23 TV Shows We're Tuning In For

Premiere date: Jan. 4
Stars: Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen
What to expect this season: Guest stars galore, including Chloë Sevigny, Martina Navratilova, Roseanne Barr, Juliette Lewis, Rose Byrne, Jeff Goldblum, Patton Oswalt, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., and the bands No Doubt and Dirty Projectors. Also: Funny sketches about natural deodorant and people who can’t stop themselves from revealing TV spoilers. —Melissa Maerz

Premiere date: Jan. 6
Stars: Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt
What to expect this season: In season 3, Matthew (Stevens) and Mary (Dockery) prepare to walk down the aisle, while Robert (Bonneville) discovers the estate is in serious financial trouble. Plus, the residents experience an event that Froggatt, who plays Anna, says ”will impact everyone in the house.” —Nuzhat Naoreen

Premiere date: Jan. 7
Stars: Meagan Good, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Katherine LaNasa
What it’s about: NBC finds its inspiration from Revenge in this drama about a pretty detective (Think Like a Man‘s Good) who goes undercover to investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy childhood chum named Vivan Bowers. None of Vivian’s relatives?including her pharmaceutical titan dad Robert (Garber), her drunken mom Sofia (Two and a Half Men‘s Katherine LaNasa) and brother Edward (Damages‘ Tate Donovan) know Joanna’s real occupation, as she weasels her way back into the family mansion to hunt for clues. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait until next season to learn the killer’s identity. Says Creator Liz Heldens (Friday Night Lights), ”I think the audience will want that.” —Lynette Rice

Deception‘s premiere episode was available in advance on iTunes; see our first impression

Premiere date: Jan. 8
Stars: Courteney Cox, Josh Hopkins, Christa Miller, Busy Philipps
What to expect this season: Change is a-comin’ to the cul-de-sac crew. Season 4 of the wine-loving comedy boasts a new network (TBS) and a new showrunner (Ric Swartzlander), but Cox assures fans it will be a smooth transition. ”We’re so thankful to be coming back,” she says. ”Everyone’s just working that much harder. And I think this season is my favorite so far.” We’ll pound some grape to that! —Breia Brissey

Premiere date: Jan. 8
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Joelle Carter, Raymond J. Barry
What to expect this season: For the first time, the season-long arc has marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant) chasing a mystery not a bad guy. Thirty years ago, a man fell from the sky with a bag of cocaine. The story behind it is something Raylan’s jailed father Arlo (Barry) could help unravel. ”Arlo’s confronted with that and does something in the first episode that we hope is shocking,” exec producer Graham Yost says, ”and that’s part of what sets the whole mystery in motion. I will say this, at the end of last season, Arlo had basically said, ‘I was gonna shoot a guy who I thought was you in order to save Boyd [Goggins],’ and we kinda thought we were done. And then as we were playing around with this mystery, it was like, ‘Oh, this involves Arlo.’ So Arlo’s actually a huge character this season.”—Mandi Bierly

Premiere date: Jan. 8
Stars: Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario
What to expect this season: The big headline out of Rosewood for the second part of season three is that ”A” team leader Mona (Janel Parrish) will be released from Radley Sanitarium. And apparently, she’ll be on her best behavior — outwardly, at least. ”Is she still a threat or has she changed?” Parrish muses. Mona will try her best to be re-friend Liars Aria (Hale), Emily (Mitchell), Hannah (Benson), and Spencer (Bellisario) yet again, but series creator Marlene King warns: ”She’s a villain out walking amongst the PLLs.” And executive producer Oliver Goldstick adds, ”She’s not coming back as Polly Purebread.” You’ve been warned, Rosewood! —Tanner Stransky

For an exclusive sneak peek at winter premiere of Pretty Little Liars, go to EW’s Facebook page

Premiere date: Jan. 10 (a sneak preview of the first episode aired Dec. 17; read Ken Tucker’s take)
Stars: Bill Pullman, Josh Gad, Jenna Elfman, Martha MacIsaac, Benjamin Stockham, Amara Miller, Andre Holland
What it’s about: The White House will be the home of high-level high jinks as President Gilchrist (Pullman) attempts to lead both the free world and his family, which includes perfect daughter Becca (MacIsaac), whose world is shaken by an unplanned pregnancy; eager-to-please-but-quick-to-belly-flop son Skip (Gad), and newish wife Emily (Elfman), who is still trying to endear herself to his kids. Gad says, ”I had this idea of putting dysfunctional family comedy in the greatest possible bubble imaginable, under the scrutiny of the 24-hour news cycle, where not only would they have to deal with their own issues but how those issues were perceived by the public at large.” —Dan Snierson

Premiere date: Jan. 13
Stars: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Jemima Kirke
What to expect this season: It’s Girls gone wild! Hannah (Dunham) has a crazy night of clubbing with her new roommate Elijah (Andrew Rannells). Marnie (Williams) gets back in touch (ahem!) with her art-world crush Booth (Jorma Taccone). Shoshanna (Mamet) and Ray (Alex Karpovsky) are still fighting as much as they’re making out. And Jessa (Jemima Kirke) returns from her honeymoon to find a basket full of puppies in her kitchen. Uh-oh. But also: Aw! —Melissa Maerz

Premiere date: Jan. 13
Stars: Laura Dern, Mike White, Luke Wilson
What to expect this season: When Amy (Dern) leaks Abaddonn’s secrets to a journalist at the L.A. Times (Dylan McDermott), she discovers that the company might be hiding more dirt than she thought, and she needs help from Tyler (White) to find it. If last season was a character study, this one’s a total potboiler. —Melissa Maerz

Premiere date: Jan. 13
Stars: William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum
What to expect this season: Thanks to the twisted team, Shameless‘ third season season will feature even more high jinks and low blows from the Gallaghers — especially now that the Monica plotline was put to rest last season. ”This season, the show will be in its purest form,” says executive producer Mark Mylod. ”One of the things I’m most proud of is how wonderfully organic Frank (Macy) is with the family this year. We’ve evolved his relationship with them in a way that I always thought was, you know, pretty much impossible, given that he’s a borderline sociopath.” And Mylod says the neighbors will also be getting their cut of the action this year: ”The Milkovich kids, Mandy (Jane Levy) and Micky (Noel Fisher), come to the fore when Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Lip (Jeremy Allen White) develop these preposterously dysfunctional relationships with them.” Sounds like Fiona (Rossum) is going to need more than that G.E.D. to keep her house in order —Ray Rahman

Premiere date: Jan. 14
Star: AnnaSophia Robb
What it’s about: Watch 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) fall in love with Manhattan and discover her love of fashion, all while trying to balance her life as a suburban high school student, in this 1980s-set Sex and the City prequel. —Nuzhat Naoreen

Premiere date: Jan. 16
Stars: New judges Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Nicki Minaj; returning judge Randy Jackson; and host Ryan Seacrest
What to expect this season: No bones about it, this new judge panel is feisty. ”Passionate I think is the word,” laughs executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. ”They do have passionate arguments. I think that the show will be really good for that, because they really care.” Hollywood Week this year will also be split up between the boys and girls contestants, and for the first time in Idol history, several contestants are openly gay from the get-go. ”We will never make a judgment on their sexuality,” says exec producer Ken Warwick. ”Personally, the thing that turns me on is talent.” —Adam B. Vary

Premiere date: Jan. 17
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman
What to expect this season: As season 2 resumes, so does the tension at the law firm of Pearson Hardman. Having survived the civil war against David Costabile’s founding partner Daniel Hardman (who will return at some point in these remaining six episodes), managing partner Jessica Pearson (Torres), top closer Harvey Specter (Macht), and brilliant fake associate Mike Ross (Adams) will now find the weakened firm being attacked from the outside. ”Whenever you feel that pressure, it’s gonna squeeze your relationship and bring out sometimes the best and sometimes the worst,” creator Aaron Korsh says. ”Building up to the season finale, there is some serious conflict between Jessica, Harvey, and Mike.” —Mandi Bierly

Premiere date: Jan. 21
Stars: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Natalie Zea
What it’s about: Created by horror mastermind Kevin Williamson (Scream, The Vampire Diaries), this new thriller focuses on the showdown between an ex-FBI agent (Bacon) and a serial killer (Purefoy) with a cult following: he trains his minions to murder their victims in honor of Edgar Allan Poe. Scary masks will be donned, eyeballs will be scooped out, and you will be very, very scared. —Melissa Maerz

Premiere date: Jan. 25
Stars: Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Simon Merrells, Todd Lasance
What to expect this season: As the slave rebellion prepares for its final confrontation with the Roman Empire, Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight has ramped up the Starz hit’s spectacle to new heights of CG-enabled battle-cry epic-ness, while adding two key new villains who just might escort the series to a spinoff afterlife. Expect more gushing exit wounds and tittilating soft-core threesomes, but now Sparty (McIntyre) is less angst-ridden having found vengeance for his wife’s death in season 2. ”He’s pushed the hang-wringing emotions aside, he’s no longer questioning what he’s doing,” DeKnight says. Hot on his trail are Roman legends Marcus Crassus (Merrells) and — hey, why not? — a young Julius Caesar (Lasance — think Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy). Sure we all know how this story ends, but DeKnight promises his finale will have even the toughest fans crying hot man-tears. ”We will have you weeping on your sofa.” —James Hibberd

Premiere date: Jan. 28
Stars: Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Josh Henderson
What to expect this season: More sex, more SueEllen, and more tears (and faces from the original Dallas) than anyone ever expected now that the season will feature a tribute episode in honor of the recently departed Larry Hagman. —Karen Valby

Premiere date: Jan. 30
Stars: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich
What it’s about: Part family drama, part spy thriller, lots of 1980s clothes as Russell and Rhys play married KGB spies in America during the Reagan era. ”The show has such a weird perspective because the whole concept is told from the ‘other side,”’ says creator Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies). ”We think of the KGB as the enemy but on this show the enemy is the good guys. It changes how you come at the stories and the emotion. But at the end of the day, you’re watching a marriage that’s like any other marriage, albeit in a crazy situation.” —Jessica Shaw

Premiere date: Feb. 1
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara
What it’s about: In Netflix’s biggest bet yet on original programming, David Fincher spins a sinister yarn about an ambitiously amoral congressman (Spacey, natch) who schemes at political payback when he’s passed over for a cabinet post. —Chris Nashawaty

Premiere date: Feb. 5
Stars: Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston
What to expect this season: The musical drama has undergone a retooling with creator and former showrunner Theresa Rebeck gone as well as several cast members and new showrunner Joshua Safran (Gossip Girl) now in charge. Look for this season to be broader in terms of the Broadway world with detours into the productions of several musicals, including the Marilyn Monroe project Bombshell and a new Rent-ish rock show called Hit List. Plus, Jennifer Hudson guest-stars in three episodes as Tony-winning actress Veronica Moore, who is a role model of sorts to Karen (McPhee) and Ivy (Hilty). —Tim Stack

For an in-depth look at Smash‘s relaunch, buy the EW Winter TV Preview issue here

Premiere date: Feb. 7
Stars: Joel McHale, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash
What to expect this season: A Hunger Games parody in the season premiere! An awkward Thanksgiving reunion between Jeff (McHale) and his father (James Brolin)! An Inspector Spacetime convention! Says co-showrunner David Guarascio, who replaced the show’s controversial creator Dan Harmon, ”Because there’s an actual evolution of the show from season to season, it felt very organic to us that in the fourth year — which for some of the characters is their senior year — there will be a natural inclination for these characters to be thinking about change in their own lives, to be looking at their personal relationships with each other…. And the show’s always done a good job of having this meta approach to itself and being aware of itself. There’s a big change going on in the show in that Dan is not here and we are, and it came together as an approach for the season of change.” —Dan Snierson

Premiere date: Feb. 19
Stars: Matt Davis, Jessica Lucas, Robert Knepper, Alona Tal
What it’s about: A spring TV season heavy on thrillers about charismatic psychos includes a meta-minded drama that reflects the trend itself, as Cult is a thriller about a thriller about a charismatic psycho. Cult imagines a world where The CW has just launched a show called — wait for it! — Cult, about FBI agents investigating a dangerous cult leader (played by Prison Break‘s Knepper). This series is run by a mercurial, never-seen writer, and has quickly developed an intense fan following, including a young man who goes missing after becoming convinced he’s discovered a sinister secret about the show. The pilot episode finds the journalist brother of the missing fan teaming up with a production assistant who works for Cult to investigate the many mysteries and noodle-cooking conspiracy surrounding Cult. Each episode of Cult will track a different episode of Cult. In fact, the first season of Cult (12 episodes total) takes place over the course of the last half of Cult‘s first season (12 episodes), so the season finale of Cult will showcase the season finale of Cult. Warning: Like most cults, Cult is strange yet alluring…and potentially hazardous to your mental health. —Jeff Jensen

Premiere date: Feb. 26
Stars: Theo James, Chi McBride
What it’s about: How does an ambitious young beat cop go from the street to the police commissioner’s office in just seven years? That’s what what we’ll find out in this drama from executive producers Greg Berlanti and Emmy Award winner Nicholas Wootton (NYPD Blue). Golden Boy premieres with previews at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 26 and March 5 before moving to its regular timeslot, Fridays at 9 p.m. ET, on March 8. —Sandra Gonzalez

Premiere date: March 3
Stars: Radha Mitchell, Goran Visnjic
What it’s about: ”A female Iron Man,” says executive producer Melissa Rosenberg. No, the show’s not about a superhero; think more along the lines of a cable-caliber antihero (Mitchell), a mother whose husband’s murder forces her entry into gangland San Francisco. ”I’ve always wanted to write a female Tony Soprano, a female Dexter,” says Rosenberg, who previously served as a screenwriter for the Twilight franchise. ”They’re highly flawed characters, and I think on cable, it’s starting to happen to women with shows like Nurse Jackie and Enlightened and Weeds. This is our opportunity to do that on network.” —Ray Rahman