April TV Calendar

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 April:

April 2 – The new Syfy drama Olympus will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: The series focuses on the dangerous courage of a few brave men and women who banished the Gods to the realm of the unconscious – a place they called the Underworld or the Kingdom of Hades. The cast includes Matt Frewer (Orphan Black), Cas Anvar (Argo), Sonita Henry (The Fifth Element and Graham Shiels (Guardians of the Galaxy).
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April 2 – The Red Road will be back for its second season on Sundance at 10 PM.

April 4 – Outlander will be back from its extended break on Starz at 9 PM

April 4 – The Hallmark Movies and Mysteries AND the Hallmark Channel will simultaneously air the new movie Aurora Teagarden: A Bone to Pick will air at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: A librarian with a sharp mind for murder, Aurora Teagarden (Candace Cameron Bure) is known around her small town as a master sleuth. When her friend Jane unexpectedly dies and leaves Aurora everything in her will, she also leaves a troubling murder mystery haunting her neighborhood. It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues, including a skull, its missing skeleton and a suspicious group of neighbors, and solve the murder before she becomes the unlikely killer’s next victim. The movie also stars Marilu Henner (Taxi and Evening Shade) and Lexa Doig (Continuum).

April 5 – Salem will be back for season 2 on WGN America at 10 PM

April 5 – The six-part PBS mini-series Wolf Hall will debut at 10 PM

Mini-Series Synopsis: Mark Rylance (Twelfth Night) and Damian Lewis (Homeland) will star as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII in this adaptation of the Hilary Mantel prize-winning novels, which charts the shrewd and brilliant rise of Cromwell in the Tudor court from a blacksmith’s son to Henry VIII’s closest advisor.

April 5 – Lifetime will air the third movie in the V.C. Andrews film adaptation of If There Be Thorns at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: This made-for-TV movie follows Christopher (Jason Lewis from Sex and the City and Brothers & Sisters) and Cathy Dollanganger (Rachael Carpani from McLeod’s Daughters and the short-lived Against the Wall) as they live together as man and wife with Cathy’s two sons who are unaware of the incestuous nature of their parents’ relationship. But when a mysterious woman moves in next door and befriends the younger boy, Bart (Mason Cook from Legends), he begins a strange transformation and displays accusatory behavior towards Cathy and Christopher. When Christopher discovers their mysterious neighbor is, in fact, his mother Corrine Dollanganger (Heather Graham), all of the family’s long-hidden secrets are revealed in a tragic climax.

April 5 – The limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles will debut on Lifetime at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: This 8-episode limited series will fictionalize actual events and people surrounding Lizzie Borden’s life after her controversial acquittal of the horrific double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892. Christina Ricci reprises her role as Lizzie with Clea DuVall reprising her role of Lizzie’s sister Emma. The cast also includes Andrew Howard (Hatfields & McCoys), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), Cole Hauser (Rogue), Jessy Schram (Falling Skies) and John Heard (The Sopranos).

April 5 – The new NBC event series A.D. The Bible Continues and American Odyssey will both debut at 9 and 10 PM respectively

Show Synopsis (A.D. The Bible Continues): The follow-up to the high-rated mini-series The Bible, this series will chronicle the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion as the tiny band of followers fight for survival while they try to spread the Word to the world. But they have hope and soon they have power: the amazing miracle of the resurrection and the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon them. The cast includes Richard Coyle (Crossbones), Vincent Regan (Atlantis and The Royals), Joanne Whalley (The Borgias) and Greta Scacchi (Agatha Christie) [among others].

Show Synopsis (American Odyssey): After a team of American soldiers battles Jihadists in North Africa, they’re shocked to find that one of the men they killed is Al Qaeda’s top man. Sgt. Odelle Ballard (Anna Friel from Pushing Daisies), a soldier, mother, wife and the unit’s only female member, discovers computer files that suggest a major U.S. corporation is funding the Jihadists. But before she can tell anyone, her team is attacked and left for dead. News is reported that the unit was wiped out, but the truth is that Odelle survived and is the only witness to her unit’s assassination by U.S. Special Forces. In New York, former U.S. Attorney Peter Decker (Peter Facinelli from Nurse Jackie) is working on a merger deal for the same company that was funneling money to the Jihadists. Meanwhile, Harrison Walters (Jake Robinson from The Carrie Diaries), a political activist and trust fund kid, meets a hacker who claims to have unearthed a massive military-industrial conspiracy.

April 6 – The Originals and Jane the Virgin will both be back from short mid-season breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

April 10 – The season finales of 12 Monkeys and Helix will both air on Syfy at 9 and 10 PM respectively

April 10 – The Netflix drama Marvel’s Daredevil will debut online

Show Synopsis: Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox from Stardust film) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. The series also stars movie star Rosario Dawson, Vincent D’Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Ayelet Zurer (Man of Steel), Bob Gunton (Royal Pains), Elden Henson (The Hunger Games franchise) and Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope).

April 11 – The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Garage Sale Mystery: The Deadly Room will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Sleuthing garage sale maven Jennifer Shannon (Lori Loughlin from When Calls the Heart) gets embroiled in a criminal investigation when a storage facility is the scene of a murder- and she is a key eyewitness. While her keen instincts point to one suspect, the clues that prove the identity of the real perpetrator surprisingly sit in the very second-hand store she owns. The cast includes Steve Bacic (Big Love and Andromeda) and Sarah Strange (Men in Trees).

April 12 – Game of Thrones will be back for its fifth season on HBO at 10 PM

April 12 – The final film in the film adaptation of the V.C. Andrews book Seeds of Yesterday debuts at 8 PM on Lifetime

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: The saga of the tormented Dollangangers comes to an end with the family coexisting miserably, following Cathy’s two adult sons, Bart (James Maslow from Big Time Rush) and Jory (Anthony Konechny fromm Godzilla), half-brothers with little in common, whose lives are fueled by deeply troubled relationships, dark secrets and misfortune that come to a head in a way that will haunt the family and its progeny forever. Jason Lewis and Rachael Carpani reprise their roles of adult Christopher and Cathy Dollanganger.

April 12 – The UP Channel original movie The Music in Me will debut at 7 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Having traded in her dreams of becoming a professional singer to care for her aging parents and their neighborhood hardware store, Jessica (singer-actress Debbie Gibson) is asked to step in as choir director for a failing church as they prepare for their the big centennial celebration. When she arrives, Jessica is shocked to discover that the choir can’t sing and that the Church Deaconess (Gloria Reuben from ER and Falling Skies) is betting on her to fail. During the process, Jessica builds a friendship with church handyman Ben (Antonio Cupo from Bomb Girls) and is challenged by choir member and teen runaway Alice (relative newcomer Amy Forsyth). Through their friendship and her work with the choir, she rekindles her love of music and finally finishes the song she’s been struggling with for many years – ultimately finding love and the music career she’s always dreamed of pursuing.

April 13 – The AMC period piece drama Turn: Washington’s Spies will be back for season two with a two-hour season premiere at 9 PM

April 13 – Gotham is back after a short break with the final four episodes of its debut season on FOX at 8 PM

April 14 – The series finale of Justified will air on FX at 10 PM

April 14 – The Flash will return to The CW after a short break at 8 PM

April 15 – Arrow and Supernatural will both return after short breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

April 16 – The Vampire Diaries and Reign will be back on The CW after a mid-season break at 8 and 9 PM respectively

April 16 – The finale of Fortitude will air on Pivot at 10 PM

April 17 – The Messengers, the new drama on The CW, will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: In the New Mexico desert, scientist Vera Buckley (Shantel VanSanten from Gang Related) watches in fascination as a mysterious object plummets to Earth and explodes, sending out a shock wave that briefly stops her heart. But Vera is not the only one affected: she is instantly connected to four other strangers, who also collapsed only to miraculously come back to life hours later. Then a mysterious figure known only as “The Man” (Diogo Morgado from the mini-series The Bible) comes and offers Vera the chance to be reunited with her kidnapped son, if she helps him with one morally complicated task. Now, this group of strangers might be the only hope for preventing the impending Rapture or causing it. The cast includes Sofia Black-D’Elia (Betrayal and Gossip Girl), JD Pardo (Revolution), Joel Courtney (Super 8) and Craig Frank (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries).

April 17 – Bitten will be back for the start of its second season with a two-hour premiere at 8 PM followed by the return of the fifth and final season of Lost Girl at 10 PM on Syfy

NOTE: Bitten will then move to 9 PM on April 24.

April 18 – Orphan Black will be back for its third season on BBC America at 9 PM

April 20 – Castle will be back with new episodes after a short break on ABC at 10 PM

April 20 – Scorpion will air its season finale on CBS at 9 PM

April 22 – The season finale of The Americans will air on FX at 10 PM while the season finale of Broadchurch will air on BBC America at 10 PM

April 25 – When Calls the Heart will air its two-hour second season premiere on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM

April 25 – The Lifetime original movie Cleveland Abduction will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: On August 22, 2002, Michelle Knight (Taryn Manning from Orange Is the New Black), a 21-year-old single mom, was abducted by Castro (Raymond Cruz from Major Crimes) in Cleveland and held captive in his home for more than 11 years. Finding strength through her belief in God and determined to be reunited with her son, Knight refused to be broken by the twisted Castro. Soon thereafter, he abducted two teenagers, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, and imprisoned them alongside Michelle, who then became a friend and sister figure to her fellow victims. When Berry became pregnant with Castro’s child, it was Knight who delivered her baby. Despite enduring more than a decade of brutality, Michelle’s spirit would not be broken, and her unshakable faith in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation was a testament to the human spirit. On May 6, 2013, Michelle was rescued from the home that was her prison for nearly 11 years, and finally given the chance to reclaim her life.

April 26 – Season two of Penny Dreadful will premiere on Showtime at 10 PM

April 29 – Ripper Street will return for another season on BBC America at 10 PM

April 29 and April 30 – The HBO mini-series The Casual Vacancy will air both nights; first with back-to-back episodes from 8 to 10 PM on April 29 and the final part on April 30 at 8 PM

Mini-Series Synopsis: Based on the J.K. Rowling novel, the plot centers on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. But, behind its pretty façade, however, is a town at war: rich at war with the poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands and teachers at war with their students. The cast includes Michael Gambon (the Harry Potter franchise), Julia McKenzie (Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple) and Keeley Hawes (Upstairs Downstairs).

April 30 – The season finale of Backstrom will air on FOX at 9 PM

Mark your calendars!