
Grandfathered series premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
The Grinder series premiere, 8:30 p.m., Fox
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season three premiere, 9 p.m., ABC
Wednesday, Sep. 30
Criminal Minds season 11 premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Chicago P.D. season three premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Code Black series premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
Chicago P.D.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Bones season 11 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
The Blacklist season three premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
Sleepy Hollow season three premiere, 9 p.m., Fox
Benders series premiere, 10 p.m., IFC
Gigi Does It series premiere, 10:30 p.m., IFC
Friday, Oct. 2
Dr. Ken series premiere, 8:30 p.m., ABC
Saturday, Oct. 3
Saturday Night Live season 47 premiere, 11:30 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Oct. 4
Home Fires series premiere, 8 p.m., PBS
Madam Secretary season two premiere, 8 p.m., CBS
The Good Wife season seven premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Homeland season five premiere, 9 p.m., Showtime
The Leftovers season two premiere, 9 p.m., HBO
The Affair season two premiere, 10 p.m., Showtime
CSI: Cyber season two premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
The Widower miniseries premiere, 10 p.m., PBS
The Affair
Tuesday, Oct. 6
The Flash season two premiere, 8 p.m., CW
iZombie season two premiere, 9 p.m., CW
Finding Carter season three premiere 10 p.m., MTV
Wednesday, Oct. 7
American Horror Story: Hotel season five premiere, 10 p.m., FX
Casual series premiere, Hulu
Arrow season four premiere, 8 p.m., CW
Supernatural season 11 premiere, 9 p.m., CW
Thursday, Oct. 8
The Vampire Diaries season seven premiere, 8 p.m., CW
The Originals season three premiere, 9 p.m., CW
Funny or Die’s Billy on the Street season four premiere, 10:30 p.m., TruTV
Friday, Oct. 9
Red Oaks series premiere, Amazon
Reign season three premiere, 8 p.m., CW
Undateable season two premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
The Enfield Haunting miniseries premiere, 10 p.m., A&E
Saturday, Oct. 10
The Last Kingdom series premiere, 10 p.m., BBC America
Sunday, Oct. 11
The Walking Dead season six premiere, 9 p.m., AMC
The Walking Dead
Monday, Oct. 12
Fargo season two premiere, FX
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series premiere, 8 p.m., CW
Jane the Virgin season two premiere, 9 p.m., CW
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Manhattan season two premiere, 9 p.m., WGN America
Chicago Fire season four premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Kingdom season two premiere, 9 p.m., DirecTV
Thursday, Oct. 15
Nathan for You season three premiere, 10 p.m., Comedy Central
Friday, Oct. 16
The Knick season two premiere, time TBD, Cinemax
Truth Be Told series premiere, 8:30 p.m., NBC
Please Like Me season three premiere, 10 p.m., Pivot
Satisfaction season two premiere, 10 p.m., USA
Saturday, Oct. 17
Amy Schumer: Live from the Apollo comedy special premiere, 10 p.m., HBO
Wednesday, Oct. 20
Being Mary Jane season three premiere, 9 p.m., BET
Friday, Oct. 23
Hemlock Grove season three premiere, Netflix
Billy Elliot the Musical: Live special event, 9 p.m., PBS
Saturday, Oct. 24
Da Vinci’s Demons season three premiere, 8 p.m., Starz
Sunday, Oct. 25
The Guilty miniseries premiere (US), 10 p.m., PBS
StarTalk season two premiere, 11 p.m., NatGeo
Robot Chicken season eight premiere, midnight, Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
Monday, Oct. 26
Supergirl series premiere, 8:30 p.m., CBS
Supergirl
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Wicked City series premiere, 10 p.m., ABC
Friday, Oct. 30
Exorcism: Live special event, 9 p.m., Destination America
Grimm season five premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
Saturday, Oct. 31
Ash Vs. Evil Dead series premiere, 9 p.m., Starz
The Returned season two premiere, 10 p.m., Sundance
Ash Vs. Evil Dead
Sunday, Nov. 1
The Librarians season two premiere, 8 p.m., TNT
Mike Tyson Mysteries season two premiere, Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
Monday, Nov. 2
Legends season two premiere, 10 p.m., TNT
Thursday, Nov. 5
Mom season three premiere, 9 p.m., CBS
Elementary season four premiere, 10 p.m., CBS
Friday, Nov. 6
Master of None series premiere, Netflix
Saturday, Nov. 7
Untitled U2 Documentary, HBO
Sunday, Nov. 8
Flesh and Bone series premiere, 8 p.m., Starz
Agent X series premiere, 9 p.m., TNT
Getting On season three premiere, 10 p.m., HBO
Flesh and Bone
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Donny! series premiere, 10:30 p.m., USA
Thursday, Nov. 12
2 Broke Girls season five premiere, 9:30 p.m., CBS
Friday, Nov. 13
With Bob and David series premiere, Netflix
Sunday, Nov. 15
Into the Badlands series premiere, 10 p.m., AMC
The Royals season two premiere, 10 p.m., E!
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Chicago Med series premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Thursday, Nov. 19
The Art of More series premiere, Crackle
Friday, Nov. 20
The Man in the High Castle series premiere, Amazon
Marvel’s Jessica Jones series premiere, Netflix
Friday, Nov. 27
South of Hell series premiere, 3 p.m., WE
Unforgettable season four premiere, 9 p.m., A&E (new network)
Monday, Nov. 30
Superstore series premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Real Rob series premiere, Netflix
Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce season two premiere, 10 p.m., Bravo
Wednesday, Dec. 2
RocketJump: The Show series premiere, Hulu
Thursday, Dec. 3
The Wiz Live! special event, 8 p.m., NBC
Friday, Dec. 11
Transparent season two premiere, Amazon
Monday, Dec. 14
Childhood’s End miniseries premiere, 8 p.m., SyFy
Expanse series premiere, 10 p.m., SyFy
Sunday, Jan. 3
Downton Abbey season six premiere, 9 p.m., PBS
Sunday, Jan. 10
73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards special event, 8 p.m., NBC
Thursday, Jan. 14
Colony, series premiere, 10 p.m., USA
Sunday, Jan. 17
Mercy Street series premiere, 10 p.m., PBS
Sunday, Jan. 24
The X-Files season 10 premiere, 10 p.m., FOX
Sunday, Jan. 31
Grease: Live special event, 7 p.m., FOX
Monday, Feb. 15
58th Annual Grammy Awards special event, 8 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Feb. 28
88th Annual Academy Awards special event, 4 p.m., ABC
11/22/63 series premiere, Hulu
American Dad season 12 premiere, TBS
Crowded series premiere, NBC
Emerald City series premiere, NBC
First Dates series premiere, NBC
Game of Silence series premiere, NBC
Haven season five return, SyFy (October)
Heartbreaker series premiere, NBC
Hot & Bothered series premiere, NBC
Legends season two premiere, TNT
Shades of Blue series premiere, NBC
Uncle Buck series premiere, ABC
The Way series premiere, Hulu
You, Me and the End of the World series premiere, NBC
Heartbreaker
