Most Anticipated TV Premieres and Returns of 2012
'Smash,' 'Touch,' 'Spartacus,' 'Idol,' 'Luck,' 'Downton Abbey' and much more
Most Anticipated TV Premieres and Returns of 2012
TV premieres: They're Not Just for September Anymore.
Sure, many of 2012's Most Anticipated Shows won't be premiering until the fall and we can't even predict what they will be yet, since they're still in the earliest stages of development, but between network and cable, over the next few months, dozens upon dozens of new shows will premiere and favorite shows will return (and that's for new seasons, not just after December repeat breaks).
We've got musicals, animated comedies, established Emmy winners, spinoffs, adaptations of bestsellers, adaptations of blockbuster films, favorite stars on new shows, new stars on favorite shows and much much more.
Click through and see what's coming up...
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupkeith
January 1, 2012 at 10:56AM EST Reply to CommentLooking forward to Veep (Iannucci was producer of all the Chris Morris and Steve Coogan stuff too, basically all the best comedy of the last 20 years) and new season of Eastbound and Down.
Sandy
January 1, 2012 at 10:57AM EST Reply to CommentWaiting for Downton Abbey's Mary and Matthew
ryan
January 1, 2012 at 11:25AM EST Reply to CommentThese are the most anticipated premieres and returns? It looks like more like a list of every single premiering and returning show. A little selectivity isn't necessarily a bad thing.
January 1, 2012 at 6:17PM EST-Daniel
Ryan Fair enough. I may have been thrown a bit by items like Dance Moms and It's a Brad, Brad World. They don't quite sound like my kind of thing, but I suppose some people are excited about them.
January 1, 2012 at 7:21PM ESTOldDarth
January 1, 2012 at 12:13PM EST Reply to CommentMark Jan 13th down too - the return of FRINGE.
January 1, 2012 at 6:13PM EST-Daniel
OldDarth Ah - took the 'returning' label more liberally. ;)
January 2, 2012 at 9:49AM ESTWar Chief Shake Zula
January 1, 2012 at 1:23PM EST Reply to CommentI'd beg to differ on "30 Rock" being a "terrific" comedy, especially since, even if the whole point of Alec Baldwin's character is to be a giant sphincter, he still does it too well. And the "parody of network TV politics" aspect in general feels way too smug and on the nose...
David
January 1, 2012 at 4:15PM EST Reply to CommentMarch 18 is a Sunday, is Touch getting the 7:00 timeslot?
January 1, 2012 at 6:12PM EST-Daniel
Dom
January 1, 2012 at 4:40PM EST Reply to CommentBreaking Bad? ANYBODY?!?!?!?!?!!!
sepinwall It's there, on the list of Other Notable TBD premieres. Its return is so far off in the distance (and its last season's ending so recent in the past) that we focused more on new stuff and/or shows like Mad Men that had been off the air a long time.
January 1, 2012 at 5:15PM ESTDom
January 1, 2012 at 4:40PM EST Reply to CommentBreaking Bad? No? Anyone??!?
Jenn
January 1, 2012 at 5:07PM EST Reply to CommentGame of Thrones! Can't wait
FistOSalmon
January 1, 2012 at 8:37PM EST Reply to CommentHow how HOW could Sorkin NOT have just dropped Peter Krause into The Newsroom as Casey McCall from Sports Night!?!? Hell it would almost write itself since the Casey character is based on Keith Olbermann anyway. And for the love of god don't even mention Parenthood, that show shouldn't even exist in a universe with an Aaron Sorkin show on HBO.
Prettok Too much character baggage. Easier to start with a blank slate. And what would the upside be in using the same character anyway? To draw in all two dozen 'Sports Night' fans? They are already going to tune in.
January 1, 2012 at 10:53PM ESTFistOSalmon For starters, have you seen Sports Night, West Wing and Studio 60? Blank slate, they're all filled with essentially the same characters anyway. A number of the same actors are in all of them and Sorkin recycles stories all the time. Hell, he even uses the same first names on occasion.
January 2, 2012 at 3:06AM ESTToo much baggage if they placed the show directly after Sports Night ends maybe. But the differences between a 29 year old and a forty something can be profound. What changed, what was the catalyst to move from sports to news? Using McCall gives you a natural start point to get into the kind of flashbacks Sorkin likes to use, you've got a great actor that's worked with him before and knows how to deliver Sorkin's rhythms. You get another layer of dramatic tension for free. And yes you do bring in the "two dozen" that watched Sports Night.
It was a few more viewers than that, the show was on for two full seasons on a broadcast network and they released it twice on dvd. It's not like it was on the WB for 6 episodes in '98 and cancelled. And how is it baggage if you've never seen Sports Night. Anyone who has would love it and even if you haven't it's an idea a lot of viewers might find intriguing. I started watching Law and Order when I heard Belzer's character crossed over from Homicide before I'd even seen it because it sounded kinda cool.
John W
January 1, 2012 at 9:18PM EST Reply to CommentI feel sorry for anyone who's anticipating "Dance Moms".
Sareeta and Jersey Shore.
January 2, 2012 at 9:52AM ESTHatfield
January 2, 2012 at 4:17AM EST Reply to CommentHaving read all the books now, I find that I'm excited to see how they portray everything that's coming this year and not at all bothered by the fact that the season will hold none of the surprises the first one did. And I think I may be most excited for Asha, or Yara, as they're calling her now.
Sareeta
January 2, 2012 at 9:56AM EST Reply to CommentI'm looking forward to Fringe, Spartacus, and Game of Thrones returning.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Smash, Touch, & Alcatraz.
Lisa
January 2, 2012 at 11:19AM EST Reply to CommentSo "Dance Moms" gets a full entry and "Southland" gets listed in the "Other Stuff Airing in January" entry. Is there a logic behind that?
sepinwall Yes. Dan, Liane and I divvied up the list of all the premieres and wrote entries on stuff we were interested in. None of us is a huge Southland fan, while Liane has written a lot about Dance Moms.
January 2, 2012 at 11:41AM ESTErika Herzog agree with you @Lisa. it's sort of unfathomable -- and more than a little disappointing -- to me that Sepinwall and Feinberg are shining a spotlight on shows like CHUCK and SURVIVOR when much better shows like SOUTHLAND are given little to no attention.
January 2, 2012 at 2:06PM ESTMolly Yep, it sucks when people don't have the exact same opinions as you.
January 2, 2012 at 2:49PM EST
January 2, 2012 at 4:05PM ESTSo... Yeah.
-Daniel
Erika Herzog thanks for the information Daniel.
January 3, 2012 at 12:41AM ESTi guess it's because i wish that every show i like could get either your or Alan's attention because what you do makes the shows i like come alive that much more. and gives everyone an opportunity to have an interactive experience with the shows, hearing what other people thought and everything.
January 3, 2012 at 1:58AM EST-Daniel
Erika Herzog You do -- I obviously watch way too much TV and am a Paulette so i am persnickety and never satisfied... What you and Dan do is much appreciated!
January 3, 2012 at 10:47AM ESTLJA
January 3, 2012 at 12:49AM EST Reply to CommentMad Men. Check.
Game of Thrones. Check.
I am certain that no one's looking forward to Rob.
Lem
January 4, 2012 at 2:01PM EST Reply to CommentUh yea, I think I'm ready to order...I'll take some southern fried Justified, a side of Luck, and some Southland for dessert. To drink? I'll have an ice cold glass of Spartacus. Thanks
Sadie
January 6, 2012 at 12:33AM EST Reply to CommentI saw Alcatraz on a United flight in early December and while not without it's flaws, it gave me chills and I can't shake it. Hope it gets better and holds its intrigue.