“Black Lightning”
Synopsis: A former superhero is forced to come out of retirement due to a rapid increase of crime in his community.
What You Need To Know: Greg Berlanti’s superhero empire on The CW is arguably the true DC Comics counterpart to the MCU, which shows no signs of slowing down with its latest series. Cress Williams (“Prison Break,” “Hart of Dixie”) stars as Jefferson Pierce, aka. Black Lightning, who retired from superheroics after experiencing its negative effects on his family. However, faced with the rising influence of local gang The One Hundred, Jefferson once again dons the cape and cowl. China Anne McClain (“A.N.T. Farm”) and Nafessa Williams (“One Life to Live”) star as Jefferson’s daughters, and Christine Adams (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), James Remar (“Dexter”), Damon Gupton (“Prime Suspect”) and Marvin Jones III round out the series’ cast.
Release Date: January 16th
“Counterpart”
Synopsis: A UN employee discovers that the agency is works for is hiding a gateway to a parallel dimension.
What You Need To Know: Starz’s newest series, created by Justin Marks (“The Jungle Book”) has J.K. Simmons (“The Closer,” “Whiplash”) pulling a unique version of acting double duty. He plays both Howard Silk, mild mannered cog in the bureaucratic machine, and his parallel “counterpart,” who has crossed over to “our” world and has an agenda of his own. Also starring Olivia Williams (“The Ghost Writer”), Harry Lloyd (“Game of Thrones”) and Sarah Bolger (“Into the Badlands”), “Counterpart” looks to be an action packed, yet a cautionary examination of what-ifs, roads not taken, and parallel universes; despite what we may think, the grass is not always greener on the other side……
Release Date: January 21st
“The Alienist”
Synopsis: Set in New York City in 1896, a journalist and investigative team assembled by police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt work together to solve a series of killings.
What You Need To Know: TNT sure is making a statement about its prestige television ambitions with its adaptation of Caleb Carr’s best-selling novel. Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans and Dakota Fanning star as a trio who investigate a series of grisly murders of young male prostitutes using newly developed behavioral profiling and forensic techniques, while attempting to keep the disturbing details of their work out of their personal lives. Created by Cary Fukunaga, he brings new life and stylish flair to the dried out husk of the police procedural genre by going back to its beginnings.
Release Date: January 22nd
“Mosaic”
Synopsis: A children’s book author is murdered in Park City, Utah.
What You Need To Know: The decidedly unretired Steven Soderbergh (“The Knick”) is back with an HBO miniseries, and once again pushing the boundaries of storytelling. The murder mystery, starring Sharon Stone, Garret Hedlund, Frederick Weller, Jennifer Ferrin, Devin Ratray, Maya Kazan and Beau Bridges, delves into interactive storytelling, with the series’ app (now available) allowing audiences to choose from which perspective the plot is viewed, learn different facets of the narrative and examine evidence and documents related to the case.
Release Date: January 22nd
“Waco”
Synopsis: The FBI and ATF seize religious leader David Koresh’s compound in Waco, Texas in the spring of 1993.
What You Need To Know: Paramount Network’s first television offering, having rebranded from Spike TV, looks very promising, as well as tense as hell. Taylor Kitsch (“Friday Night Lights,” “True Detective”), once again rises from career ashes, giving a tense and nail-biting performance as cult leader David Koresh, with Michael Shannon, Melissa Benoist, Julia Garner, John Leguizamo and Andrea Riseborough rounding out the cast.
Release Date: January 24th
