Let’s hear it for beloved actors taking creative risks on TV this month. One trailblazer known for her supporting roles will take center stage on a sitcom, while a Hollywood icon will headline his first small-screen series. Plus, some of our favorite shows are back with hotly anticipated new seasons. Here are the TV premieres and performances we think you should watch in February.
“Clean Slate”
Series premiere: Feb. 6 on Prime Video
“Orange Is the New Black” breakout star Laverne Cox made history in 2014 as the first transgender person nominated for an acting Emmy. Now, she gets her leading lady moment in “Clean Slate.” Cox plays Desiree, a New Yorker forced to move back home to Alabama, where she reunites with Harry (George Wallace), the father she hasn’t seen since transitioning. Expect Cox to flex her funny—from sharp comebacks to physical comedy—in the fish-out-of-water story. Cox and Wallace co-created “Clean Slate” with Dan Ewen; the late Norman Lear executive-produced.
“The Z-Suite”
Series premiere: Feb. 6 on Tubi
Tubi dips into the original comedy game with the help of a couple pros. “Gilmore Girls” icon Lauren Graham headlines Katie O’Brien’s “The Z-Suite,” a new sitcom about clashing generations in the workplace. Graham brings her signature blend of quirk and heart to the table as an advertising executive eclipsed by younger, hipper colleagues. Nico Santos plays her longtime corporate ally. Good news, because Santos has a knack for neurotic, acid-tongued characters; see “Superstore” and a hysterical recent guest spot on “St. Denis Medical.” Madison Shamoun also stars.
“Invincible”
Season premiere: Feb. 6 on Prime Video
Don’t let the cartoon spandex fool you—Robert Kirkman’s superhero smash-’em-up boasts some of the best voice acting on TV. (Also, a lot of animated gore. But don’t forget the voice acting!) Amid intergalactic mayhem, stars Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, and Gillian Jacobs deliver grounded, compelling performances with emotional heft. In Season 3, the show adds major talent like Aaron Paul, Simu Liu, Jonathan Banks, Kate Mara, and voice acting legend John DiMaggio.
“Yellowjackets”
Season premiere: Feb. 14 on Paramount+ with Showtime
Hungry? Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson’s smash horror-drama “Yellowjackets” is back for its highly anticipated third season. As always, half the fun of this show is observing how two sets of actors interpret the same characters in different eras—the 1990s teens stranded in the wilderness and the rescued (but deeply traumatized) adults in the present day. While we’re completely invested in Shauna’s harrowing journey from mousy high-schooler (Sophie Nélisse) to cold-blooded suburban killer (Melanie Lynskey), let’s admit the obvious: As the plot reaches a cannibalistic climax, we can’t wait to see what unsettling, bubbly Misty (Samantha Hanratty as a teen, Christina Ricci as an adult) does next.
How to Get Cast on ‘Yellowjackets’“The White Lotus”
Season premiere: Feb. 16 on HBO and Max
Check into TV’s funniest, sexiest, deadliest resort again. Mike White’s dramedy sensation heads to Thailand for Season 3. Award-winning star Jennifer Coolidge won’t return as daffy socialite Tanya (RIP), but Natasha Rothwell is back as Belinda, her Season 1 foil. The ensemble is stuffed with brilliant newbies, like Carrie Coon (“The Gilded Age”) and Walton Goggins (“Fallout”). But we’re particularly pumped about two other new faces: Aimee Lou Wood, a sweetly spacey delight on “Sex Education,” and the legend that is Parker Posey, whose chaotic charisma needs no introduction. If she’s onscreen, we’re seated.
“Zero Day”
Series premiere: Feb. 20 on Netflix
There’s only one Robert De Niro, so we’re intrigued to see the 81-year-old actor take on his first starring TV role. Netflix political thriller “Zero Day,” created by Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, casts De Niro as a former president tapped to investigate a deadly cyberattack while navigating a web of disinformation. How will the Oscar winner’s gravitas and knack for morally complex characters translate to the small screen? Quite well, we bet. A stacked supporting cast joins him, including Jesse Plemmons, Lizzy Caplan, Connie Britton, and Angela Bassett (speaking of gravitas).
“A Thousand Blows”
Series premiere: Feb. 21 on Hulu
Those who loved Erin Doherty’s droll take on Princess Anne in “The Crown” might want to check out “A Thousand Blows.” In Steven Knight’s 1880s period piece, Doherty plays Mary Carr, the tough-as-nails boss of an all-women crime ring. Meanwhile, costars Malachi Kirby (“Roots”) and Stephen Graham (“Boardwalk Empire”) throw punches as the series explores London’s seedy underground world of bare-knuckle boxing.
“Running Point”
Series premiere: Feb. 27 on Netflix
Creator Mindy Kaling drafted some of our favorite funny folks for her new Netflix series set in the sports world. Kate Hudson leads as Isla Gordon, an ambitious businesswoman who unexpectedly takes over a pro basketball team. Hudson really stole the show with her comic timing in 2022’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” so we’re ready to watch her slam-dunk some punchlines. Her all-star support team includes Drew Tarver (“The Other Two”), Brenda Song (“The Last Showgirl”), Scott MacArthur (“The Mick”), and Max Greenfield (“New Girl”).