Spring TV Preview: Notable New & Returning Shows

Metacritic

Updated March 4, 2015 at 1:29 PM

Below, we take a look at the notable new and returning shows premiering between now and early May. Be sure to visit our frequently updated TV Premiere Calendar for a quick list of all announced TV premiere dates for 2015.

Notable newcomers

. A.D. Watch trailer
NBC | April 5

Every hit deserves a sequel. Much as the Bible got a follow-up, so, too, does The Bible. This sequel to Mark Burnett's record-setting hit 10-hour History Channel miniseries (which was also condensed into the feature film Son of God) jumps from cable to NBC and expands to 12 hours, with the first installment debuting on Easter Sunday. The action—which is partly based on scripture and partly fabricated from scratch by the series' writers—picks up after Jesus’ crucifixion and features a new cast, with Juan Pablo di Pace taking on the role of the [spoiler alert] resurrected Jesus. Also starring are Richard Coyle (Crossbones) and Vincent Regan (The Musketeers).

. American Crime Watch trailer
ABC | March 5

Already shaping up to be one of this season's best-reviewed newcomers, American Crime is the creation of John Ridley, the TV veteran (Third Watch) who won an Academy Award for his 12 Years a Slave screenplay. Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, Penelope Ann Miller, Lili Taylor, Regina King (Southland), Benito Martinez (The Shield), and W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) are among the stars of this very serious ensemble drama—designed as a limited "event" series that will wrap up its story after 11 episodes—that centers on a racially charged murder (and the subsequent investigation and trial) in the California farm town of Modesto. Economic divisions, faith, and family are other themes explored by what has (somewhat unintentionally) turned out to be a very topical series, with parallels to recent events in Ferguson and elsewhere.

. Big Time in Hollywood, FL Watch trailer
Comedy Central | March 25

Comedy Central's latest original series follows a pair of Hollywood filmmakers (Alex Anfanger, Lenny Jacobson) as they strive to create their masterpiece. By "Hollywood filmmakers," of course, we mean two delusional brothers who have recently been kicked out of their parents' house in Hollywood, Florida, and who must learn to live on their own for the first time in their lives. Produced by Ben Stiller's Red Hour and created by the team behind the web series "Next Time on Lonny," the network's first-ever serialized comedy series also stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., Michael Madsen, Kathy Baker, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Keith David.

. Bloodline Watch trailer
Netflix | March 20

The creative team behind Damages—Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler—return with a very different show that is part family drama and part psychological thriller. Bloodline centers on the Rayburn family, owners of a successful Florida Keys hotel who find their lives unraveling when the family's "black sheep" returns home after a lengthy absence. The impressive cast features Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks), Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom), Sissy Spacek (in her first regular TV role), Sam Shepard, and Chloe Sevigny. All 13 episodes will stream on the 20th.

. The Casual Vacancy Watch trailer
HBO | April 29 & 30

J. K. Rowling's first post-Harry Potter novel comes to the small screen in this three-hour adaptation that is a co-production between HBO and the BBC. (The miniseries just finished airing in the UK, where it received generally positive—though not uniformly so—reviews.) Rory Kinnear (Skyfall) heads a strong all-British cast that also includes Harry Potter vet Michael Gambon. Both the book and the miniseries center on a seemingly perfect English village where the idyllic setting hides the residents' many problems, though you can expect the TV version to end differently than the book does.

The Chris Gethard Show Watch trailer
Fusion | tbd April

The self-described "most bizarre and often saddest talk show in New York City" makes the jump from public access television to the fledgling Fusion network (where, theoretically, it could be seen by more people, though we have yet to encounter a home that actually receives Fusion) for a 10-episode run beginning this April. Gethard originated his unusual mix of comedy, music, talk, embarrassment, human fishes, random and celebrity guests, and audience interaction live on stage at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (where he attracted attention for stunts such as a successful Twitter campaign to get Diddy to stop by as a guest) before making the jump to live weekly television in 2011, where his show ran for over 150 episodes. Most of those episodes can still be watched on Gethard's YouTube channel.

. The Comedians Watch trailer
FX | April 9

Continuing in the tradition of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and 30 Rock is TV's latest comedy series set behind the scenes of a TV comedy series. (It's actually based very loosely on a Swedish series, so the whole "meta" thing is apparently universal.) Billy Crystal (in his first sitcom gig since Soap) and Josh Gad play versions of themselves as the two main stars of an FX sketch comedy series. Dana Delaney, Mel Brooks, Jimmy Kimmel, Rob Reiner, and Steven Weber will also appear on the series, and Crystal also serves as one of the (real) show's writers and producers along with the likes of Matt Nix (Burn Notice) and Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Borat), with the latter also directing.

. CSI: Cyber Watch trailer
CBS | March 4

Though its two previous spin-offs (NY, Miami) have come and gone, the original CSI is still hanging on in its 15th season. Tonight, it will be joined in the CBS lineup by another spin-off, this one revolving around federal investigators in the FBI's cyber crime division in Quantico, Virginia. First introduced during an episode of the parent series last spring, Cyber stars recent Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette alongside James Van Der Beek, Peter MacNicol, Hayley Kiyoko, Charley Koontz (Community's Fat Neil), and the artist formerly known as Lil' Bow Wow. Luke Perry may also recur. The show temporarily displaces Stalker on Wednesdays at 10p (hold your applause), though the latter will return later this season.

. Daredevil Watch trailer
Netflix | April 10

Marvel's quest to dominate screens both large and small continues in April with the first chapter in a hugely ambitious attempt to take over Netflix. The first of five (!) planned series exclusive to the streaming service (to be followed next by A.K.A. Jessica Jones, starring Krysten Ritter, later this year), Daredevil stars Boardwalk Empire's Charlie Cox as the titular comic book character, a blind lawyer by day who fights crime at night in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. (You may remember him looking a bit more like Ben Affleck in the past.) Expect something a bit darker and more adult than your typical Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, with showrunner Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus, Smallville) recently comparing Daredevil to gritty 1970s films like The French Connection and Dog Day Afternoon. Also starring in the 13-episode series are Rosario Dawson, Scott Glenn, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), and Vincent D'Onofrio; the latter plays the series' main villain, the Kingpin, who will also appear in the other Netflix Marvel shows.

. Dig Watch trailer
USA | March 5

It seems to be one step forward, two steps back for this USA event series. Delayed from its fall launch window (war in its original shooting location of Israel forced a last-minute location switch to Croatia), this Jerusalem-set murder mystery and Da Vinci Code-style conspiracy thriller comes from Homeland creator Gideon Raff and Heroes creator Tim Kring. Jason Isaacs stars as an FBI agent stationed in Israel whose investigation into the murder of an archaeologist uncovers a conspiracy that stretches back for thousands of years. Anne Heche plays his boss (and lover), while the cast also includes Lauren Ambrose, Regina Taylor, Richard E. Grant, and David Costabile (Breaking Bad). The delay allowed USA to extend Dig (which will definitively conclude its story at the end of the season) from six episodes to 10, but critics don't seem very impressed with the result, deeming it unfocused and even nonsensical.

. Happyish Watch trailer
Showtime | April 26

Originally conceived as a vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman, this Showtime dramedy project was obviously put on hold after the actor's untimely death. But producers (including series creator Shalom Auslander, an author and frequent This American Life contributor) were able to rescue the project with a new lead: British comedian Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, The Trip). He plays a middle-aged advertising executive whose life is thrown into disarray when he gets a new 25-year-old boss. Also starring are Bradley Whitford and Kathryn Hahn (both recently seen in Amazon's Transparent), while Carrie Preston, Andre Royo, and Ellen Barkin will have recurring roles.

. iZombie Watch trailer
CW | March 17

Imagine an undead take on Veronica Mars and the result would be something akin to this zombie crime drama, this season's fourth (!) new DC Comics adaptation and the first TV series from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas since Party Down was canceled in 2010. (Fellow Mars veteran Diane Ruggiero serves as co-producer/co-creator.) Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time) stars as a new "zombie" (though not the Walking Dead kind) who can pass herself off as a living woman as long as she periodically eats a brain to maintain her memories, intelligence, and what little energy she has left. When she does so, she inherits some of the deceased's thoughts, which she uses to help solve murder cases—the brains come from freshly killed corpses at the coroner's office, where she works as a med student. Expect some of the source material's (and Thomas') humor to come through, and also expect some serialized elements to balance out the case-of-the-week aspect.

. The Late Late Show With James Corden
CBS | March 23

The Great Late Night Shake-Up of 2015 begins as the post-Letterman Late Late Show gets its fourth permanent host, following Tom Snyder (1995-99), Craig Kilborn (1999-2004), and Craig Ferguson (2005-14). Taking over the desk is British actor-comedian James Corden, who is relatively unknown in the States though he did win a Tony award in 2012 for the Broadway production of One Man, Two Guvnors and has recently appeared in films such as Into the Woods. (In the UK, he is best known for creating and starring in the hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey). He has suggested that he will tinker with the show's conventional format, bypassing the standard monologue and inviting all of each episode's guests (including, in the first week, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, and Tom Hanks) out at once for a group chat. Joining him on The Late Late Show as bandleader is comedian/musician Reggie Watts, moving over from a similar position on IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! (where he will be replaced this summer by Kid Cudi). Corden, of course, will soon have a new lead-in, with David Letterman ending his run on The Late Show on May 20th and Stephen Colbert taking over on September 8th.

. The Messengers Watch trailer
CW | April 17

The CW has had surprising critical success with its new shows this season (including Jane the Virgin and The Flash), but its final scripted series to debut this year doesn't exactly scream high Metascore. Yet another genre series, The Messengers begins with a group of five seemingly unconnected strangers dying from an energy pulse when a mysterious object crashes into the Earth. But they aren't dead for long. When they awaken a few hours later, they discover that they have gained new superpowers, which they will have to put to good use: it seems that an apocalypse is coming, and these five people are the only ones who can prevent it. Be prepared for plenty of talk about The Man, The Rapture, and the Angels of the Apocalypse. The cast features Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill), Sofia Black D'Elia (Gossip Girl), and Joel Courtney (Super 8), while Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber will recur.

. Odyssey
NBC | April 5

NBC is billing Odyssey as a "Traffic"-like action drama, meaning that it tells several different interconnected stories, taking place in a variety of locations. Those stories revolve around a potential international conspiracy—revealed during an American military operation—in which Al Qaeda terrorists are receiving covert funding from a major American corporation. The ensemble cast includes Anna Friel, Peter Facinelli, Jake Robinson, Treat Williams, and Jim True-Frost. The season will run for 13 episodes.

. One Big Happy Watch trailer
NBC | March 17

This Ellen DeGeneres-produced half-hour is almost The New Normal redux, centering on an even more unconventional modern family. Elisha Cuthbert stars as Lizzy, a lesbian who enlists her long-time best friend Luke (Nick Zano) to father her child, with the pair hoping to raise the kid in a platonic relationship. Those plans are thrown askew when Lizzy discovers that she is pregnant on the same night that Luke announces that he has married a woman (Kelly Brook) that he recently met (and whom Lizzy does not like).

Other Space
Yahoo! | tbd April

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig's first TV(-ish) series as writer-producer since Freaks and Geeks is this Yahoo! original comedy about a ragtag group of inexperienced space explorers in the 22nd century. Appropriately enough, the cast of Other Space features Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Joel Hodgson and Trace Beaulieu, and while they won't be forced to watch terrible movies, Beaulieu does indeed voice one of the ship's robots. The season consists of eight half-hour episodes, which are expected to be available to stream all at once.

. Powers Watch trailer
PlayStation Network | March 10

Yes, that does say PlayStation Network, which means you'll need to take a break from Evolve or The Order: 1886 or whatever it is you're playing now to watch this 10-episode original drama series. (Microsoft and Nintendo owners are simply out of luck.) Originally developed (over several years) for FX but ultimately passed on by that network, Powers is a live-action adaptation of the comic book series of the same name about a special police homicide division that deals only with superheroes and supervillains. The cast features Sharlto Copley (District 9), Michelle Forbes, Eddie Izzard, and Susan Heyward (The Following), while David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) directs. The first three episodes stream on March 10th, with an additional new episode arriving each Tuesday through April, though you'll need to pay to watch if you aren't a PlayStation Plus subscriber.

. The Returned Watch trailer
A&E | March 9

Guess who's back, back again. Yes, it's the dead—and this time, they're speaking English. An Americanized remake of the acclaimed French drama series Les Revenants (The Returned)—not to be confused with the similarly plotted and titled novel The Returned, which was made into the ABC TV series Resurrection—this version of The Returned comes from Lost producer Carlton Cuse. As in the original, the story centers on a small town where residents are greeted by the appearance of long-dead friends and relatives, looking like they haven't aged a day since they died (and with no idea of how or why they suddenly came back to life), though Cuse has indicated that the story takes some very different turns starting with the middle of the season. The ensemble cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mark Pellegrino, and Jeremy Sisto, and features a soundtrack by Nicolas Jaar (rather than the original's Mogwai). If you are a fan of the original, Peabody-winning French series (and if you aren't yet, give it a shot), expect to see a second season arrive on Sundance later this year.

. Sin City Saints
Yahoo! | March 23

Once your March Madness brackets are busted, you can cheer yourself up with a lighter look at the world of basketball. Yahoo!'s new sports comedy Sin City Saints follows a tech guru (Andrew Santino) who is granted an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas. Malin Akerman (Trophy Wife), Tom Arnold, and former Laker Rick Fox also star for producer Mike Tollin (Arli$$, One Tree Hill). All eight episodes will be available for streaming on the 23rd.

. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Watch trailer
Netflix | March 6

One-time comedy king NBC seems to have all but given up on the genre. The latest example: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, a show developed by 30 Rock creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock and actually produced by NBC's own Universal Television but passed on by the network when it couldn't find a suitable home for the series in its lineup. Up stepped Netflix to the rescue, with the streaming service giving the comedy a home and immediately renewing it for a second season. While the show boasts an unusual premise—Ellie Kemper (The Office) stars as a woman who is attempting to rebuild her life in New York after escaping from a doomsday cult—early reviews suggest that it has the same fast pace and comedic sensibility as 30 Rock, and even features one of the same co-stars in Jane Krakowski. Also starring are Tituss Burgess and Carol Kane, though not Fey herself. Expect this 13-episode first season (streaming in its entirely on Friday) to feel more like a broadcast show than a Netflix series (including act breaks for commercials that don't exist), since production was completed before the network switch was made.

. Weird Loners
Fox | March 31

Weird Loners dares to subvert the proven Friends formula by having only four (not six!) young single friends live in close proximity to each other in New York—specifically, in a Queens townhouse. Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), Nate Torrence (Hello Ladies), and newcomer Meera Khumbhani star as the four relationship-phobic roommates for creator Michael J. Weithorn (The King of Queens). Just six episodes were ordered, so even Fox isn't wildly optimistic about its chances.

. Wolf Hall Watch trailer
PBS | April 5

The latest British import to land on PBS's Masterpiece is this six-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Booker Prize-winning historical novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. The series is set during the reign of King Henry VIII and follows the machinations of the king's advisor, Thomas Cromwell, played by Tony-winner Mark Rylance. Also starring are Damian Lewis (Homeland), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock), Claire Foy (Little Dorrit), Joanne Whalley (The Borgias), and Jonathan Pryce (Brazil). Critics mostly praised the series when it debuted on BBC Two earlier this year, though there were some complaints about the slow pace and historical inaccuracies.

. Younger Watch trailer Watch clip
TV Land | March 31

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HBO

Will season 5 of HBO's hit contain moments that are "even more shocking than the Red Wedding," as Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa Stark) recently suggested? We do know that, with the show getting closer to exhausting George R.R. Martin's source material (this season is based on portions of the fourth and fifth novels, and the sixth novel does not appear to be in any danger of surfacing anytime soon), more and more deviations from the books can be expected, and producers have already hinted that multiple characters who are still alive in the novels will die on screen this season. Expect to see a new location on the opening credits map—Dorne, filmed in Spain—as well as a mostly new (to the series) set of directors, including Michael Slovis (Breaking Bad) and David Nutter (The Flash). Multiple newcomers will also join the already enormous cast, including Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, here playing Doran Martell), Whale Rider's Keisha Castle-Hughes (playing Obara Sand), Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, here playing the High Sparrow), and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (best known as Lost's Mr. Eko, who will play a new character not in the novels), though some characters (such as Bran, Rickon, Osha, and fan favorite Hodor) will sit out this season. Note that HBO is expected to launch its standalone (i.e., no cable required) HBO Go subscription service in time for Thrones' launch in April, so even cord-cutters should be able to say up to date with the current season.

. Inside Amy Schumer
Comedy Central | April 21

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Expect to see Amy Schumer pretty much everywhere this spring (and summer). Not only is her eponymous Comedy Central series, an inventive blend of sketches, stand-up, and interviews, returning for a third season in April (following the first release of the show's first two seasons on DVD), but the comedian will also host the MTV Movie Awards on April 12th. Then, in July, Schumer will jump to the big screen to star in the Judd Apatow-directed comedy Trainwreck.

Do any of these spring shows sound good to you? Let us know what you'll be watching in the comments section below.

isions, faith, and family are other themes explored by what has (somewhat unintentionally) turned out to be a very topical series, with parallels to recent events in Ferguson and elsewhere.

. Big Time in Hollywood, FL Watch trailer
Comedy Central | March 25

. Bloodline Watch trailer
Netflix | March 20

. The Casual Vacancy Watch trailer
HBO | April 29 & 30

The Chris Gethard Show Watch trailer
Fusion | tbd April