Preparing for Mid-Season TV

Over the course of the next few months, the major and cable networks will, of course, be bringing back their regular programming but they will also be introducing a number of new series as well. What does that mean for TV viewers? You will have a lot of shows to welcome back to the primetime line-up, but you will also have a number of new programs to check out.

With that thought in mind, first let’s take a look at the new dramas that will debut in January:

Deception

NBC will debut the new soap opera drama Deception on January 7 at 10 PM. The series focuses on what happens when Vivian Bowers, a famous socialite, is found dead from what appears to be an overdose. Her former best friend, Detective Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good from Think Like a Man), re-enters the Bowers family, posing as part of their staff and begins to uncover the truth of what really happened with her friend’s death. Among the cast are Victor Garber (Alias), Tate Donovan (Damages), Katherine LaNasa (Longmire), Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) and Wes Brown (True Blood).

Then on January 11, Cinemax will debut the new drama Banshee at 10 PM. The story is set in a Pennsylvania Amish country, featuring an enigmatic ex-con/martial arts expert posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests. The cast includes Antony Starr (Rush), Ivana Milicevic (Mind of the Married Man), Frankie Faison (The Wire) and Ben Cross (Star Trek).

The Canadian series Continuum will debut on Syfy on January 14 at 8 PM. The series focuses on CPI Officer Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols from Criminal Minds) from the year 2077, who is reluctantly transported back to present day Vancouver with a group of rebels convicted as terrorists. In order to track them down, she joins the local police and works with a young tech expert. The cast includes Victor Webster (Mutant X), Erik Knudsen (Jericho), Stephen Lobo (Arctic Air), Roger Cross (24) and Lexa Doig (Stargate: SG-1).

That same night over on The CW, the new drama The Carrie Diaries, based on the novels by Candace Bushnell [and the prequel, of sorts, to Sex and the City] will debut at 8 PM. In 1984, 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb from Soul Surfer) is dealing with the death of her mother, an out-of-control sister and an overwhelmed dad. But with the help of her three best friends and a new schoolmate (and her summer love) – and a cool internship – her life just might start to improve. The cast includes Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones), Matt Letscher (Eli Stone), Austin Butler (Life Unexpected) and Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who).

BBC America will debut its new series Ripper Street on January 19 at 9 PM. The series is set in Whitechapel in 1889, six months after Jack the Ripper claimed his last victim. The series stars Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice) [among others].

The Following

FOX will then debut the new thriller drama The Following on January 21 at 9 PM, which focuses on notorious serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy from Rome), who escapes from death row and embarks on a new killing spree. The FBI calls former agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon from Footloose) to consult on the case. The cast includes Shawn Ashmore (X-Men franchise), Annie Parisse (Person of Interest), Natalie Zea (Justified) and newcomer Kyle Catlett.

On January 30, the much-buzzed-about new FX drama The Americans will debut at 10 PM. Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) will star as two KGB spies posing as Americans – with two children – in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The cast includes Noah Emmerich (White Collar).

The new NBC drama Do No Harm will then debut on January 31 at 10 PM. Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) stars as Dr. Jason Cole, a highly respected neurosurgeon who has it all, but he also has a deep, dark secret. He has a dangerous alternate personality who goes by the name of Ian Price, who Jason has been keeping in check for years; but he has gotten free again and is hell-bent on wreaking havoc. The series stars Alana De La Garza (Law & Order) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show).

Monday Mornings

There will be a few more new dramas in February, starting with the TNT medical series Monday Mornings, which will debut on February 4 at 10 PM. The series is set at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland, following the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. The cast includes Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible franchise), Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) and Jennifer Finnigan (Better with You) [among others].

On February 14, ABC will debut the new drama Zero Hour at 8 PM. The series stars Anthony Edwards (ER) as a man in a race around the globe who is trying to save his wife and to keep an age-old secret that could affect the entire world from falling into the wrong hands. The cast includes Jacinda Barrett (Citizen Baines), Scott Michael Foster (Greek), Carmen Ejogo (Alex Cross) and Addison Timlin (Californication).

Over on The CW, the new drama Cult will debut on February 19 at 9 PM. Matt Davis (The Vampire Diaries) stars as Jeff Sefton, an investigative journalist who is trying to find his missing brother, Nate. Nate believed fans of the TV show Cult intended to harm him, a bizarre theory that Jeff begins to think might just have merit after Nate goes missing. Through Jeff’s investigation he uncovers the dark underworld of the TV show Cult and its rabid fans. The only person who seems willing to help Jeff with his investigation is Skye (Jessica Lucas from Melrose Place), a young research assistant for Cult, who has also started to grow suspicious of the increasingly dark happenings surrounding the show. The show also stars Robert Knepper (Prison Break) and Alona Tal (Supernatural).

Golden Boy

The new CBS drama Golden Boy will have special previews on both February 26 and March 5 at 10 PM before moving to its regular 9 PM timeslot on March 8. The series follows the successful, meteoric rise of a cop (Theo James from Bedlam) from his days as an officer to detective to police commissioner, from age 26 to 34. The cast includes Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), Kevin Alejandro (Southland), Bonnie Somerville (Cashmere Mafia) and Holt McCallany (Lights Out).

Lastly, the two-hour premiere of the new ABC drama Red Widow will debut on March 3 at 9 PM. The series stars Radha Mitchell (Finding Neverland) as Marta Walraven, a housewife from Northern California, whose organized criminal husband was killed and who has to continue his work to protect her family. The cast includes Goran Visnjic (ER), Rade Serbedzija (The Saint), Jaime Ray Newman (Eureka), Suleka Matthews (Men in Trees), Lee Tergesen (Oz) and Clifton Collins, Jr. (The Event) [among others].

Needless to say, there are plenty of new shows to look forward to over the next few months. Do any of these new shows sound intriguing to you? Please share which ones you want to see.