New year, new TV.
As we say goodbye to 2019 and the great shows we watched and loved (“Fleabag”! More “Fleabag”!), it’s time to ring in 2020 and all the (hopefully) great new and returning shows that will grace our screens. What better way to celebrate than by filling a glass of champagne and binge-watching in preparation?
Before the onslaught of 2020 TV begins (although there is plenty premiering on New Year’s Day itself), you may want to catch up on old episodes and series to get ready for new seasons and sequels. As New Year’s resolutions go, watching a little more TV is possibly more achievable than some others. You can always load up a tablet with episodes before you hit the gym.
If you’re still on a sci-fi kick after seeing ‘Star Wars’: ‘Doctor Who’
The wondrous time-traveling alien Doctor (Jodi Whittaker) returns New Year’s Day after a year off the air with the Season 12 premiere on BBC America (8 EST/PST), but that’s a long time without a trip in the TARDIS. You may want to catch up on the sci-fi series, which made history in 2018 when Whittaker became the first woman in the 50-year-plus history of the show to take on the title role. You can watch from the beginning of the modern era of the series (which began in 2005) or just catch up on Whitaker’s first season (11), but either way, you’ll enjoy smart sci-fi, monsters ranging from scary to silly and a whole lot of fun.
Stream Seasons 1-10 on Amazon, stream Season 11 on BBC America (no log-in required).
If you consider yourself a GOAT: ‘Jeopardy!’
Alex, who are the Greatest Of All Time? The three highest-performing “Jeopardy!” contestants ever – Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and 2019 darling James Holzhauer – will compete in a special tournament airing on ABC weeknights, starting Jan. 7 (8 EST/PST). The tournament is sure to be full of rapid-fire buzzers and tough clues, and if you want to prepare to play along at home, try some of the “Jeopardy!” tournaments that are available to stream. Even if you can’t buzz in at the speed of Jennings, Rutter or Holzhauer, you may be able to get close. Plus, if you’re spending time with family this New Year’s, it’s a perfect way to play a game together without having to clear off the coffee table.
Stream it on Netflix or Hulu.
If you like chaos and romantic drama: ‘9-1-1’
There is no show that revels in a state of emergency better than Ryan Murphy’s Fox first-responder drama. Starring Peter Krause and Angela Bassett, the series always operates at an energy level of 10, flying between LA tidal waves, earthquakes and people stuck between buildings. The series gets a Texas-set spinoff starring Rob Lowe on Jan. 19, “9-1-1: Lone Star” (Fox, 10 EST/PST), so it may be worth checking out the original to see if you need a double dose of emergency in your life.
Stream it on Hulu.
If Aidy Bryant is your favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ cast member: ‘Shrill’
In a crowded and talented “SNL” cast, Aidy Bryant never seems to get enough screen time, but that problem is easily solved in her own series on Hulu. Based on the memoir by fat activist Lindy West and executive produced by Elizabeth Banks, “Shrill” is a downright hilarious comedy about a Portland, Oregon, fat woman who isn’t interested in weight loss. The six-episode first season was too short for our liking, which means it’s good news that Season 2 will premiere on Hulu Jan. 24.
Stream it on Hulu.
If you consider space the final frontier: ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’
The world of “Star Trek” is so comfortingly familiar and reliably entertaining that we’ve never stopped getting new movies and series set in it. The newest entry in the canon will be “Star Trek: Picard,” coming to CBS All Access on Jan. 23, bringing back Patrick Stewart’s beloved Captain Jean-Luc Picard from “The Next Generation.” If you’ve never experienced the greatest captain in the “Star Trek” universe (we said it), it’s absolutely worth going back and revisiting the series, which perfects the optimistic, curious tone of “Star Trek.”
Stream it on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or CBS All Access.
