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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 1 – Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, the 90-minute special, will air on PBS at 9 PM

Special Synopsis: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are back as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic stories. This time we find them in 1890s London.

January 2 – The Hallmark Channel movie Love in Paradise will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: When a Western movie star is forced to spend a PR weekend at a dude ranch, his fans are horrified to learn he’s actually a city slicker who’s afraid of horses and has never been west of the Hudson River. The film stars Luke Perry (Ties That Bind and Beverly Hills, 90210) and Emmanuelle Vaugier (Lost Girl).

January 3 – The final season of Downton Abbey will get underway on PBS at 9 PM

January 3 – The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Garage Sale: Guilty Until Proven Innocent will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Jennifer Shannon (Lori Loughlin) has an eye for antiques and a mind for solving mysteries. Her old friend from college, Sandra, has an antiques store that is closing. An ecstatic Jennifer gets first pick on all the goodies. She expects to find a few exquisite pieces for her store, “Rags to Riches,” but she doesn’t expect to find a dead body. To make matters worse, Sandra is arrested for murder. Jennifer has no choice but to get involved and find the real killer to prove her friend’s innocence. This won’t be an easy case to crack, because cleverly planted clues all point to Sandra. The film also stars Sarah Strange.

January 4 – Supergirl, Scorpion and NCIS: Los Angeles should all be back from their holiday breaks on CBS at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 4 – The new VH1 movie The Breaks will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Set in New York City in 1990, the show will chronicle the journey of Nikki (Afton Williamson), David (David Call) and DeeVee (Mack Wilds), three friends united by their love of hip-hop, as they work to make their big mark in the music industry.

January 5 – NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans and Limitless will return on CBS at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 5 – Teen Wolf will return for its winter premiere at 9 PM followed by the two-hour series premiere of The Shannara Chronicles at 10 PM on MTV

Show Synopsis (The Shannara Chronicles): The series, based on the best-selling fantasy book series by Terry Brooks, is set thousands of years in the future, following three heroes, Elf-Human hybrid Wil (Austin Butler from The Carrie Diaries), Elvin Princess Amberle (Poppy Drayton from When Calls the Heart), and Human Rover Eretria (Ivana Baquero from Pan’s Labyrinth), as they embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from destroying the world. The series also stars veteran actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings) and Manu Bennett (Spartacus and Arrow).

January 5 – Both Chicago Med and Chicago Fire will be back from their holiday breaks on NBC at 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 5 – The Haves and Have Nots will be back on OWN at 9 PM

January 6 – The ABC drama American Crime returns for its second season at 10 PM

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

January 6 – The Peoples’ Choice Awards will air on CBS at 9 PM

January 7 – Heroes Reborn and The Blacklist will return from their holiday breaks at 8 and 9 PM respectively followed by the debut of the new drama Shades of Blue at 10 PM all on NBC

Show Synopsis (Shades of Blue): Harlee Santos (Jennifer Lopez) is a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Ray Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own. As a big illegal job looms on the horizon, the FBI catches Harlee in the act and pits her against her own unit. As a newly turned informant, Harlee struggles to safeguard her on-the-job family and avoid arrest in order to stay with her daughter. Harlee engages in a perilous dance with her FBI handler, Special Agent Stahl (Warren Kole from Common Law), who develops an unhealthy obsession with her. Meanwhile, Wozniak, acting as the unit’s patriarch, begins an all-consuming hunt for the informant. Pressure mounts as the crew struggles to perform their brand of street justice under FBI watch. The cast includes Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos).

January 7 – Elementary will be back on CBS at 10 PM after its holiday break

January 8 – Reign will be back from its holiday break on The CW at 8 PM

January 8 – Both Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods will return from their holidays breaks on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 9 – The Lifetime movie My Sweet Audrina will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Based on V.C. Andrews’ bestselling standalone novel, the movie is a gothic psychological thriller centering on Audrina, a young girl with an inability to recall past events in her life. Living in her family’s secluded mansion, Audrina is haunted by nightmares in which she dreams of her older sister, the First Audrina, who was left for dead in the woods after an attack. As she falls in love with a boy named Arden and is tormented by her sadistic cousin Vera, she slowly starts to regain her memory of the grim truth around the death of her sister. The film stars India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), William Moseley (The Royals) and James Tupper (Revenge)

January 9 – The Hallmark Channel movie Love’s Complicated will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Leah thinks all is fine coasting along in a relationship with the ever-predictable Edward until he surprises her and enrolls her in a conflict-management class. In the class, Leah finds herself locking horns with a handsome, radio talk-show host who thrives on making waves. Through the course, Leah develops new friendships, an inner strength she never knew she had and discovers real love should never mean settling for the easy and predictable. Stars Holly Marie Combs (Charmed and Pretty Little Liars) and Ben Bass (Rookie Blue).

January 10 – Madam Secretary, The Good Wife and CSI: Cyber will all return from their holiday breaks on CBS at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 10 – The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Murder She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Sitting in her nearly empty store, Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen (Alison Sweeney) can only hope that the popularity of the new Magnolia Blossom Bakery is just a passing fad. The southern hospitality of Eden Lake’s two newest residents, Melanie and Vanessa Quinn, is grating on Hannah’s nerves — and cutting into her profits. Then Hannah finds Melanie shot to death. Everyone in town knew the Cookie Jar’s business was suffering…which makes Hannah a suspect. The film also stars Cameron Mathison and Barbara Niven.

January 10 – The Golden Globe Awards will air on NBC at 8 PM

January 12 – Pretty Little Liars will be back for its five-years forward return on the former ABC Family Channel now known as FreeForm at 8 PM followed by the debut of the new drama Shadowhunters at 9 PM

Show Synopsis (Shadowhunters): Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, which follows 18-year-old Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara from The Fosters), who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother, Jocelyn (Maxim Roy), is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and her best friend, Simon (Alberto Rosende). Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold. The cast includes Alan Van Sprang (Reign), Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee), Isaiah Mustafa (Chuck) and newcomers Emeraude Toubia and Matthew Daddario.

January 12 – iZombie will be back from its holiday break on The CW at 9 PM

January 13 – The new FOX drama Second Chance (formerly The Frankenstein Code and Lookinglass) will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: Rob Kazinsky (True Blood) stars as a disgraced, 75-year-old ex-sheriff, who dies at the hands of corrupt cops, but is brought back to life – by a pair of young tech scientists who are founders of a social networking empire – and given a second chance as a 35-year-old with unpredictable near-superhuman abilities. The cast includes Ciara Bravo (Red Band Society), Dilshad Vadsaria (Revenge), Tim DeKay (White Collar) and Vanessa Lengies (Glee).

January 13 – The one-hour season premiere of the second season of Younger will debut on TV Land at 10 PM

January 13 – Criminal Minds and Code Black will both be back from their holiday breaks on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively

January 14 – The USA Network drama Colony will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: Set in the very near future, the 10-episode series will center on one family’s struggle to survive and bring liberty back to the people of an occupied Los Angeles. The cast includes Josh Holloway (Lost), Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead and Prison Break), Peter Jacobson (House) and Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist).

January 16 – The Hallmark Channel movie Love On the Sidelines will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: A romantic comedy about a down-on-her-luck young woman who falls into a job as a personal assistant to a star quarterback sidelined with an injury. He’s never had a female assistant before and she knows nothing about football. Stars Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead) and John Reardon (Continuum).

January 17 – The new Showtime drama Billions will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The cast includes Malin Akerman, Maggie Siff and David Costabile.

January 17 – The new PBS mini-series Mercy Street will debut at 10 PM

Mini-Series Synopsis: The six-part series follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War — New England abolitionist Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead from The Returned) and Confederate supporter Emma Green (newcomer Hannah James). The cast include Gary Cole, Cherry Jones, Jack Falahee (How to Get Away With Murder), AnnaSophia Robb (The Carrie Diaries), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), Luke Macfarlane (Brothers & Sisters and Killjoys) and Cameron Monaghan (Shameless and Gotham).

NOTE: Mercy Street will air every Sunday through February 21.

January 17 – The new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Flower Shop Mysteries: Mum’s the Word will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:  Brooke Shields stars as Abby Knight, the proud owner of her hometown flower shop, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. She’s determined to track down the driver, but when the trail turns deadly, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral. The film also stars Brennan Elliott.

January 18 – The VH1 drama Hit the Floor will be back for another season at 10 PM

January 18 – The four-week event series War and Peace, based on what is considered the greatest novel ever written, will air at 9 PM (for two hours each week) on A&E, History and Lifetime

Event Series Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, the event series tells the ultimate story of passion and romance, scandal and deceit, following the rise and fall of fortunes of five aristocratic families: The Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Rostovs, Kuragins, and Drubetskoys, who are all jockeying for top position in the waning days of imperial Russia. The cast includes Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave and Love & Mercy), Lily James (Downton Abbey and Cinderella), Gillian Anderson (Hannibal and The X-Files), Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter franchise) and James Norton (Grantchester and Death Comes to Pemberley).

Note: The event series will air each week through February 8.

January 19 – The two-hour return of Marvel’s Agent Carter will air on ABC at 8 PM

January 19 – The Flash will be back after its holiday break on The CW at 8 PM

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

January 21 – The new drama DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will debut on The CW at 8 PM followed by the third season return of The 100 at 9 PM

Show Synopsis (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow): When heroes aren’t enough, the world needs legends. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill from Doctor Who) is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat – one in which not only the planet is at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known? The Arrow/The Flash spin-off will feature Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer, Caity Lotz as Sara Lance, Ciara Renee as Kendra Saunders, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory, Franz Drameh as Jay Jackson, Victor Garber as Martin Stein and Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart.

January 21 – The final episode of Heroes Reborn will air on NBC at 8 PM

January 21 – The new BBC America limited series London Spy will debut at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: The five-part mystery begins with a chance romance between two people from two very different walks of life: one from the high-powered ranks of investment banking and the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess. But their love story quickly unravels when the reclusive banker disappears under suspicious circumstances, exposing his real identity as a spy and forcing his lover down a dark path to reveal the truth. The cast includes Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Jim Broadbent (Iris), Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch) and newcomer Edward Holcroft (Wolf Hall).

January 22 – The winter finale of Reign will air on The CW at 8 PM

January 23 – The Lifetime movie Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Newcomer Lex Scott Davis (The Exes) stars as Grammy Award-winning singer Toni Braxton, following her journey from being discovered by mega producers L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, to her battle with Lupus. The movie also delves into how she made it through her public divorce all while navigating her son’s autism and family struggles. The film also stars Debbie Morgan (All My Children), Tiffany Hines (Devious Maids and Nikita) and Gavin Houston (The Haves and Have Nots).

January 23 – The Starz drama Black Sails will be back for a new season at 9 PM

January 23 – The Hallmark Channel movie Unleashing Mr. Darcy will debut at 8 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Fishing for direction in life, Elizabeth gets the opportunity of showing her dog in a fancy New York dog show. The judge, Donovan Darcy, comes across as aristocratic and rude, and a chain of misunderstandings unfold during the competition, complicating their attraction to one another. Based on characters by Jane Austen. The cast includes Ryan Paevey (General Hospital), Cindy Busby (Cedar Cove) and Frances Fisher (Resurrection).

January 23 – The new drama Beowulf will debut on Esquire at 10 PM

Show Synopsis: Based on the legendary English poem over a thousand years old, Beowulf (Kieran Bew from Da Vinci’s Demons) tells the story of a disillusioned and damaged hero. This drama will chronicle Beowulf’s return to his home Herot, to make peace with his past. Unwittingly in search of a cause to believe in and a community to fight for, Beowulf finds himself wrongly accused of murder and hunts down the true perpetrator to avenge the death of his fellow kinsmen. Beowulf becomes Herot’s tough but unconventional hero, responsible for upholding the law and protecting the town from danger. The last of a dying breed, Beowulf is a man capable of shaping the world around him by his actions and force of will. While this may seem like a familiar tale, Beowulf unearths the full story of the complicated, driven man behind the lore. The cast includes Joanne Whalley (Wolf Hall), Ed Speelers (Downton Abbey), Laura Donnelly (Outlander) and David Ajala (Black Box).

January 24 and January 25 – The much-anticipated return of the sci-fi classic The X-Files will air in two parts on FOX both nights at 10 PM on January 24 and 8 PM on January 25

Event Series Synopsis: The six-episode series will follow FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigate the strange and unexplained. Mitch Pileggi will be back as Walter Skinner along with William B. Davis back as The Smoking Man and Robbie Amell (The Flash) and Joel McHale (Community) joining the cast.

January 25 – The new drama Lucifer will debut on FOX at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: Based upon the characters from DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, the series tells the story of Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis from Downton Abbey), the Lord of Hell, who has abandoned his throne and retired to L.A. When he is introduced to LAPD homicide detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German from Chicago Fire), Lucifer becomes intrigued by her compassion for humanity, which causes a struggle between his temptation toward the side of Good and his original calling toward Evil. The cast includes D.B. Woodside (Scandal), Kevin Alejandro (Ugly Betty), Lesley-Ann Brandt (The Librarians) and Rachael Harris (Suits).

January 25 – The new Syfy drama The Magicians will air two back-to-back episode at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: The series centers on Quentin (Jason Ralph), a brilliant grad student chosen to attend Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real – and poses grave danger to humanity.

January 25 – The Fosters will be back for a new season on FreeForm (formerly ABC Family) at 8 PM followed by the new drama Recovery Road at 9 PM

Show Synopsis (Recovery Road): Based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson, the series focuses on a teenage girl dealing with addiction. Maddie has a reputation as a party girl who doesn’t think she has a problem, until she’s confronted one day by her school guidance counselor and is forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. Maddie makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts at a sober living facility while facing the daily pressures of her teenage life. The cast includes Kyla Pratt (Dr. Doolittle movies) and Sharon Leal (Hellcats and the movie Dreamgirls).

January 25 – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin will both return from their holiday breaks on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 26 – The new WGN America drama Outsiders will debut at 9 PM

Show Synopsis: The series explores the epic battle between the Farrell Clan, a tight-knit family of renegades who have lived atop the rugged Shay Mountain for over two hundred years, and their fight to defend their way of life from the town below and anyone who would dare to challenge them. The cast includes David Morse (Treme), Gillian Alexy (Royal Pains), Joe Anderson (Hannibal and The River), Kyle Gallner (Veronica Mars) and Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy).

January 29 – The Vampire Diaries and The Originals move to Friday nights after their holiday break, airing on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively

January 29 – Grimm will be back from its winter break on NBC at 9 PM

January 29 – The final season of Banshee will start on Cinemax at 10 PM

January 30 – The SAG Awards will air on TNT and TBS at 8 PM

January 30 – Dater’s Handbook is the new Hallmark Channel movie will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: A woman changes her personality according to a dating guide book to find a husband but realizes the man she wants is the one who loves her for who she is. Stars Meghan Markle (Suits) and Kristoffer Polaha (The Ringer).

January 31 – The Hallmark Channel movie All Things Valentine will debut at 9 PM

MOVIE SYNOPSIS: Avery, a blogger with a string of disappointing Valentine’s Days, is ready to give up on love when she meets handsome veterinarian Brenden. When Avery finds out Brenden blames his recent break up on her blog and is the one leaving her angry comments, she begins to question whether the bond they’ve began to build is a true love story or yesterday’s news. The film stars Sarah Rafferty (Suits) and Sam Page (Switched at Birth).

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, Hudson & Rex, SkyMed, The Rookie, Bridgerton, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, The Witcher, Leverage: Redemption and School Spirits. She is looking forward to the fall TV season, including the return of Outlander, Tracker and The Equalizer and the debuts of the new dramas Matlock, Murder In a Small Town, NCIS: Origins and Cross. Follow her on Bluesky @ruebensramblings.bsky.social or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com. Please also check out Rueben's Ramblings website for even more entertainment news.