Most Anticipated TV Premieres and Returns of 2013 - 'The Following,' 'Americans,' 'Breaking Bad'

Which 2013 shows have us most excited?

By Alan Sepinwall, Daniel Fienberg and Liane Bonin Starr Monday, Dec 31, 2012 1:05 AM

TV fans had a quiet week or two there, but don't worry. The small screen is returning in full force in 2013. There are premieres for new shows, including FOX's "The Following," FX's "The Americans" and Showtime's "Ray Donovan." There are the returns of favorites like "Community" and "Game of Thrones" and "Justified." "American Idol" has three new judges. "Downton Abbey" FINALLY premieres its third season for viewers who didn't pirate the episodes months ago. And... sniffle... "Breaking Bad" airs its last eight episodes on AMC.

Check up our roundup (in chronological order) of some of the premieres and returns we're jazzed about. [Please note that not only does this gallery not contain EVERY premiere or return, but if a show was just taking the normal month off between the beginning of December and January, we didn't even consider it.]

Most Anticipated TV Premieres and Returns of 2013

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Oliver

Re: Community

"keep revisiting popular concepts, like an episode set at an Inspector Spacetime convention."

I hope "popular" is sarcasm, because it's not very popular and plenty of people actively dislike it.

It wasn't funny and the show ran it into the ground and, besides, "Inspector Spacetime" was supposed to be a season 3-only thing thematically anyway.

The "convention" episode seems especially worrying, because it sounds like the sort of thing that could easily decay into horrible cringe-worthy fanservice, and the involvement of Matt Lucas doesn't exactly invite confidence.

I'd much rather the show didn't retread/revisit old ground and come up with something new. The show's willingness to bend, twist and subvert expectations is why people love it, not recycling tired injokes.
December 31, 2012 at 2:43AM EST Reply to Comment
- Razorback I am going into season 4 of COMMUNITY figuring it will suck. This way, if it only somewhat sucks, it will feel like it was good.
  
  Without Dan Harmon, it's just expensive fan fiction.
  December 31, 2012 at 4:46PM EST
tvgirlnet

I'm really curious if Ray Donovan, The Following, and The Americans are going to be good...
December 31, 2012 at 4:57AM EST Reply to Comment
- salonkitty I will tune in to Ray Donovan simply to hear Jon Voigt say 'mother f-cker' like he did in the promo. Cast looks good.
  December 31, 2012 at 4:46PM EST
Max

Who the hell considered the ending of "The Shield" 'satisfying'? That was one of the crappiest endings in TV history, right up there with "The Sopranos" and "LOST". It deserved an epic ending, what it got was something so unbelievable and downplayed, the entire series fizzled out into nothing. We deserved a showdown between Shane and Mackey. We deserved to see Mackey NOT weasel his way out. At the very least we deserved something in the way of a 'blaze of glory' ending that allowed Mackey to be buried a hero while everyone stood around and shook their heads in disgust. The ending we got was sad and cheap and tired and ruined the replay value of that show. "Breaking Bad" better not go for the fizzled out ending. It needs to be big and horrible and Walt needs to die. I'm tired of the whole 'now they have to live in obscurity with nothing in the way of power, family or friends!' endings. I know they're cost effective, but they also completely guarantee I'll never buy the series later.
December 31, 2012 at 5:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- mrbilliam Can you name a finale that you think nailed it?
  December 31, 2012 at 12:15PM EST
- Sareeta Six Feet Under nailed it.
  December 31, 2012 at 2:02PM EST
David

Too bad Devious Maids wasn't listed in other notable premieres. I hadn't heard of Vikings and Ray Donovan yet.
December 31, 2012 at 8:28AM EST Reply to Comment
Joyeful

I don't know if one can honestly call this article "most anticipated TV premieres and return of 2013" shows when the list includes high-diving C-listers and TLC reality programming. Maybe just "TV premieres and returns of 2013." :-)

In any case, there are a few on the list I'm looking forward to checking out or revisiting. Really psyched about the return of Community (that picture was insane LOL) and of Arrested Development. I'll also check Hannibal out (I'll watch anything with Scully), House of Cards, The Following, Michael J Fox and Bates Motel.

Golden Boy sounds interesting, but I'm wary of a police show on CBS...
December 31, 2012 at 10:58AM EST Reply to Comment
- Paul Outlaw And without ARCHER front and center, the gallery is just ludicrous.
  December 31, 2012 at 1:51PM EST
Sareeta

Not interested in the reality shows, but the rest sound interesting enough. Surprised there's no mention of Syfy's Defiance.
December 31, 2012 at 2:03PM EST Reply to Comment
- Lisa Excellent point! I had a nagging feeling there was something I am looking forward to that wasn't here. Thank you!
  January 2, 2013 at 3:37PM EST
Razorback

Downton season 3 is a vast improvement over season 2.

As far as Game of Thrones... as someone who digested the books in about a month during the summer, I am both excited and apprehensive. Excited because the third book is what I consider the best fantasy book ever written (and arguably one of the best works of fiction ever written) with so many big moments that it could probably make up three seasons (as opposed to the two). Apprehensive because you only get one shot to make something this big work.

As George Lucas said while making Phantom Menace... "You CAN screw these things up."
December 31, 2012 at 4:43PM EST Reply to Comment
- dan Razorback - Do *not* jinx S.3 of "GoT." I have faith. Gotta have faith...
  
  -Daniel
  December 31, 2012 at 8:15PM EST
- Razorback I'm not a faith-based guy. However, I do have more confidence than apprehension. This crew hasn't made any major mistakes so far.
  January 1, 2013 at 2:23AM EST
PaulH2012

Seriously, not one syllable devoted to Continuum, which set ratings records in Canada this year and will by default, be SyFy's best sci-fi series since BSG? And put GHOST MINE??? as the channel's only January entry? For shame.
December 31, 2012 at 7:49PM EST Reply to Comment
- dan PaulH2012 - "Continuum" is Syfy's best sci-fi series since "Alphas." I could add it to the Other Notables for January? I guess?
  
  As for "Ghost Mine"... The nifty thing about there being three of us who wrote on this gallery is that we each anticipate very different things!
  
  -Daniel
  December 31, 2012 at 8:14PM EST
Monica67d45

Good one
January 1, 2013 at 9:35AM EST Reply to Comment
erika_herzog

this list is not inspiring -- at all. it's all rather grim. i think watching the trainwreck of The Bachelor will be more enjoyable than any of the shows....

thank goodness SouthLAnd is coming back -- and a few others. the new stuff is just so blah
January 2, 2013 at 1:11AM EST Reply to Comment
rbk

Any list (worse, a bloody slideshow) that contains reality programming is dubious. But having said that, it does have some shows I'm looking forward to. Of the few that aren't listed that interest me: a few offerings from BBC America - Mr. Selfridge, Orphan Black and Ripper Street. And a question: Is Hemlock Grove (Netflix) or the second season of Borgia: Faith and Fear airing this year?
January 3, 2013 at 12:35PM EST Reply to Comment
- rbk Mr. Selfridge (ITV)
  January 3, 2013 at 12:52PM EST

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Razorback I am going into season 4 of COMMUNITY figuring it will suck. This way, if it only somewhat sucks, it will feel like it was good.Without Dan Harmon, it's just expensive fan fiction.

tvgirlnet I'm really curious if Ray Donovan, The Following, and The Americans are going to be good...

salonkitty I will tune in to Ray Donovan simply to hear Jon Voigt say 'mother f-cker' like he did in the promo. Cast looks good.

mrbilliam Can you name a finale that you think nailed it?

Sareeta Six Feet Under nailed it.

David Too bad Devious Maids wasn't listed in other notable premieres. I hadn't heard of Vikings and Ray Donovan yet.

Paul Outlaw And without ARCHER front and center, the gallery is just ludicrous.

Sareeta Not interested in the reality shows, but the rest sound interesting enough. Surprised there's no mention of Syfy's Defiance.

Lisa Excellent point! I had a nagging feeling there was something I am looking forward to that wasn't here. Thank you!

dan Razorback - Do *not* jinx S.3 of "GoT." I have faith. Gotta have faith...-Daniel

Razorback I'm not a faith-based guy. However, I do have more confidence than apprehension. This crew hasn't made any major mistakes so far.

PaulH2012 Seriously, not one syllable devoted to Continuum, which set ratings records in Canada this year and will by default, be SyFy's best sci-fi series since BSG? And put GHOST MINE??? as the channel's only January entry? For shame.

dan PaulH2012 - "Continuum" is Syfy's best sci-fi series since "Alphas." I could add it to the Other Notables for January? I guess? As for "Ghost Mine"... The nifty thing about there being three of us who wrote on this gallery is that we each anticipate very different things!-Daniel

Monica67d45 Good one

erika_herzog this list is not inspiring -- at all. it's all rather grim. i think watching the trainwreck of The Bachelor will be more enjoyable than any of the shows....thank goodness SouthLAnd is coming back -- and a few others. the new stuff is just so blah

rbk Mr. Selfridge (ITV)

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Razorback I am going into season 4 of COMMUNITY figuring it will suck. This way, if it only somewhat sucks, it will feel like it was good.

Without Dan Harmon, it's just expensive fan fiction.

tvgirlnet

I'm really curious if Ray Donovan, The Following, and The Americans are going to be good...

David

Too bad Devious Maids wasn't listed in other notable premieres. I hadn't heard of Vikings and Ray Donovan yet.

Sareeta

Not interested in the reality shows, but the rest sound interesting enough. Surprised there's no mention of Syfy's Defiance.

dan Razorback - Do not jinx S.3 of "GoT." I have faith. Gotta have faith...

-Daniel

PaulH2012

Seriously, not one syllable devoted to Continuum, which set ratings records in Canada this year and will by default, be SyFy's best sci-fi series since BSG? And put GHOST MINE??? as the channel's only January entry? For shame.

dan PaulH2012 - "Continuum" is Syfy's best sci-fi series since "Alphas." I could add it to the Other Notables for January? I guess?

As for "Ghost Mine"... The nifty thing about there being three of us who wrote on this gallery is that we each anticipate very different things!

-Daniel

Monica67d45

Good one

erika_herzog

this list is not inspiring -- at all. it's all rather grim. i think watching the trainwreck of The Bachelor will be more enjoyable than any of the shows....

thank goodness SouthLAnd is coming back -- and a few others. the new stuff is just so blah

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