With the New Year comes new TV shows to watch and the mid-season winter returns of some old favorites. Now that February is almost upon us, here’s a quick update on the best shows to watch in the coming months as the cold weather keeps you bundled up inside in front of your television or computer.
For your weekly dose of the glamorous lives of the Crawley family and England in the twentieth century, watch the Masterpiece Classic Downton Abbey. The show is on its third season, which previously premiered in England. Watch Downton Abbey Sundays at 9 on PBS.
Are you looking for a show that mixes thrilling plot twists, juicy gossip, constant backstabbing, and revengeful romance? If so, then try watching Revenge, which chronicles Emily Thorne’s (formerly known as Amanda Clark) attempts to avenge her father’s unjust imprisonment and murder. Revenge is on its second season, but the drama is just heating up. You may even want to watch the first season before starting the second to watch the story unfold from the beginning. Watch Season 2 of Revenge at 9 on ABC.
Not into period shows or murder thrillers? No worries. You may enjoy the witty and sharply entertaining Suits. Suits follows the drama at the law firm Pearson and Hardman, where lawyer Harvey Spector has earned the reputation the self-imposed reputation as “the best closer”. Harvey employs Mike Ross, a brilliant college drop-out with a photographic memory as his associate, even though he lacks the one thing that the firm requires of all of its employees: a degree from Harvard. Together, Harvey and Mike work to close seemingly impossible cases and to conceal Mike’s secret. Television critic David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle said “Adams (Mike) and Macht (Harvey) are terrific, with the former loosening up quite considerably this year as Mike. ” Wiegard also notes that other members of Suit’s cast “contribute greatly to the energy of the show’s core ensemble.” Watch Season 2 of Suits on USA Thursdays at 10.
If you miss watching the vicious gossip and high fashion on Gossip Girl, which just aired its series finale this past fall, you may enjoy the CW’s newest show, The Carrie Diaries. The Carrie Diaries is a prequel to the widely popular show, Sex and the City. The shows follows Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw as she makes the move from living in suburban Connecticut as a high school student to life in New York City as an intern at a law firm. The show’s recent premiere has received positive reviews from many critics, including Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who writes: “The CW’s attempt to capture the magic of Sex and the City in a prequel, set in 1984, could have gone very wrong. But The Carrie Diaries is surprisingly right.” Watch The Carrie Diaries on the CW Mondays at 8.
If you find musicals and theater more interesting than twentieth century England, murder thrillers, lawyers, or fashion, then try watching NBC’s Smash. Smash captures the pressure felt by the members of a new musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe that is scheduled to hit the Broadway stage. The show is an even balance between drama, and musical numbers that will have you dancing and singing along. The show’s second season is set to premiere on Feburary 5. Watch Smash Tuesdays on NBC at 9.
