New Year, New TV Shows! See A Complete Guide To The Series Hitting The Small Screen In Early 2019

‘Young Justice: Outsiders’ (Jan. 4 — DC Universe)

The animated superhero show that’s not just for kids returns on the DC Universe streaming service. Young Justice ran on Cartoon Network and earned a reputation for being one of the most intelligent, character-oriented animated series ever produced. Needless to say, it got canceled after two seasons. But then, when Netflix picked up reruns several years later, everyone took notice of the strong viewership and a growing passion for the show. When it came time to create DC Universe, one of the first decisions made was to get the show back in production. The results will be here soon in weekly installments.

‘Project Blue Book’ (Jan. 8 — History Channel)

Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen), a brilliant yet under-appreciated college professor (but aren’t they all?), is recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead a clandestine operation called Project Blue Book. Along with his partner, the debonair Air Force Captain Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey), he is summoned to investigate UFO sightings around the country and use science to discover what really happened. However, when some encounters cannot be explained away and cases remain open, Hynek begins to suspect that he has been duped by the government into a larger conspiracy to cover up the truth (uh, duh!).

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War and rising Atomic Era, each episode will draw from the actual Project Blue Book case files (yes, there is such a thing), blending UFO theories with authentic historical events from one of the most mysterious eras in United States history.

‘Schooled’ (Jan. 9 — ABC)

This spin-off from The Goldbergs jumps into the 1990s with both feet as Lainey Lewis (AJ Michalka), who still hasn’t achieved rock ‘n’ roll greatness, returns to William Penn Academy as the new music teacher. Lainey has a hard time adjusting to being an authority figure, but she realizes she might not be so bad at it when she discovers a kindred spirit in Principal Glascott’s niece, Felicia.

‘Fam’ (Jan. 10 — CBS)

Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) plays Clem, whose upbringing and teen years left a lot to be desired, but she pulled herself up, and built a fantastic life — great job, terrific apartment, and an amazing fiancé, Nick (Tone Bell), a college professor from a well-to-do ‘normal’ family. Nick’s warm and supportive parents, Rose and Walt (Sheryl Lee Ralph and Brian Stokes Mitchell), embrace Clem and complete the family she always wanted. But when Clem’s wild-child half-sister, Shannon (Odessa Adlon), appears on their doorstep to escape their train wreck of a dad, Nick agrees that Clem can help her avoid all the mistakes she made and they invite her to move in. As the family Clem chose and the family she has blend, Clem realizes that this happy fam may be exactly what she’s looking for.

‘Informer’ (Jan. 11 — Amazon Prime)

Amazon notes that this thriller is focused on Raza, a young second-generation British-Pakistani man from London who is coerced by Gabe, a Counter-Terrorism officer, into informing.

‘Sex Education’ (Jan. 11 — Netflix)

Insecure Otis has all the answers when it comes to sex advice, thanks to his therapist mom. So rebel Maeve proposes a school sex-therapy clinic. Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, and Ncuti Gatwa star.

‘The Passage’ (Jan. 14 — Fox)

Based on author Justin Cronin’s best-selling trilogy of the same name, The Passage is described as “an epic, character-driven thriller [that] focuses on Project NOAH, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race.” Well, that doesn’t sound good.

When a young girl, Amy Bellagone (Saniyya Sidney), is chosen to be a test subject, Federal Agent Brad Wolgast (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project NOAH. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, trying to protect her at any cost — including from a dangerous new race of beings that could lead to an unimaginable apocalypse.

‘Roswell, New Mexico’ (Jan. 15 — CW)

More than maybe anywhere else on Earth, Roswell, NM is ground zero for those who seek proof that aliens exist. Roswell native Liz Ortecho (Jeanine Mason) left it all behind 10 years ago after the death of her beloved older sister Rosa. But after the government cuts funding on her biomedical research, she reluctantly returns to her tourist-trap hometown to move back in with her father.

There she reconnects with Max Evans (Nathan Dean Parsons), her teenage crush, who is now a Roswell police officer. Their chemistry is instantly electric. But Liz soon discovers a shocking truth: Max is an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life.

‘Deadly Class’ (Jan. 16 — Syfy)

Set in a dark, heightened world against the backdrop of late ‘80s counterculture, Deadly Class follows the story of Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth), a teen living on the streets who is recruited into Kings Dominion, an elite private academy where the world’s top crime families send their next generations. Maintaining his moral code while surviving a ruthless curriculum, vicious social cliques, and his own adolescent uncertainties soon prove to be vital.

‘Black Monday’ (Jan. 20 — Showtime)

Describes Showtime, “Travel back to Oct. 19, 1987 — aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street. To this day, no one knows who caused it… until now. This is the story of how a group of outsiders took on the blue-blood, old-boys club of Wall Street and ended up crashing the world’s largest financial system, a Lamborghini limousine, and the glass ceiling. The outrageous comedy series stars Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells, and Regina Hall.”

‘I Am the Night’ (Jan. 28 — TNT)

Fauna Hodel, a young girl who was given up by her birth mother, sets out to uncover the secrets of her past and ends up following a sinister trail that swirls closer to a gynecologist involved in the legendary Black Dahlia slaying. Chris Pine and India Eisley star.

‘Russian Doll’ (Feb. 1 — Netflix)

In this series from Netflix, a woman gets caught in a mysterious loop, repeatedly attending the same party and dying at the end of the night, only to awake the next day unharmed. Series creator Natasha Lyonne stars as the lead character, Nadia, who no doubt will use this Groundhog Day-like premise to solve her repeated murder.

‘American Soul’ (Feb. 5 — BET)

A series that looks back at the revolutionary long-running syndicated show Soul Train. Sinqua Walls stars as the show’s creator and host, Don Conelius, described as “formidable , flawed, and fascinating.” Don is a man who has failed at every job he’s ever had, until the concept of Soul Train comes to him. But this creation he loves so much, threatens to tear him away from his family in a variety of different ways.

‘Boomerang’ (Feb. 12 — BET)

This is not a reboot to the original 1992 romantic comedy that stars Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, and Robin Givens. As Halle, who serves as an executive producer on the show, notes in a statement, “This is a continuation of the original story. There’s no point in trying to remake a classic. It can’t be done. So we want to create something fresh that speaks to a new generation. We hope people will come to the show with an open mind and ready to embrace the new world we’ve created.”

‘Miracle Workers’ (Feb. 12 — TBS)

We admit it, this is the show that has us the most curious. Here’s the official description from TBS: “A comedy set in the offices of Heaven Inc. When God plans to destroy the Earth, two low-level angels must convince their boss to save humanity. They bet him they can pull off their most impossible miracle yet: help two humans fall in love.” Yeah, whatever. The point is, it stars Daniel Radcliffe as one of the angels, “Craig,” and Steve Buscemi as the almighty. How can you go wrong with a mix like that? We’re ready to ascend!

‘Doom Patrol’ (Feb. 15 — DC Universe)

This 13-episode live-action series coming to DC Universe features one of DC’s motliest gatherings of heroes. Think of the Island of Misfit Toys on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and you’ll have a sense of what these guys are like. These superhero outcasts consist of Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby, and a character that shouldn’t be confused with Mrs. Incredible), and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero). Leading them is Dr. Niles Caulder (former James Bond Timothy Dalton), who does so under pressure from the character Cyborg (Joivan Wade).

‘Proven Innocent’ (Feb. 15 — Fox)

Proven Innocent follows an underdog criminal defense firm led by Madeline Scott (Rachelle Lefevre), a fierce and uncompromising lawyer with a hunger for justice. There is no one who understands the power of setting an innocent person free more than Madeline: At age 18, she was wrongfully convicted, along with her brother, Levi (Riley Smith), in a sensational murder case that made her an infamous media obsession, a household name and a national cause célèbre.
Although some people look at her as a hero and a victim, Madeline’s bold and bullish tactics earn her a number of enemies – especially Gore Bellows (Kelsey Grammer), the prosecutor who initially put her away and still believes in her guilt. Despite Bellows’ ceaseless quest to see her behind bars again, Madeline will continue to defend others, even as she fights to maintain her innocence and searches for the real killer in her own case.

‘The Umbrella Academy’ (Feb. 15 — Netflix)

A dysfunctional family of superheroes comes together to solve the mystery of their father’s death, the threat of the apocalypse and more. Sounds like they’ll have their hands full.

‘Flack’ (Feb. 21 — Pop)

Anna Paquin stars as the sharp and witty publicity maven, Robyn, who’s an expert at her craft, but a complete self-saboteur when it comes to her personal life. Robyn’s work as a crisis PR strategist is fast-paced and unpredictable, as she counsels high-profile personalities in entertainment, fashion, and sports.

‘The Enemy Within’ (Feb. 25 — NBC)

In this fast-paced, spy-hunting thriller, Erica Shepherd (Jennifer Carpenter) is a brilliant former CIA operative, now known as the most notorious traitor in American history serving life in a Supermax prison. Against every fiber of his being but with nowhere else to turn, FBI Agent Will Keaton (Morris Chestnut) enlists Shepherd to help track down a fiercely dangerous and elusive criminal she knows all too well. For Keaton, it’s not easy to trust the woman who cost him so much. While Shepherd and Keaton have different motivations for bringing the enemy to justice, they both know that to catch a spy… they must think like one.

‘Whiskey Cavalier’ (Feb. 27 — ABC)

A high-octane, hour-long action dramedy that follows the adventures of tough but tender FBI super-agent Will Chase (codename: “Whiskey Cavalier”), played by Scott Foley. Following an emotional breakup, Chase is assigned to work with badass CIA operative Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge (codename: “Fiery Tribune”), played by Lauren Cohan. Together, they lead an inter-agency team of flawed, funny, and heroic spies who periodically save the world (and each other) while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance, and office politics.

‘Now Apocalypse’ (March 10 — Starz)

From producer Steven Soderbergh comes this absolutely unique-sounding series that, according to the network, follows “Ulysses and his friends Carly, Ford, and Severine, who are on various quests pursuing love, sex, and fame. Now Apocalypse explores identity, sexuality, and artistry while navigating the strange and oftentimes bewildering city of Los Angeles. Between sexual and romantic dating app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding premonitory dreams make him wonder — is some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy going on, or is he just smoking too much weed?”

‘The Village’ (March 12 — NBC)

“Welcome to the Village,” proclaims NBC in a press release, “an apartment building in Brooklyn that appears like any other from the outside but is quite unique inside. The people who reside here have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors. Sarah’s a nurse and single mom raising a creative teen; Gabe’s a young law student who got a much older and unexpected roommate; Ava must secure the future of her young, U.S.-born son when ICE comes knocking; Nick’s a veteran who’s returned from war; and the heart and soul of the building, Ron and Patricia, have captivating tales all their own. These are the hopeful, heartwarming and challenging stories of life that prove family is everything — even if it’s the one you make with the people around you.”

The cast includes Moran Atias, Dominic Chianese, Warren Christie, Frankie Faison, Jerod Haynes, Daren Kagasoff, Michaela McManus, Lorraine Toussaint, and Grace Van Dien.

‘Shrill’ (March 15 — Hulu)

The description of this one is pretty succinct: “From Executive Producers Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks comes Shrill, a comedy series starring Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) as Annie, a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body. Annie is trying to start her career while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent, and a perfectionist boss.”

‘The Fix’ (March 18 — ABC)

Attorney and author Marcia Clark co-writes and executive produces a new legal drama about Maya Travis, an L.A. district attorney who suffers a devastating defeat when prosecuting an A-list actor for double murder. With her high-profile career derailed, she flees for a quieter life in Washington. Eight years later when this same celebrity is under suspicion for another murder, Maya Travis is lured back to the DA’s office for another chance at justice. Robin Tunney and Adam Rayner star.

‘The Act’ (March 20 — Hulu)

We’re certainly intrigued by this one: Joey King is Gypsy Blanchard, a girl, according to Hulu, who is trying to escape the toxic relationship with her overprotective mother (Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee). Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets — one of which ultimately leads to murder.