Sizing up new and returning series on cable and streamers
Brace yourselves, pop culture junkies: More than 50 new and returning scripted series debut on cable and streaming services through March:
“Dare Me” (10 p.m. Sunday, USA): Based on the Megan Abbott novel, this series explores the lives of teens in a small Midwestern town where a crime occurs.
“Messiah” (Jan 1, Netflix): A CIA officer (Michelle Monaghan) investigates a man who claims to perform miracles: Is he a divine entity or a con artist?
“Spinning Out” (Jan. 1, Netflix): Looks like a darker, more soapy and tawdry version of “The Cutting Edge.” This 10-episode Netflix drama stars January Jones (“Mad Men”) as the mother of a professional skater.
“Party of Five” (9 p.m. Jan. 8, Freeform): A remake of the 19942000 Fox drama, this iteration, from the producers as the original, follows a family separated at America’s Southern border.
“AJ and the Queen” (Jan. 10, Netflix): RuPaul stars as a downon-her-luck drag queen who travels America with a recently orphaned, 11-year-old stowaway and a message of love and acceptance.
“Medical Police” (Jan. 10,
Netflix): From the producers of “Children’s Hospital,” this comedy follows American physicians (Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel) in Brazil who stumble upon a virus that threatens to kill all humans.
“The Outsider” (9 p.m. Jan.
12, HBO): Based on a Stephen King novel, the series follows an investigation into the murder of an 11-year-old boy.
“The New Pope” (9 p.m. Jan. 13, HBO): A follow-up series to 2017’s “The New Pope,” this iteration begins with Pope Pius XIII (Jude Law) in a coma. He’s succeeded by Pope John Paul III (John Malkovich).
“The Healing Powers of Dude” (Jan. 13, Netflix): Live-action family comedy about a boy with social anxiety disorder and his emotional support dog.
“68 Whiskey” (10 p.m. Jan. 15, Paramount Network): Comedic drama about Army medics stationed in Afghanistan. AKA “M*A*S*H 2020.”
“Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” (8:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Freeform): Half-siblings cope with the death of their father in this series starring and created by Josh Thomas (“Please Like Me”).
“Diary of a Future President” (Jan. 17, Disney+): Told from the narration of her diary, series follows a 12year-old Cuban-American middle schooler as she embarks on her quest to become a future president of the United States.
“Little America” (Jan. 17, Apple TV+): Anthology series about funny, romantic, heartfelt stories of immigrants in America executive produced by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon (“The Big Sick”) and featuring Green Tree native Zachary Quinto.
“Avenue 5” (10 p.m. Jan. 19, HBO): A comedy from the creator of “Veep” set 40 years in the future aboard a space cruise ship starring Hugh Laurie (“House”) and 2003 Carnegie Mellon University grad Josh Gad (“Frozen”).
“Awkwafina is Nora From Queens” (10:30 p.m. Jan. 22, Comedy Central): Creator/writer Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”) stars in this half-hour scripted comedy inspired by her real life being raised by her dad (BD Wong) and grandma (Lori Tan Chinn).
“The Dead Lands” (Jan. 23, Shudder): Supernatural thriller from New Zealand set in a mythic Maori past.
“Star Trek: Picard” (Jan. 23, CBS All Access): Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the 10-episode first season of this series set in Picard’s twilight years.
“Briarpatch” (10 p.m. Feb. 6, USA): A close-ended, 10-episode anthology, season one follows a woman (Rosario Dawson) who returns to her hometown to solve her sister’s murder.
“Interrogation” (Feb. 6, CBS All Access): All episodes become available at the same time allowing viewers to choose their path to the finale in this drama based on a true crime case that spans 20 years. Kyle Gallner (“Outsiders”) stars.
“Locke and Key” (Feb. 7, Netflix): Adaptation of the Joe Hill graphic novel — Fox filmed a failed pilot based on the same source material in Pittsburgh in 2011 — the drama finds a family moving into their magical ancestral home after the patriarch’s death. Darby Stanchfield (“Scandal”) and Connor Jessup (“American Crime”) star.
“Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” (Feb. 7, Apple TV+): Executive produced by “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” veterans Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, this live-action, halfhour comedy follows a team of video game developers led by a character played by McElhenney.
“High Fidelity” (Feb. 14, Hulu): Based on the Nick Hornsby novel and 2000 film, the series follows Rob (Zoe Kravits), a Brooklyn record store owner who revisits past relationships through music.
“The Good Lord Bird” (10 p.m. Feb. 16, Showtime): An eight-part limited period drama based on the James McBride novel about a federal officer (Wyatt Russell, “Lodge 49”) trying to apprehend abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke). Daveed Diggs co-stars as Frederick Douglass.
“War of the Worlds” (9 p.m. Feb. 16, Epix): Eightpart remake of H.G. Wells story set in present-day Europe starring Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern.
“Twenties” (Feb. 19, BET): Created and written by Lena Waithe (“The Chi”), the half-hour comedy follows a queer black woman and her friends.
“The Year of the Rabbit” (10:30 p.m. Feb. 19, IFC): Drunk British detective Rabbit (Matt Berry, “What We Do in the Shadows”) and his by-the-book partner (Freddie Fox) investigate a murder, joined by the daughter (Susan Wokoma) of the police chief.
“Gentefied” (Feb. 21, Netflix): A half-hour, bilingual dramatic comedy about three Mexican-American cousins and their family taco shop.
“Dispatches From Elsewhere” (10 p.m. March 1 and 2, AMC): Created by and starring Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother”), the 10-hour first season follows four people brought together to investigate a magical mystery.
“The Plot Against America” (9 p.m. March 16, HBO): Alternate American history based on the Philp Roth novel about the rise of fascism as Charles Lindbergh becomes the U.S. president.
“Little Fires Everywhere” (March 18, Hulu): Based on the 2017 Celeste Ng bestseller, Reese Witherspoon stars as matriarch of a picture-perfect family whose lives are upended by a mother (Kerry Washington, “Scandal”) and daughter.
Returning:
Jan. 1: “Doctor Who” (8 p.m. BBC America).
Jan. 3: “Anne With an E” (Netflix).
Jan. 5: “Power” (8 p.m.,
Starz).
Jan. 7: “Schitt’s Creek” (9 p.m. Pop TV), “The Haves and the Have Nots” (9 p.m., OWN).
Jan. 15: “Grace and Frankie” (Netflix), “Good Trouble” (10 p.m., Freeform), “The Magicians” (10 p.m. Syfy).
Jan. 16: “grown-ish” (8 p.m., Freeform).
Jan. 17: “Sex Education” (Netflix).
Jan. 19: “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (10:30 p.m., HBO).
Jan. 21:“ProjectBlueBook” (10p.m.Jan.21,History).
Jan. 23: “The Bold Type” (9 p.m., Freeform).
Jan. 24: “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” (Netflix), “The Ranch” (Netflix), “Shrill” (Hulu).
Jan. 28: “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages” (10:30 p.m., TBS).
Feb. 1: “Murdoch Mysteries” (7 p.m., Ovation).
Feb. 6: “The Sinner” (9 p.m., USA).
Feb. 7: “High Maintenance” (11 p.m., HBO).
Feb. 9: “Homeland” (9 p.m., Showtime), “Kidding” (10 and 10:30 p.m., Showtime).
Feb. 13: “Narcos: Mexico” (Netflix).
Feb. 16: “Outlander” (8 p.m., Starz).
Feb. 20: “Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones” (3 p.m., Facebook Watch).
Feb. 23: “Better Call Saul” (10 p.m. AMC).
Kept/canceled
OWN renewed “David Makes Man” for a second season; Netflix did the same for “Green Eggs and Ham.”
Starz canceled “Sweetbitter” after two seasons.
Comcast threatened to drop all the Starz channels this month but the two companies reached a long-term deal to keep Starz channels on Xfinity TV.
Tuned In online
Today’s TV Q&A column on the blog responds to questions about showrunners, “The Chase,” crude language on TV and KDKATV’s Bob Pompeani. Read online-only TV content at http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/ arts-entertainment-living/ tuned-in