Television doesn’t sleep. The sheer amount of content—over 450 scripted programs aired in the year 2017!—can prove overwhelming for even the most dedicated TV buffs. Television Academy voters make Emmy selections in August, and SAG-AFTRA members vote on SAG Awards in January, but their job requires tuning in all year long. Backstage is breaking down, month by month, the buzzy shows and performances that merit awards attention in the ever-growing landscape of the small screen. Mark your calendar and become a couch potato along with us!
With a new year, we welcome in new television. This January 2019, many fan favorites and critical darlings return, while, unfortunately, many air their final season premieres.
The fifth and final season of Comedy Central’s cultural phenom “Broad City” premieres Jan. 24, while another female-led comedy powerhouse “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” returns to Netflix for a last six episodes on the 28th. Also coming back for the last time is FOX’s “Gotham,” the Batman origin story thriller, and FXX’s “You’re the Worst.” Though we are saying goodbye to some of our favorites, new shows abound this month: ABC premieres “Schooled,” spinoff of “The Goldbergs”; CBS offers up new comedy “Fam”; and NBC airs its first season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” that same evening, the latter program formerly of FOX. Along with old farewells and new beginnings, premium network HBO launches Season 3 of some of its most beloved series this month: beloved comedies “High Maintenance” and “Crashing,” plus a new “True Detective” featuring Mahershala Ali.
ABC
On Jan. 9, ABC launches a spinoff from their hit comedy “The Goldbergs.” “Schooled” stars Tim Meadows, Bryan Callen, Brett Dier, and AJ Michalka and is set in 1990s Philadelphia.
Amazon Prime Video
The streaming service launches six-part British thriller “Informer” on the 14th.
CBS
From Corinne Kingsbury, the writer behind “The Newsroom,” CBS premieres its new Nina Dobrev–starring comedy, “Fam,” on the 10th.
Cinemax
Season 6 of the spy thriller “Strike Back” premieres on Jan. 25.
Comedy Central
On Jan. 15, Comedy Central premieres a sophomore season of sitcom “Corporate,” plus “Drunk History” returns for its sixth. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer’s fifth and—sadly—final season of “Broad City” premieres on the 24th. Also premiering then is new sitcom from “Saturday Night Live” writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, “The Other Two.”
The CW
This channel launches another reboot of one of its early 2000s classics, “Roswell”; this one comes retitled as “Roswell, New Mexico” and airs on the 15th.
FOX
The fifth and final season of Batman origin crime drama “Gotham” premieres on the 3rd. On the 14th, Fox launches its newest supernatural drama, produced by Ridley Scott and Matt Reeves: “The Passage” stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and is based on the popular Justin Cronin book trilogy of the same name.
FXX
FXX will air the last season of the critically acclaimed sitcom “You’re the Worst,” starring Aya Cash and Chris Geere, starting Jan. 9.
HBO
The third season of crime drama “True Detective” premieres on the 13th. This iteration takes place in the Ozarks and stars Ali, Mamie Gummer, and Carmen Ejogo. Also back for their third seasons are Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld’s character-driven comedy “High Maintenance,” and the Pete Holmes-created comedy, “Crashing,” both of which debut on the 20th.
Hulu
“Future Man” returns to the streaming service on the 10th for its second season. The comedy-sci-fi-action-adventure show stars Josh Hutcherson and is executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. New program “Butterfly” premieres Jan. 18, with Anna Friel and Emmett J. Scanlan starring in the drama about separated parents of a transgender 11-year-old transgender child.
History
“Project Blue Book” premieres Jan. 8, the History Channel’s scripted series about top secret air force investigations into UFO sightings in the 1950s, starring Aidan Gillen, Neal McDonough, and Michael Malarkey.
NBC
The sixth season of crime thriller “The Blacklist” returns to screens Jan. 3. On the 10th, the former Fox sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” starring Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher, makes its premiere on NBC, airing before “The Good Place.” (Longtime series star Chelsea Peretti will depart this season, but fans are promised a proper wrap-up to her story.)
Netflix
On New Years’ Day, the third season of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” starring Neil Patrick Harris will be added to the streaming service. The final season uses its seven episodes to cover the last four books of the Lemony Snicket book series. On the 11th, the second season of “Friends from College” debuts, featuring an all-star cast including Keegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Annie Parisse, Nat Faxon, Fred Savage, and Jae Suh Park. Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson star as son in mother in “Sex Education,” a coming-of-age dramedy set in England, on the 11th. The fifth season of critically acclaimed “Grace and Frankie,” which stars Hollywood legends Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, and Martin Sheen, returns on the 18th.
Another one of Netflix’s critically acclaimed comedies returns on the 25th: the last six episodes of the fourth and final season of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Also on the 25th comes “Black Earth Rising,” starring John Goodman and Michaela Coel in a British thriller written and directed by Hugo Blick about prosecuting international war criminals.
PBS
On the 13th, historical drama “Victoria,” created and written by Daisy Goodwin and starring Jenna Coleman as the British queen, arrives on PBS.
TNT
This network will premiere drama miniseries “I Am the Night” on the 28th. Directed by “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins, and starring that movie’s alumnus Chris Pine alongside India Eisley, the historical crime drama takes on the Black Dahlia Murder and is based on Fauna Hodel’s autobiography.
truTV
The second season of Andrea Savage’s hilarious sitcom “I’m Sorry” returns on the 9th.
Youtube Premium
On Jan. 30, comedy “Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes” returns to YouTube Premium for a new season.
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