Television

Nerdist Winter TV Roundup: Our 20 Must Watch Picks

by Rosie Knight
Jan 10 2020 • 3:49 PM

We’re back to the drudge of everyday life and it’s time to find something to get you through dark, chilly January! Luckily, there’s a whole bunch of brilliant tv headed our way this winter season and to help you prep your watchlist we’ve rounded up 20 of the shows that we here at Nerdist are excited about and think you might enjoy too.

Sunday, Jan. 12

The Outsider, HBO, 9 p.m.

HBO is starting things off strong with a critically acclaimed noir-steeped take on one of genre fictions biggest names! “Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Outsider begins by following a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. But when an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in.”

Tuesday, January 14

Arrow Season 8 Winter Premiere (Crisis Part 4), The CW, 8 p.m.

The first part of the final section of the CW’s sprawling Crisis on Infinite Earths event will get off to a rollicking start with an Arrow-centric episode. If you’ve been watching the annual crossover you’ll know that Oliver Queen has taken on a new classic comic book persona. This will likely play a big part in the newest episode.
Legends of Tomorrow (Crisis Part 5), The CW, 9 p.m.
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It’s a double bill of Arrow-verse action as the Legends of Tomorrow enter the fray. The brilliant and very gay team have already been integral to this event as Constantine used some of his dark magic to help Oliver Queen’s daughter to drastic effect. Who knows what will happen next but if you’re invested in these superhero shows then you’ll likely want to tune in and find out.

Wednesday, Jan. 15

The Magicians S5, Syfy, 10 p.m


After that shocking death at the end of season four our favorite magical hot messes are headed back to Syfy for their fifth season. It’s hard to guess where the show might go now after the choices made last season but from the trailer things look… apocalyptic. So, if you love magic, madness, and solid queer representation then it might be time to catch up in time for the season premiere later this month.

January 17th

Sex Education S2, Netflix

Netflix’s British teen-comedy Sex Education was a stone cold hit when it landed on the service last year, so the follow up is one of our most eagerly anticipated series of the year. In case you didn’t catch the word of mouth hit, it followed Asa Butterworth’s 17-year-old Otis who brings his sex therapist’s mother’s knowledge to his high school with… varied results. The show has been celebrated for touching on topics like coming out, slut shaming, and even revenge porn. So we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store this time around.

Saturday, January 18

Seven Worlds, One Planet, BBC America, 9 p.m.


David Attenborough’s new series is a seven parter that focuses on a different continent each episode. If you love nature and wildlife shows you won’t want to miss this. “The most spectacular moments from the series, highlighting the incredible rich and wonderful diversity of life found on the planet’s seven unique continents. Millions of years ago huge forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust, creating seven distinct continents. Over time, each one developed its own remarkable wildlife.”

Sunday, Jan 19th


Avenue 5, HBO, 10 p.m.
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We can’t wait for Armando Iannucci’s first series post Veep. The fact that it’s a sci-fi comedy led by Hugh Laurie just makes us even more excited. “Set 40 years in the future, Avenue 5 follows the captain and crew of a luxury space cruise ship as they navigate disgruntled passengers and unexpected events after experiencing technical difficulties onboard.”

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 10, HBO,10.30 p.m.
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If you’re a fan of Larry David’s self-deprecating and often cringe inducing look at L.A. life and celebrity then you’ll be happy to know that the show is returning for a tenth season this month. In case you’ve yet to discover David’s magnum opus you can get a taste in the trailer above.

Monday, January 20

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 5, The CW, 9 p.m.

Once you’ve dealt with the earth shattering consequences of the Crisis crossover you’ll be able to jump right back into the wild world of the Legends as the newest season starts mere days after the team finishes up the massive crossover!

Thursday, January 23

Star Trek: Picard, CBS All Access, 8:30 p.m.

With Patrick Stewart reprising his role as the iconic Jean Luc Picard this was already on our must watch list, but as more details have come to light we’ve somehow gotten even more excited. According to Newsweek the series “portrays a corrupted federation, which has turned isolationist in response to a Romulan refugee crisis, caused by the destruction of their home world by a supernova in the year 2387. That same event spawned the parallel timeline setting for 2009’s Star Trek reboot movie and its two sequels.”

Friday, January 24

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Season Three, Netflix

Looks like Sabrina and co. will be heading straight to hell in the newest installment of Netflix’s iteration of the Archie-verse. In a new musical trailer the show ramped up the camp as they teased Bina’s journey to the underworld to save her sometimes boo, Nick Scratch. It looks like the creative team are finally going “full Riverdale” and we couldn’t be happier.

January 28th

Miracle Workers: Dark Ages, TBS, 10.30 p.m.

The first season introduced us to a hilarious conceit as a group of low-level angels had to save the world from their checked-out boss, God. The second season adds some new fun into the mix throwing the impressive cast into the past. “Miracle Workers goes back in time for its next installment, Miracle Workers: Dark Ages. Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni, Jon Bass and Lolly Adefope return in new roles and face new challenges as a group of medieval villagers who are trying to stay positive in an age of extreme income inequality, poor healthcare and widespread ignorance.”

Jan 31st

Bojack Horseman Season Six part Two, Netflix

The final part of Netflix’s hit animated mediation on celebrity, grief, and mental health is hitting the streamer on the last day of the month and it’ll be a bittersweet end for the fan fave show. The first half of the season was devastating as so we’ll be nervously awaiting the finale with bated breath.

Thursday, February 6

KATY KEENE – The CW – 8 p.m.

If you’re a big Riverdale fan then you won’t want to miss Roberto Aguirre Sacasa’s newest addition to the Archie-verse which centers on a group of young adults in New York including an adult Josie from the hit CW show. “Katy designs clothes for anyone she can, including her friend and roommate Josie, whose singing talent catches the attention of Alexander Cabot, a CEO who hopes to reboot the record label division of his father’s corporate empire.

But Alexander’s dream of signing Josie to a recording contract meets resistance from Cabot Media’s powerful senior vice president Alexandra, who also happens to be his twin sister. Josie and Katy’s roommate, Jorge, works at his family’s bodega and has his eye on Broadway, but after a series of rejections, he hopes to take his drag performance career as Ginger to the next level.

The mysterious Pepper Smith plans to open her own version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. She has the connections, but no one seems to know where she got her money or if she really has any at all. As these aspiring artists take on the runway, the recording studio, Broadway and the New York social scene, they find more than just a career in the big city — they find long-lasting friendship.”

Friday, Feb 7th

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, Apple TV

One of our most anticipated shows of the year this video game comedy comes from the crew behind It’s Always Sunny! “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet comes from McElhenney and his fellow Paddy’s Pub cohort Charlie Day. McElhenney co-created it with Megan Ganz (writer Community, It’s Always Sunny, Modern Family). The series “follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game.” They’re led by McElhenney’s Ian Grimm, the fictional gaming company’s creative director. Grimm seems to have an overabundance of confidence, much to the consternation and frustration of his workers.”
Locke & Key ,Netflix

We’re incredibly excited about this long gestating series based on the comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez! Centering on the Locke family who move to the mysterious Keyhouse manor after the brutal murder of their father, this gothic treat is already getting a lot of buzz and if you haven’t read the comics you’ll likely be charmed and surprised by the strange tale of the Locke clan, their new home, and the magical keys that they find there.

Friday, February 14

High Fidelity, Hulu, 3:01 a.m.

A lot of the time a reboot of a classic feels completely unnecessary but ever since we saw the trailer for Hulu’s Zoe Kravitz led reimagining of Nick Hornby’s beloved novel we’ve been sold. “A departure from Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel and beloved 2000 film, Hulu’s High Fidelity centers on Rob (Zoë Kravitz, who also serves as an executive producer), a female record store owner in the rapidly gentrified neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn who revisits past relationships through music and pop culture, while trying to get over her one true love. High Fidelity also stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David H. Holmes, Jake Lacy, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. ”
Utopia Falls, Hulu, 3:01am
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Hulu

A new addition to the winter TV lineup is Hulu’s Afrofuturist teen sci-fi Utopia Falls. “Set in the not-too-distant future, amidst the charred ruins of Earth, Utopia Falls follows a group of teens chosen to compete in the prestigious Exemplar performing arts competition in the seemingly idyllic colony of New Babyl. When they stumble upon a hidden archive of cultural relics, they are forced to question everything they have been taught, ultimately using the power of music to ignite change and expose the truth.”

Sunday, Feb. 23

The Dead Lands, Shudder

We can’t wait for Shudder’s new supernatural series straight out of New Zealand. “The Dead Lands is a supernatural fantasy adventure series set in a mythical Aotearoa—New Zealand in a time before time. A dishonored warrior, Waka Nuku Rau dies, but his Ancestors in the Afterlife send him back to the world to find redemption and honor. There, in the world of the living, he is aided by Mehe, a determined young woman, and together they discover the world has been disrupted by forces not of the living. Someone, or something, is preventing the Dead from entering the Afterlife and now the Dead are thrown back into their decaying bodies to hunt the living.”
Better Call Saul Season 5, AMC, Time: 10 p.m.

When AMC announced that they were creating a Breaking Bad prequel spin-off that would center on the seriously shady but golden-hearted lawyer Saul Goodman fans were understandably concerned. Those worries were unfounded as Better Call Saul is arguably the stronger show of the two. Subtle, heartbreaking, and distressingly good crime drama, Better Call Saul will be heading back to screens for a fifth season that will finally unveil the man who fans knew from the original, beloved AMC series. As the official description teases: “Jimmy finally makes the decision that changes everything — to practice law as Saul Goodman.”

(all air times are in PT)

Featured Image: CBS