TV to look forward to in 2016
A new year is nearly upon us while TV is nearly ready to submerge us: 2016 will have more series — and more new series — than ever before, a historic watershed that should beggar the imagination and attention spans. Streaming services will mostly contribute to this population boom, as channels like Crackle and Pivot struggle to get out from under the growing shadows of Netflix and Amazon Prime. In this movable and viewable feast, there will be gems worth savoring and watching. There always are. Just don’t be too surprised if they’re harder to find in the crowd.
Johnny Carson is back: Antenna TV, that charming outpost in the upper channel ranges, is bringing back nightly repeats of Johnny’s “Tonight Show,” airing from 1972 to 1992. The fun started Jan. 1.
“Downton Abbey” wraps: Season 6 bowed in last Sunday on PBS, and the countdown to the end begins. This will go awfully fast — just eight episodes (and a Christmas special), which means the most successful series in public TV history will end before spring begins.
Last season of “American Idol”: The 15th and final season begins Wednesday and a part of TV history starts to wind down. The questions: Will a “superstar” be discovered? ( At long last — or at least since Carrie Underwood?) What surprises remain, if any? And of that vital emotional component — 15 years of our TV lives were spent here, after all — will we still feel the love or a little bit of it?
Chris Rock and the
Oscars: Rock hasn’t done this in a while (10 years, in fact) and the last time he was accorded that dread “mixed critical reaction” label. Rock is the anti-safe host, the anti-polite host, the anti- suck- up host. If he doesn’t blow this stiff old fish out of the water on Feb. 28, many will be disappointed.
“Vinyl”: The last time Terry Winter and Martin Scorsese teamed up, we got “Boardwalk Empire,” so reasonably sky- high anticipation seems warranted for this HBO period drama about the record biz in the 1970s ( Feb. 14). Bobby Cannavale, Olivia Wilde and Ray Romano head the cast. (And Mick Jagger is credited as a co-producer.)
Big miniseries: Most specifically, the “Roots” remake, to air on History sometime in 2016, A& E and Lifetime, stars Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and more, more, more. Levar Burton, who played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 original, is co- executive producer. Also: ABC’s mini on Bernard Madoff, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, Charles Grodin and Lewis Black, begins Feb. 3 ( and this is one of two TV projects on Madoff, the other forthcoming on HBO). And, of course, the O.J. Simpson trial mini, which will inaugurate Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s FX anthology,
“American Crime Story” (Feb. 2).
“Preacher”: Added to this list with a mix of trepidation but also genuine curiosity, born perhaps of the urgent question: Just how far will (or can) AMC go? Developed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen — neither renowned for restraint — “Preacher” is an adaptation of the comic series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Expect a phantasmagoria of violence, mayhem, monsters, men and God — also men of God. Even “The Walking Dead” seems subdued by contrast. (Airdate TBA)
Jon Stewart comes
to HBO: Election coverage will be a huge part of our lives in ‘16, and hopefully an antidote to some of its gaudier or more ridiculous excesses will be supplied by this guy, who will produce shortform streaming programs for HBO. Start date to be determined.
Remakes galore:
Obviously, let’s all get especially excited about HBO’s “Westworld,” based on the ‘73 sci-fi Western, and starring (take a deep breath) Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, Jamie Marsden, Thandie Newton … . Netflix has promised us “Gilmore Girls” and “Fuller House.” Fox’s limited series return of “The X-Files” is just around the corner on Jan. 24.
Woody Allen’s
Amazon project: Still doesn’t have a name, or start date, and — as the best I or anyone else can tell — Allen still doesn’t even have a computer. But — assuming the news release wasn’t issued by mistake or Allen forgot he’s on the hook for this — Amazon has the most intriguing show, TV or streaming, of the entire year.