From ‘The Bachelor’ to ‘Good Trouble,’ ET spotlights the new and returning shows you cannot miss this winter.
As the year winds to a close, we’re looking forward to what awaits us on the small screen in 2019.
With the anticipated final season of Game of Thrones (April), live musical productions of Rent (January) and Hair (May) to the debut of Eva Longoria’s hotel soap Grand Hotel (June), there is a ton of television to get excited over. So how do you know which shows are even worth your time?
The 19 TV shows that made the cut run the gamut, from unscripted (The Bachelor, Temptation Island) and adaptations (Deadly Class, The Passage) to prestige dramas (I Am the Night, True Detective) and returning favorites (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Schitt’s Creek), so there’s sure to be something for everyone.
Here are ET’s picks for the shows you should put on your shortlist, sorted by premiere date, when the new year rolls around.
The Bachelor (ABC)
Premieres: Monday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Colton Underwood is the first virgin Bachelor in franchise history, which means there will likely be a lot of firsts this season. How will he handle the fantasy suites? Will some of the bachelorettes be turned off by his virginity? This is uncharted territory for Bachelor Nation and we can’t wait to see how it all plays out. - Philiana Ng
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (MTV)
Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Cameras follow Lindsay Lohan’s every move on Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club as she works to create a name for herself as the maestro behind the Lohan Beach House clubbing empire in Mykonos, Greece. In the vein of Vanderpump Rules, where a group of hand-picked, attractive VIP hosts works for Lohan, the lines will surely be crossed between work and play -- and we’re here to watch the fireworks! - Philiana Ng
Good Trouble (Freeform)
Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
When The Fosters went off the air this summer, we weren’t ready to say goodbye. Luckily for us, Freeform agreed, spinning off Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) onto their very own show, the super sexy and mature Good Trouble. Set five years after the Fosters' finale, the sisters are ambitious 20-somethings trying to make their mark while living in a communal building in downtown Los Angeles with an eclectic mix of personalities. (Yes, the famous family dinners are still a thing!) From what we’ve seen so far, this is one show you can’t afford to miss. - Philiana Ng
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Nine-nine! The beloved squad is moving to a new network after this summer’s cancellation-acquisition whirlwind, but it’s a safe bet that they’ll still be up to the same old hijinks. Tune back in to watch as the team sees Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) off on their honeymoon, bids goodbye to Gina (departing cast member Chelsea Peretti), and, of course, does their best to protect their beloved borough. Noice! - Meredith B. Kile
True Detective (HBO)
Premieres: Sunday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The crime anthology series created by Nic Pizzolatto returns to the glory of season one with an all-new chapter about two detectives investigating the kidnap and murder of two kids in the Ozarks region of the United States taking place over three different timelines. After an Oscar-winning supporting part in Moonlight and accolades for Green Book, Mahershala Ali confidently steps into the lead as Detective Wayne Hays, a role that surely will earn him Emmy recognition in 2019. - Stacy Lambe
Valley of the Boom (NatGeo)
Premieres: Sunday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
After Mars, NatGeo presents another fact-based hybrid docu-drama, Valley of the Boom, which charts the rise and fall of the ‘90s tech bubble. It tells the story of three companies, Netscape, theglobe.com and Pixelon, and incorporates interviews with real-life experts and subjects from the era, such as the respective founders, Mark Cuban and Arianna Huffington. Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn and Lamorne Morris star in the six-part miniseries’ scripted portion and they're sure to spice things up. - Philiana Ng
The Passage (Fox)
Premieres: Monday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Based on Justin Cronin’s epic The Passage novels, the Fox drama follows a secret medical facility experimenting with a virus that could lead to the end of all disease, but could also wipe out the human race. Cue the dramatics. But strip away the sci-fi-ness and it transforms into an improbable surrogate father-daughter story brilliantly portrayed by Mark-Paul Gosselaar and relative newcomer Saniyya Sidney. - Philiana Ng
Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)
Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Based on Melinda Metz’s Roswell High novels, the newest TV adaptation, Roswell, New Mexico, has incorporated immigration into the DNA of its story to mirror the world in which we live. It’s a promising start for a property that was already given the small-screen treatment nearly 20 years ago (The WB’s Roswell from 1999 to 2002), mainly due to the performance by its leading lady, the delightful Jeanine Mason. While not perfect -- none of the recent wave of remakes and reboots have been -- we're sure it'll find its footing. - Philiana Ng
Temptation Island (USA Network)
Premieres: Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The original Temptation Island had the buzz and controversy when it aired for three seasons in the early 2000s, and USA Network is hoping to recapture that same feeling in the 10-episode reboot. Returning to lead the charge is host Mark L. Walberg, who will task four new couples to either commit to each other or go their separate ways. Of course, temptation will be around, as they’ll join 24 hot bachelors and bachelorettes in Hawaii as they live the “single life” that’s meant to help them decide. Trainwreck TV is always a hot commodity and this is just what the doctor ordered for the cold, wintery months. - Philiana Ng
Deadly Class (Syfy)
Premieres: Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
If you’re a Lana Condor fan after To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, don’t expect her to be Lara Jean 2.0 in Deadly Class. In Syfy’s adaptation of the Rick Remender graphic novels, Condor plays the skilled katana-wielding assassin, Saya, who would seriously give Lara Jean the heebie-jeebies. She’s just one of several students at an elite private high school grooming the offspring of the world’s most notorious crime families. But if you stripped all that extra stuff away, it’s a coming-of-age tale of a family of misfits trying to find their identity and place in the world. - Philiana Ng
Schitt's Creek (Pop)
Premieres: Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
After four superb seasons, Schitt’s Creek is finally getting the recognition and attention it’s long deserved with a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Comedy Series and a delightful holiday special. The new season sees the Rose family -- played by Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy and Annie Murphy -- continuing to embrace their newfound lives as each member finds love, acceptance and success in a small town they once loathed. - Stacy Lambe
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 17
The anticipation for the follow-up season of Star Trek: Discovery has been steadily building and there’s a lot to look forward to. With the arrival of young Spock (Ethan Peck), Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and other key characters from Star Trek lore (Rebecca Romijn as Number One), season two -- which kicks off right where the finale leaves off, with the arrival of USS Enterprise -- is sure to be a blast. - Philiana Ng
Broad City (Comedy Central)
Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
It’s time for one last stoney romp around New York! Broad City returns for its final season in the new year, starring comedic soulmates Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, who started their hilariously unique show as a web series after meeting at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Only time will tell what Broad City’s final episodes have in store, but after the girls spent last season thwarting a would-be sex doll murderer, tripping on mushrooms at a fancy dinner party and setting fire to a palatial Hamptons house, we’ll definitely be tuning in to say goodbye to one of TV’s best female-driven comedies. - Meredith B. Kile
I Am the Night (TNT)
Premieres: Monday, Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
On paper, it’s easy to sell I Am the Night; just say Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins, and half the job is done for you. But TNT’s prestige drama, inspired by true events, is gripping on its own merits. Pine, the most underrated of the Hollywood Chrises, plays Jay Singletary, a former Marine-turned-hack reporter who’s on the hunt following the Black Dahlia murder and meets a young Fauna Hodel (India Eisley), who he’s determined is key to solving the case. He has a lot to work with here, from a man on a mission to a guy spiraling out of control, and we bet he absolutely crushes it. Could an Emmy be in his future? Sign us up. - Philiana Ng
The World's Best (CBS)
Premieres: Sunday, Feb. 3 after the Super Bowl
Drew Barrymore. RuPaul. Faith Hill. CBS’ new star-studded talent competition, The World’s Best, hosted by James Corden and judged by the trio, gets the coveted post-Super Bowl slot, which means it’ll get the biggest launchpad of 2019. From the sound of it, this could be the biggest and widest-reaching talent competition show on TV, with a panel of 50 experts from around the world also judging the acts, in addition to Barrymore, RuPaul and Hill. Talk about pressure! - Philiana Ng
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
Premieres: Friday. Feb. 15 at 12:01 a.m. PT
My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way began writing the comic books more than a decade ago. After years toiling in development purgatory, it’s finally hitting Netflix as a series. The Umbrella Academy tells the unique story of a dysfunctional family of superheroes, who reunite to attempt to solve the mystery of their adoptive father’s mysterious death. If that doesn’t sell you, Ellen Page and Mary J. Blige should. - Philiana Ng
Flack (Pop)
Premieres: Thursday, Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Pop TV dives into the world of drama with its first hour-long scripted series about the cutthroat world of celebrity PR with one woman (played by Anna Paquin) trying to keep the lives of her clients and that of her own together. Flack, which feels like it was meant for Showtime or Cinemax, embraces its darker side, with plenty of nudity, sex, drugs and f-bombs. In addition to Paquin, the show boasts a superb cast, including Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, Emmy winner Bradley Whitford and Good Girls Revolt breakout Genevieve Angelson. - Stacy Lambe
Whiskey Cavalier (ABC)
Premieres: Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Scott Foley and Lauren Cohan bring sexy back in the upcoming CIA-FBI drama, Whiskey Cavalier. Both are coming off memorable roles on Scandal and The Walking Dead, and this is exactly the kind of follow-up project we would’ve imagined them teaming up for. In the series, FBI agent Will Chase (Foley), recovering from an emotional breakup, is assigned to work with CIA operative Frankie Trowbridge (Cohan); their unlikely team-up leads to a flurry of life-and-death missions, friendship, office politics and duh, romantic entanglements. What’s different about this spy drama is it doesn’t take itself too seriously, adding a dose of refreshing levity rarely seen in the genre. (And yes, there’s a twist or two!) - Philiana Ng
Shrill (Hulu)
Premieres: Friday, March 15 at 12 a.m. ET
Saturday Night Live star Aidy Bryant toplines her own comedy, Shrill, adapted from Lindy West’s 2016 memoir. At the center of the story is Bryant’s Annie, an aspiring writer who tries to change her life -- but not her body -- while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent and a perfectionist boss. Produced by Elizabeth Banks, Shrill has all the makings of our newest obsession. - Philiana Ng
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