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6 New TV Shows To Look Forward To In January
Need to fill that void after losing Breaking Bad and Dexter? This new year is offering some new gems on TV that might quell your cravings for an enveloping drama or raucous comedy.
The Spoils of Babylon, IFC, Jan. 9
Get ready for some laugh-out-loud comedy. In The Spoils of Babylon, a six-episode miniseries, actors Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Tim Robbins, and Will Ferrell play some stellar roles in this spoof poking fun at the dramatic miniseries format popular in the 1970s and 1980s (think The Thorn Birds). Created by Funny or Die's Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steel, the comedy takes a re-envisioned look at five decades of the wealthy Morehouse family's web of deceit, lies, and unrequited love.
True Detective, HBO, Jan. 12:
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True Detective is one of of the most anticipated TV shows to kick start 2014. The HBO crime drama has a strong cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Monaghan, at the helm. Created and written by Nic Pizolatto, the story follows two detectives' hunt for a complex Louisiana serial killer in 1995, and again in 2012 when they're approached by two detectives with a new, similar case. Also worth noting is that T Bone Burnett is the music supervisor for the show; if you enjoyed the tunes for Inside Llewyn Davis which he produced, get ready for this.
HitRecord on TV!, Pivot, Jan. 18
If you think the charming Joseph Gordon-Levitt is dreamy, now you can watch him every week on a half-hour variety show in a GQ-esque suit. On the heels of the success of Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt will be hosting HitRecord on TV, combining short films, graphic art, musical performances, and other creative outlets geared towards millennials. You had us at Joseph Gordon-Levitt...
Looking, HBO, Jan. 19
Looking is being dubbed as the gay version of HBO's Girls. The drama follows Patrick (portrayed by Glee's Jonathan Groff) starting a new life in San Francisco, focused on him and his gay male friends looking for love. We're thinking this might be a lot like Queer As Folk—it's been nearly a decade since the show last aired!
Broad City, Comedy Central, Jan. 22
Whatever Amy Poehler touches might turn to gold. In Comedy Central's Broad City, Poehler produces this comedy about two broke girls in their twenties living in NYC (although it looks a lot funnier than CBS' Two Broke Girls). The show is created by UCB alums Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, based off of their web series. You can watch the full first episode on Comedy Central's website, about the girls trying to do whatever possible to get money to go to a Lil Wayne concert.
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Rake, Fox, Jan. 23
We've got Greg Kinnear as the leading actor and Sam Raimi directing the pilot episode, so we're down to give this one a spin. The dramedy (based off of an Australian hit show) follows Kinnear's character, Keegan Deane, a sharp, yet morally ambiguous criminal defense lawyer who's a mess in his own life. Although the plot might sound a bit cliché, we're hoping Kinnear will bring some charm to the character. Rescue Me's Peter Tolan will executive-produce this show.
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