On January 24, the 6-part mini-series Waco will debut on the Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV) at 10 PM.
The mini-series is based on the controversial and harrowing true story of the 1993 standoff between the FBI, ATF and David Koresh’s [to be played by Friday Night Lights alum Taylor Kitsch] spiritual sect in Waco, TX that resulted in a deadly shootout and fire.
The ensemble cast includes Camyrn Manheim, John Leguizamo, Michael Shannon, Steven Culp, Melissa Benoist, Rory Culkin and Andrea Riseborough [among others.]
The new WGN America drama Bellevue will debut on January 23 at 10 PM.
The show is set against the backdrop of a small town with big secrets. Twenty years ago, the murder of a young woman traumatized the community of Bellevue. Now, the killer is back. When a high school hockey star, who is wrestling with his gender identity, goes missing and all signs point to foul play, Detective Annie Ryder (Anna Paquin from True Blood) must unravel all the pieces to this gripping mystery before her own life falls apart.
The cast includes Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) and Shawn Doyle (The Expanse and Frontier).
On January 22, the new TNT period piece drama The Alienist will debut at 9 PM.
The series will focus on criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans), who are called in to conduct the investigation the gruesome murders of boy prostitutes in New York City. They are joined by Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), a headstrong secretary determined to become the city’s first female police detective.
The cast includes Q’orianka Kilcher, Robert Wisdom and Douglas Smith [among others].
The 6-part limited series Mosaic will debut on January 22 at 8 PM on HBO.
Set against the backdrop of a mountain resort town, the limited series follows popular children’s book author and illustrator Olivia Lake (Sharon Stone), whose literary success makes her a local celebrity in the tight-knit community. But when Olivia disappears on New Year’s Day, leaving behind a blood-soaked studio, MOSAIC becomes an intricate whodunit, and it is up to detective Nate Henry (Devin Ratray) and Eric’s sister, Petra (Jennifer Ferrin), to unravel the mystery.
The cast includes Garrett Hedlund, Frederick Weller, Beau Bridges and Paul Reubens.
On January 21, the new FOX drama The Resident will debut at 10 PM [after the NFC Championship game].
The new medical series will focus on the final years of a young doctor’s training that rips back the curtain to reveal the truth of what really happens, both good and bad, in hospitals across the country.
The series stars Matt Czuchry (The Good Wife), Emily VanCamp (Revenge), Manish Dayal (Halt and Catch Fire), Merrin Dungey (Alias and Big Little Lies), Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY and Providence) and Bruce Greenwood.
NOTE: The show will move to its regular timeslot of 9 PM on January 22.
The series premiere of Counterpart will debut on Starz on January 21 at 8 PM.
The show is about the mysterious world hidden beneath the surface of our everyday existence. Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) is a lowly cog in the bureaucratic machinery of a Berlin-based United Nations spy agency. When Howard discovers that his organization safeguards the secret of a crossing into a parallel dimension, he is thrust into a shadow world of intrigue, danger, and double cross… where the only man he can trust is his near-identical counterpart from this parallel world.
The cast includes Olivia Williams, Jacqueline Bisset, Richard Schiff, Stephen Rea, Ingo Rademacher, Kenneth Choi and Sarah Bolger.
On January 17, the debut of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace will air on FX at 10 PM
The show focuses on the final days and murder of the Italian fashion designer [to be played by Edgar Ramirez] and explores the sadistic mind of his killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss of Glee fame), a 27-year-old serial killer, who also murdered Chicago tycoon Lee Miglin (Mike Farrell) and at least three others before committing suicide.
The cast includes Penelope Cruz,Ricky Martin, Max Greenfield, Judith Light, Finn Wittrock and Nico Evers-Swindell.
Here is a trailer for American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace:
On January 16, the series premiere of the new superhero drama Black Lightning will debut on The CW at 9 PM.
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams from Hart of Dixie) is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community.
Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero of a different sort. Gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity, he used those powers to keep his hometown streets safe as the masked vigilante Black Lightning. However, after too many nights with his life on the line, and seeing the effects of the damage and loss that his alter ego was inflicting on his family, he left his Super Hero days behind and settled into being a principal and a dad. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, Black Lightning returns – to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community.
The cast includes Nafessa Williams (Code Black), China Anne McClain (A.N.T. Farm and House of Payne) and Christine Adams (Feed the Beast and Marvels’ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).
On January 12, the new Amazon streaming series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams will debut online today.
The ten stand-alone episodes will be set in a different and unique world – some which lay in the far reaches of the universe, and others which are much closer to home. While the stories may be worlds apart, central to each is the poignant and warm exploration of the importance and significance of humanity.
The myriad of cast members include Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Greg Kinnear (Heaven is For Real), Maura Tierney (The Affair), Janelle Monáe (Moonlight), Mireille Enos (The Catch), Anna Paquin (True Blood), Terrence Howard (Empire), Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), Holliday Grainger (The Finest Hours) and Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) [among many others.]
Here is a trailer for Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams:
The new Showtime series The Chi will debut on January 7 at 10 PM.
This coming-of-age story centers on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.
The cast includes Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme and The Get Down), Armando Riesco (Bull) and Tiffany Boone (The Following).
Rueben's Ramblings 