ABC

January TV Calendar

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The following list provides the dates of the returning cable and major network dramas as well as new cable and major network dramas, made-for-TV movies and mini-series that will air during January:

January 2 – Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods will be back from their winter breaks on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 3 – The Hallmark Channel movie Surprised By Love will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Josie Mayfield (Hilarie Burton from One Tree Hill and White Collar), a no-nonsense businesswoman working at her father’s prosperous cookware company, thinks her boyfriend Richard (Aaron Craven from Gracepoint) is the perfect man – handsome, successful and driven. The problem is that Josie’s parents, Joseph and Claire do not agree. When Josie meets up with Gridley (Paul Campbell from Battlestar Galactica), an underachieving, old high school flame (who still has a crush on Josie), Richard dreams up a plan to make himself look good to Josie’s parents: Gridley will be Josie’s date at Joseph and Claire’s upcoming anniversary party. When Joseph and Claire see Josie with a “loser,” they’ll give anything to have Richard back in the picture. At least, that’s the plan. The cast includes veteran actor Tim Conway.

Downton Abbey

January 4 – The fifth season of Downton Abbey will get underway on PBS at 9 PM

January 4 – Resurrection and Revenge will be back from their winter breaks on ABC at 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 4 – Both Madam Secretary and The Good Wife will return for the remainder of their current seasons on CBS at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 4 – The UP Channel movie A Girl’s Best Friend will debut at 7 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Penelope “Polka-Dot” Daught (Lilah Fitzgerald from When Calls the Heart) is a precocious 11-year-old obsessed with Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” With her single mother, Frances (Kirsten Robek from Hell on Wheels), struggling with chronic illness and money tightness, Polka-Dot is pushed into looking for odd jobs after school for extra cash. While sweeping up around the neighborhood coffee shop, Polka-Dot’s life perks up when she meets K-9 unit police officer Cooper “Coop” Boone (James Denton from Desperate Housewives) and his trusty bloodhound, Luey. Falling instantly in love with Luey, Polka-Dot talks her way into the police kennel and soon badgers Coop into a “part-time job” taking care of his dog. Meanwhile, Coop uses his new free-time to try to rekindle his romance with ex-girlfriend, probation officer Samantha McLean (Laura Mennell from Haven and Alphas). When Francis is hospitalized, Polka-Dot valiantly attempts to fend for herself, rather than go into child services protection. But soon, her attempts to cover up the seriousness of her situation are sniffed out by her new pals, Luey and Coop.

January 5 – Gotham and Sleepy Hollow will be back from their winter break at 8 and 9 PM respectively on FOX

January 5 – Scorpion and NCIS: Los Angeles should be back from their winter break on CBS at 9 and 10 PM

January 5 – State of Affairs is back from its short winter break on NBC at 10 PM

January 6 – The new series Marvel’s Agent Carter will take over the 9 PM timeslot of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC for the next 8 weeks with a 2-hour debut that will actually air at 8 PM followed by the return of Forever at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: In 1946, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) must balance the routine office work she does for the Strategic Scientific Reserve while secretly assisting Howard Stark (Dominic Copper), who finds himself framed for supplying deadly weapons to the top bidder. Carter is assisted by Stark’s butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy), to find those responsible and dispose of the weapons. The cast will include Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Lyndsy Fonseca (Nikita), Bridget Regan (Legend of the Seeker and Jane the Virgin) and Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse and Rizzoli & Isles).

January 6 – Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth will be back with more new episodes of their current seasons at 8 and 9 PM respectively on ABC Family

January 6 – The drama The Haves and Have Nots will return to OWN with new episodes at 9 PM

January 6 – NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans and Person of Interest will all be back from their winter breaks on 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively on CBS

January 6 – The Mysteries of Laura, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Chicago P.D. will all be back from their winter breaks on NBC at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 7 – The People’s Choice Awards 2015 will air on CBS at 9 PM

HindsightJanuary 7 – The new VH1 scripted drama Hindsight will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: The drama centers on Becca (Laura Ramsey from The Ruins) who, as she nears 40, is about to embark on her second wedding to Andy Kelly, but her joy is tempered by the absence of her old best friend Lolly (relative newcomer Sarah Goldberg) who’s a no-show, having dropped out of their relationship years ago. Then during a freakish elevator ride, Becca wakes up in 1995, reliving her life and first marriage to Sean (Craig Horner from Legend of the Seeker).

January 7 – The Mentalist will move to its new night and time at 8 PM on CBS

January 7 – The new FOX drama Empire will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) is the CEO of Empire Entertainment (and a former street thug) who has reigned as the king of hip-hop for years. But that all changes when he learns he has a disease that will render him crippled and incapacitated in a matter of three years. He has to decide which of his three sons will take over the empire while dealing with his recently released from prison ex-wife Rhonda (Taraji P. Henson from Person of Interest). The cast includes Gabourey Sidibe (American Horror Story), Malik Yoba (New York Undercover and Alphas).

January 8 – Elementary will be back from its winter break on CBS at 10 PM while Parenthood will be back on NBC also at 10 PM

January 9 – Glee is back for its final season on FOX, starting with a two-hour premiere at 8 PM

NOTE: The show will move to 9 PM next Friday.

January 9 – Banshee will be back for its third season on Cinemax at 10 PM

January 9 – Hart of Dixie will move to its new night on The CW starting tonight at 9 PM

January 10 – The season finale of The Missing will air at 9 PM on Starz

January 10 – The Hallmark Channel movie A Novel Romance will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Romance novelist Liam Bradley (Dylan Bruce from Orphan Black) has already found massive success with three books written under the pen name Gabriel August, mysteriously unknown to his legions of readers. With his first book written as a way to heal after a broken relationship, Liam has slowly become disheartened with writing strictly for romantic fantasy, something evident to a sweet, but honest, journalist who reviews books, Sophie Atkinson (Amy Acker from Person of Interest), whom he meets by chance on a plane. The two begin a tentative relationship in Sophie’s home town of Portland, Maine, where Liam has come to find inspiration for his newest entry. The cast includes Camille Mitchell (Smallville), Emily Tennant (Cedar Cove) and Charles S. Dutton.

January 11 – The Golden Globes will air on NBC at 8 PM

January 11 – The UP Channel movie Like a Country Song will debut at 7 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: The film is about Jake Reeson (newcomer Joel Smallbone), an up-and-coming country singer who has the whole world in his hands until his ego gets in the way. With nothing but partying and music on his mind, Jake is forced to take a hard look at himself and the ashes around him after life and his singing career slowly falls apart. The cast includes Billy Ray Cyrus and Booboo Stewart (Twilight Saga franchise).

Eye CandyJanuary 12 – The new MTV series Eye Candy will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice plays tech genius Lindy Sampson, who begins to suspect that one of her online suitors might be a deadly cyber stalker. When her friends at the cyber-police uncover a potential serial killer in Manhattan, she works with the hackers to solve the murders while unleashing her own style of justice. The cast includes Casey Deidrick (Days of Our Lives), Harvey Guillen (Huge), Kiersey Clemons (Austin & Ally) and newcomer John Garet Stoker.

January 12 – Castle will be back from its winter break on ABC at 10 PM

January 12 – The two-hour season finale of Major Crimes will air on TNT at 9 PM

January 14 – Criminal Minds and Stalker will be back from their winter breaks at 9 and 10 PM on CBS

January 16 – The new Syfy drama 12 Monkeys will debut at 9 PM followed by the season premiere of Helix at 10 PM

Show Synopsis (12 Monkeys): Based on the 1995 box office film, the series follows the journey of a time traveler, James Cole (Aaron Stanford from Nikita), from the post-apocalyptic future. Using a dangerous and untested method of time travel, Cole arrives in the present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate 93.6% of the human race. The cast includes Amanda Schull (Suits), Noah Bean (Nikita), Kirk Acevedo (Fringe) and Emily Hampshire (Rookie Blue).

January 16 – The six-episode second season of The Fall will premiere exclusively on Netflix today

January 16 – Constantine and Grimm will both be back from their winter breaks on NBC at 8 (its new time) and 9 PM respectively

January 17 – The Musketeers will return for its second season on BBC America at 9 PM

January 17 – The Hallmark Channel movie Bridal Wave will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: As her wedding day draws near, Georgie Dwyer (Arielle Kebbel from The Vampire Diaries) has doubts surrounding her plans to marry Dr. Phillip Hamilton (David Haydn-Jones from A Cookie Cutter Christmas), a dashing and prominent plastic surgeon. Georgie’s anxiety level soars when an extravagant wedding ceremony is arranged at a romantic island resort. Preferring things low-key and simple, Georgie feels she’s lost control of her own wedding, as well as her life. Though Phillip qualifies as the “perfect” fiancé, Georgie feels a romantic spark is missing in their relationship. Tensions rise even further when Phillip’s sophisticated mother, Felice (veteran actress Jaclyn Smith), blatantly frowns upon Georgie’s working class origins. On the picturesque island, Georgie keeps finding herself in chance encounters with Luke Griggs (Andrew W. Walker from When Calls the Heart), a scruffily handsome ex-architect, who walked away from a high-end architectural firm to enjoy a simple, no-frills life. When an undeniable chemistry develops between Georgie and Luke, Georgie must decide if she’s going to move ahead with her rapidly approaching marriage to Phillip.

January 17 – The Lifetime biopic Whitney will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: This made-for-TV movie will mark actress Angela Bassett’s directorial debut that focuses on the life of megastar Whitney Houston and her love affair with Bobby Brown. The cast includes Yaya DaCosta (a runner-up on America’s Next Top Model), Arlen Escarpeta and Mark Rolston as Clive Davis.

January 18 – The six-part Masterpiece Mystery mini-series Grantchester will debut on PBS at 10 PM

Mini-Series Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed mystery novels by James Runcie, the mini-series stars James Norton (Death Comes to Pemberley) as a charismatic young clergyman and Robson Green (Strike Back) as a down-to-earth cop who team up to fight crime in the beautiful hamlet of Grantchester in 1953.

January 18 – The Librarians will air its season finale on TNT at 8 and 9 PM

Grantchester

January 19 – The Fosters and Chasing Life will be back with more new episodes of their current seasons on ABC Family at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 19 – The Originals and Jane the Virgin will both be back from their winter breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 20 – The new Teen Nick drama Open Heart will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: This thrilling drama tells the story of Dylan Blake (newcomer Karis Cameron), a rebellious daughter in a family of doctors who has to solve one giant family mystery. When a run-in with the law lands Dylan community service at Open Heart Memorial Hospital, she uses her volunteer position to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father. And even though she’s surrounded by a family of doctors and good friends, Dylan is determined to unravel the secrets of Open Heart Memorial Hospital all while trying to find her place in the world. The cast includes Cristine Prosperi and Justin Kelly (both from Degrassi) and Demore Barnes (The Unit and Supernatural).

January 20 – Justified will start its sixth and final season on FX at 10 PM

January 20 – The Flash and Supernatural will both be back from their winter breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 21 – American Horror Story: Freak Show will air its season finale on FX at 10 PM

January 21 – Arrow and The 100 will be back from their winter breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 22 – The new FOX drama Backstrom will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: The series follows Detective Everett Backstrom (Rainn Wilson from The Office), an unhealthy, offensive, irascible – albeit brilliant – detective who sees the worst in everyone, and he’s usually right. The cast includes Dennis Haysbert (24), Kristoffer Polaha (Ringer) and Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).

January 22 – The Vampire Diaries and Reign will be back from their winter breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 24 – Black Sails will be back for its second season on Starz at 9 PM

January 24 – The Hallmark Channel movie Love By the Book will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: After a childhood filled with reading fairytales, bookstore owner Emma (Leah Renee from Satisfaction) believes in handsome princes and happily ever afters. Unlike her happily married co-worker Marilyn (veteran actress Stefanie Powers), Emma has yet to be swept away by her own prince charming. Trying to both find an idyllic love life and impress her store’s investor, Frank (John Schneider), Emma balances time dating romantic suitor Landon (Ryan Bittle, from All My Children) and time at her store with Frank’s nettlesome son, Eric (Kristopher Turner from Saving Hope). Although Landon demonstrates real knight and shining armor potential with his romantic overtures, he doesn’t understand her priorities or support her passions like Eric does. As Emma weighs fairytale courtship against genuine commitment, she learns that real love has more layers than storybook romances.

January 24 – The Lifetime movie With This Ring will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: After attending their friend Elise’s (Brooklyn Sudano from My Wife and Kids) wedding to Nate (Stephen Bishop from Being Mary Jane) on New Year’s Eve, Trista (Regina Hall from Think Like a Man Too), a career-driven talent agent, Viviane (singer-actress Jill Scott), a successful gossip columnist, and Amaya (singer-actress Eve), a struggling actress, make a pact to get married within the year to either a new love or a man waiting in the wings. But the close friends face their own set of challenges – Trista has not gotten over her commitment-phobic ex-boyfriend Damon (Brian White from Moonlight), Viviane is secretly in love with Sean (Jason George from Grey’s Anatomy and Witches of East End), the father of her son, and Amaya is desperate to break up her boyfriend Keith’s (football player Deion Sanders) unhappy marriage so they can live happily ever after. Each woman starts the year with high hopes and dreams of what will happen over the next 12 months, but will they all make it to the altar?

January 25 – The SAG Awards will air on TNT at 8 PM

January 25 – The Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Away & Back will debut at 8 PM on the Hallmark Channel

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: When a family of swans make their home on the Peterson farm, it is love at first sight for 10-year-old daughter Frankie. But along comes no-nonsense ornithologist Ginny Newsom (Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights), who rushes in to “save” the majestic birds. For Frankie’s dad Jack (Jason Lee from My Name Is Earl), it is dislike at first sight when he encounters pushy, know-it-all Ginny. Frankie and her brothers are anything but neutral observers as they watch the initial hostility between their widowed father and the strong-willed Ginny transform into something else.

Sons of Liberty MiniJanuary 25 through January 27 – The three-night six-hour mini-series Sons of Liberty will air on the History Channel at 9 PM (each night)

Mini-Series Synopsis: The mini-series follows a defiant and radical group of young men – Sam Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Dr. Joseph Warren – as they band together in secrecy to change the course of history and make America a nation. The cast includes Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia), Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist), Michael Raymond-James (True Blood and Once Upon a Time), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi), Henry Thomas (E.T.), Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova and Life on Mars), Dean Norris (Under the Dome) and Marton Csokas (Rogue).

January 28 – Suits will be back for the remainder of its fourth season on the USA Network at 10 PM

January 28 – The Americans will premiere its third season on FX at 10 PM

January 29 – The new Pivot mystery drama Fortitude will debut with a two-hour episode at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: The story explores what happens when a town in the Arctic Circle, dubbed one of the safest places on the planet to live, copes with a brutal murder and the suspicions that generates. The cast includes Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon and Christopher Eccleston.

January 29 – Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder will be back with new episodes of their current season on ABC at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 29 – Parenthood will air its series finale on NBC at 10 PM

January 31 – The Hallmark Channel movie A Wish Come True will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Lindsay Corwin (Megan Park from The Lottery and The Secret Life of the American Teenager) is a long-time believer in birthday wishes and she has wished for everything over the years from a puppy to a promotion. As she approaches her 30th birthday, Lindsay laments to her best friend Dave (Benjamin Hollingsworth from Cult and The Tomorrow People) that not one of them has ever come true and her life is nothing like she envisioned. Still just an assistant at her green product firm, and reeling from her latest dating disaster, Lindsay is ready to give up on her long wish list. But when Dave throws her a surprise 30th birthday party, Lindsay resolves to blow out her candles and make one final wish: for all of her wishes to come true. Within days, Lindsay’s 30 years of wishes start to become a reality. Her divorced parents reconcile, she loses weight, is promoted at work, wins a brand new house and even gets a special kiss from her favorite TV star (Dean Cain). Then, Lindsay meets Reed (Anthony Lemke from Lost Girl), a passionate environmental tycoon who could fulfill her best wish of all: finding Mr. Right. As Lindsay and Reed begin a whirlwind romance too good to be true, Dave longs to tell her about his own deepening feelings for her. But soon, Lindsay’s new dream life starts to fall apart and threatens to compromise her character, her friendships and her potential for true, lasting love.

January 31 – Red Band Society will be relegated to Saturday night for its final three episodes with the first airing at 9 PM on FOX tonight

Mark your calendars!

Using her favorite online handle, Rueben is an East Coast-bred gal who is now a permanent Californian and a lifelong tv-oholic. She watches at least 25 TV shows a week, goes to the movies as often as possible, listens to music every waking moment, reads every day and “plays” on the internet every chance she can. Some of her current favorite TV shows are Outlander, Sweet Magnolias, Wednesday, The Mandalorian, The Equalizer, Fire Country, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Rookie, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, The Witcher, Leverage: Redemption and School Spirits.  She is looking forward to the season premieres of Hudson & Rex on UPtv and Skymed on Paramount+ as well as the return of fall TV albeit starting in February. Follow her at @ruebenrambling or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com.