The Best New TV Shows of 2019 | TVLine

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Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW

THE 100 (The CW)

WHY IT EXCITES US: You can always count on The 100 to mix things up with each new season, but after blindsiding us with a 125-year time jump this summer, the sci-fi drama’s sixth outing already feels like a soft reboot — complete with an entirely new planet. Adding to the mystery of it all, showrunner Jason Rothenberg recently tweeted, “Almost anything I show [from Season 6] will give away aspects of the new world. Opting for super lockdown secrecy may be the best way to go.”

PREMIERE DATE: Midseason
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Showtime

BLACK MONDAY (Showtime)

WHY IT EXCITES US: This ’80s-set satire — which hails from executive producers David Caspe (Happy Endings), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Preacher) — gives off some serious Wolf of Wall Street vibes. Don Cheadle’s House of Lies follow-up also boasts an impressive ensemble, which includes Andrew Rannells (Girls), Regina Hall (Girls Trip), Paul Scheer (The League), Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and Ken Marino (Wet Hot American Summer), as well as guest stars Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), Bruce Dern (Nebraska) and Horatio Sanz (SNL).

PREMIERE DATE: Sunday, Jan. 20 at 10/9c
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Comedy Central

BROAD CITY (Comedy Central)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Series creators/stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are going out on their own terms and while the series remains creatively viable. As a result, we have the utmost confidence that the Big Apple-set satire’s fifth and final season will be as riotously funny and ingeniously demented as the first four.

PREMIERE DATE: Thursday, Jan. 24 at 10/9c
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 6

Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (NBC)

WHY IT EXCITES US: First and foremost, we’re dying to know the outcome of Season 5’s big cliffhanger regarding Capt. Holt and his candidacy for the police commissioner post. We’re also psyched to follow Jake and Amy on their honeymoon. A sixth season also affords the Mike Schur comedy a chance to explore Rosa’s dating life, having only scratched the surface following her coming out in the series’ 100th episode. Plus, we’ve been promised a Hitchcock and Scully origin story, an Amy-centric #MeToo episode and a “f—king epic” exit for “human form of the 100 emoji” Gina Linetti.

PREMIERE DATE: Thursday, Jan. 10 at 9/8c
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE (Netflix)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Even if you’re completely unfamiliar with Jim Henson’s 1982 fantasy epic, this 10-episode prequel series — which we’re choosing to imagine as The Lord of the Rings, only with Muppets — promises an unforgettable adventure through the film’s magical world of Thra. The show’s voice cast is also ridiculous, boasting names like Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) and Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele).

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

DEADWOOD (HBO)

WHY IT EXCITES US: For starters, we waited more than a decade for HBO to fulfill its initial promise to bring the acclaimed western’s 36-episode, three-season run to a satisfying conclusion. And given that series creator David Milch penned the two-hour wrap-up movie and coaxed nearly the entire original cast back, there is every reason to believe we will get the closure we’ve been so patiently seeking.

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
ADAM RAYNER, ROBIN TUNNEY, MERRIN DUNGEY

Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC

THE FIX (ABC)

WHY IT EXCITES US: We’ve missed Robin Tunney (The Mentalist) something awful, and this legal drama seems right up her alley. Executive-produced by the Marcia Clark, it won’t surprise you to learn that The Fix follows a disgraced Los Angeles D.A. who is given a second chance to put away an A-list celebrity (Lost‘s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) for murder, when years later he seemingly strikes again. Scott Cohen (Necessary Roughness) plays Tunney’s foil, the high-profile actor’s defense attorney known as “The Wolf.”

PREMIERE DATE: Monday, March 18 at 10/9c
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Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Think about how high the stakes have been at the start of previous Thrones seasons, then multiply that by the fact that the fantasy epic is heading into its final run of episodes, and add in a zombie ice dragon for good measure — only then will you have an idea of how pumped we are for the HBO drama’s last season. How will Jon and Daenerys react to the truth of his parentage? Which (if any!) of the Lannister siblings will live to see the end? Will Arya complete her kill list? We can’t wait to find out.

PREMIERE DATE: April 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

GOOD OMENS (Amazon)

WHY IT EXCITES US: American Gods has proven that the heady subject matter and larger-than-life characters that fill Neil Gaiman’s books can translate rather nicely to the small screen, given the right attention (and budget). So we’ve got high hopes for Gaiman’s legendary collaboration with Terry Pratchett, especially since Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) will play the angel and devil (respectively) tasked with averting an apocalypse. Plus, a supporting cast that includes Mireille Enos (The Catch), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as the freakin’ angel Gabriel? Lord, have mercy!

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW

JANE THE VIRGIN (The CW)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Coming off last April’s crazy cliffhanger — Michael is alive?! — to say that we’re anxious to see how the twist plays out would be an understatement. But even if there wasn’t that mystery to resolve, we would still be eagerly anticipating the fifth season, because it’s the final one we’ll have with Jane & Co. With so many big questions still lingering — Who will Jane end up with? Will Xo beat cancer? Can Petra hold onto love? What new terms will Rogelio coin? — the show’s swan song promises to be one full of heart and humor.

PREMIERE DATE: Spring 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox

LUCIFER (Netflix)

WHY IT EXCITES US: The big “rescue” story of 2018, the cancelled-by-Fox drama will rise from the ashes to reveal how exactly Det. Chloe Decker responded to seeing Lucifer’s devil face, and how that in turn guides their always-simmering romance. Also on tap for Season 4 are new arcs featuring the First Lady aka Eve (perfectly cast with Inbar Lavi) and a pesky preacher (perfectly cast with Graham McTavish), some baby talk, a crisis of faith for hug-happy Ella, and a vengeful Dan.

PREMIERE DATE: 2019 (all 10 episodes)
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox

THE PASSAGE (Fox)

WHY IT EXCITES US: It’s not a second season of Pitch (sigh), but with Mark-Paul Gosselaar returning to Fox, it’s the next best thing! We’re intrigued by the mysteries at the heart of this sci-fi drama, but the bigger draw is the unlikely bond between Gosselaar’s federal agent and the young girl he is tasked with protecting (played by newcomer Saniyya Sidney). Add in the show’s impressive behind-the-camera team, including Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott (The Martian, Alien), and we’re completely sold.

PREMIERE DATE: Monday, Jan. 14 at 9/8c
Pilot

Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW

ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (The CW)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Even if the cast wasn’t littered with familiar faces — Jeanine Mason (Grey’s Anatomy), Nathan Parsons (The Originals), Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars) and Michael Trevino (The Vampire Diaries) to name just a few — this is a rare reboot in which we have considerable faith. It doesn’t hurt that Roswell, New Mexico has the original series’ star’s seal of approval; Shiri Appleby, who played leading lady Liz when Roswell first aired on The WB, came on board to direct an episode of the reboot.

PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 9/8c
Temptation Island - Season 1

Image Credit: Courtesy of USA Network

TEMPTATION ISLAND (USA Network)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Sure, we’ve got plenty of prestige TV to watch, but we could always use a new guilty pleasure to cleanse our palates, too — and the revival of this trashy tropical reality show looks like it might be just the ticket. After three infamous seasons on Fox in the early 2000s, Island moves to USA Network for Season 4, taking four couples at a crossroads in their relationships and tempting them with an island full of sexy singles. The new crop of couples includes Kady (pictured), who “constantly questions” her boyfriend John’s masculinity “and has always wanted an ‘alpha guy.'” Pass the sunscreen!

PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 10/9c
Twilight Zone

Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Television Distribution

THE TWILIGHT ZONE (CBS All Access)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Sixty years later, Rod Serling’s original sci-fi anthology is still one of TV’s most innovative (and terrifying) series ever… and who better to oversee a reboot than Jordan Peele? The Oscar-winning Get Out auteur will serve as host and narrator of the new version, and he’s already attracted a top-notch cast of repertory players like Adam Scott, John Cho, Sanaa Lathan, Steven Yeun and Kumail Nanjiani. Throw in strong hints that the reboot might include remakes of classic episodes like “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” and we can’t wait to enter this Zone.

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (Netflix)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Adapted from Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s comic books of the same name, this high-octane series blends family drama with insane action, resulting in a unique experience that begs to be explored. (In a nutshell, it follows six estranged, super-powered siblings who reunite to solve the mystery of their adoptive father’s death.) And with a cast that includes the likes of Ellen Page and Mary J. Blige, you can count on performances worthy of The Umbrella Academy‘s weighty material.

PREMIERE DATE: Season 1 drops on Friday, Feb. 15.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

VEEP (HBO)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Pardon our coarse language, but we’re motherf—king pumped to see how HBO’s Emmy-winning political satire finishes out its term in office with a seventh and final season. We get one more chance to see the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfus — returning after treatment for breast cancer, mind you — mutter insults under her breath as former prez Selina Meyer; one more chance to hear the most creatively obscene vulgarities on TV come out of the cast’s mouths; one more chance to make fun of Jonah Ryan… we would vote for this administration an eighth time if we could.

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

VERONICA MARS (Hulu)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Because, as leading lady Kristen Bell teased, the eight-episode revival will be “darker and bigger and more cinematic” than “what we did on UPN or The CW.” At the same time, EP Rob Thomas has promised that the quasi-Season 4 — unlike the 2014 fan-funded feature film — will take the franchise back to its “hardcore So-Cal noir” roots. “The movie was nostalgic,” Thomas added. “The Hulu limited series isn’t going to be.” The cherry on top of this XL sundae? J.K. Simmons recently joined the cast as Big Dick Casablancas’ dangerous fixer.

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

WATCHMEN (HBO)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Any whiff of comic-book fatigue we might’ve had went Poof! Blam! Zap! once we learned that The Leftovers boss Damon Lindelof was behind a series adaptation of the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. The multi-layered story of two generations of heroes is rife for expansion, and the characters are intriguingly compelling. Speaking of intrigue: There is the small matter of the secrecy surrounding casting… but with a roster that includes Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Frances Fisher, Don Johnson and Tom Mison, who cares? Who watches the Watchmen? We will!

PREMIERE DATE: 2019
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Image Credit: Courtesy of FXX

YOU’RE THE WORST (FXX)

WHY IT EXCITES US: Our favorite dysfunctional couple is back together at last, and this final chapter of Jimmy and Gretchen’s love story promises to be as wonderfully messy as the four that preceded it. (Seriously, are there any two people less equipped to plan a wedding?) And while Jimmy and Gretchen’s nuptials will be the centerpiece of Season 5, we’re also looking forward to our last few hours with Edgar and Lindsay, both of whom deserve their own happy endings. It’s not often that a TV series gets a proper sendoff; let’s raise a glass of trash juice to this excellent dramedy, which we’re happy to see go out on its own terms.

PREMIERE DATE: Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10/9c

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