Smallscreen News

January TV series premiere schedule, Winter TCA's UPDATE

By April MacIntyre Jan 5, 2010, 22:50 GMT

The Winter Television Critics' Association press tour begins this week, and M&C will be there with all our favorite TV writers and friends meeting, greeting and listening to panels of talent, showrunners and network honchos, getting the scoop on what's to come. Also on January 14, HBO will present their upcoming slate. Coming to the network in February 2010 is

Also on January 14, HBO will present their upcoming slate. Coming to the network in February 2010 is "Temple Grandin," a brilliant and inspiring movie starring Claire Danes and Julia Ormand. The tour is a twice-yearly event, and some of the highlights we are most excited about include meeting Dr. Stephen Hawking at the Discovery network panel (Jan. 14) that introduces his new series, "Stephen Hawking's Universe" set to air April 10, 2010.Also on January 14, HBO will present their upcoming slate. Coming to the network in February 2010 is "Temple Grandin," a brilliant and inspiring movie starring Claire Danes and Julia Ormand. This is the true story of Temple Grandin - now a professor at Colorado State University - who is also autistic. She studied animal behavior and created humane and groundbreaking cattle management techniques for the industry.Temple came up through the regular school system in the 1950's and 1960's when the diagnosis was misunderstood and often times blamed directly on bad parenting, specifically the mother. Grandin's story resonated with me intensely, having gone through the experience personally with one child who refused to speak until he was four. If you are the parent of an autistic (or autism spectrum disorder) child, please bookmark this film and make sure you watch.The BBC produced a great documentary about Temple Grandin, have a peek: M&C will be in attendance from January 8-January 17, and will be Twittering updates and scoops live here as well as posting news and interviews from the event. Photo galleries will also be posted here direct from the TCA's too.January PremieresJan. 10:"Big Love" (HBO): Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn are back for the popular drama's fourth season, and I promise to actually watch it this time."Chuck" (NBC): The action comedy about a Buy More store employee and nerd-turned-spy (Zachary Levi) also stars Adam Baldwin, one of our favorites.Jan. 12:"American Idol" (Fox): Ellen DeGeneres is the new meat at the judges table for the ninth season. You will witness a parade of guest judges until the Hollywood round episodes where Ellen picks up the seat."Southland" (TNT): NBC renewed the John Wells-produced cop drama, then refused to air its second season, so TNT grabbed the ducat. Good series.Jan. 13:"Our Little Genius" ( Fox): British reality guru Mark Burnett has created a show where kids compete and their parents decide when to stop playing."Leverage" (TNT): Christian Kane! Timothy Hutton! Robin Hood in the big city as the kick ass team returns for more capers.Jan. 14:"Archer" ( FX): Very Adult Swim in feel, this animated comedy features a gratingly obnoxious spy (H. Jon Benjamin) in various humorous escapades. What I have seen is very funny."Project Runway" (LIFE): Heidi Klum ...or is it Heidi Samuel now? Fashionistas tune in.Jan. 17:"24" ( Fox): Jack Bauer and Katee Sackhoff, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Mykelti Williamson relocate to New York City for more tick tick tick action."Human Target" (Fox): Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Valley star in this DC Comics turned action series. Good stuff.Jan. 18:"Life Unexpected" (CW): A 16-year-old foster kid (Brittany Robertson) goes looking for the mom that gave her away.Jan. 19:"White Collar" (USA): One of the awesome ratings surprises for USA, the marriage of an FBI agent (Tim DeKay) and a con artist (Matthew Bomer) equals capers galore.Jan. 21:"The Deep End" (ABC): Lawyers, guns and money. Okay, no guns, but lots of lawyers."Burn Notice" (USA): Bruce Campbell! Sharon Gless! And Gabrielle Anwar posing and pouting in the quirky spy drama's third season. Bonus: Tyne Daly will guest (Cagney & Lacey fans take note)Jan. 22:"Caprica" (Syfy): Polly Walker! Eric Stoltz! in the prequel to Battlestar Galactica."Spartacus: Blood & Sand" (Starz): AWESOME new series (I have seen the first four episodes) that is a visceral, sexy, testosterone filled "300" meets "Gladiator" with just a tiny smidge of "Rome." Outstanding player for me is Peter Mensah, also stars Andy Whitfield and Lucy Lawless. You will absolutely love this (unless you hate face ripping, entrail gutting, sex every which way imaginable, massive blood spattering non-stop action)Jan. 25:"Damages" (FX): Campbell Scott! Lily Tomlin! Keith Carradine! join Glenn Close & Co. for the legal drama's 3rd run."Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (SHO): Watched the screener; expect lots of new fetish-y clients for Belle, who has penned a book and now is skirting all the people who recognize themselves in her racy tome. Piper is terrific."Tracy Ullman's State of the Union" (SHO): If you are Arianna Huffington, Rachel Maddow or Meghan McCain, look out sisters, Tracey Ullman has your number down cold.Jan. 27:"Psych" (USA): The duo of James Roday and Dule Hill make sweet beautiful comedy in this quirky (USA likes quirk) crime fighting with psychic abilities, bonus is Corbin Bernsen, always a delight.Jan. 29:"Kitchen Nightmares" (Fox): You Donkey! Wait, that's another Gordon Ramsay show. Anyhow, Ramsay busts a 'enry 'iggins on Eliza Doolittle restaurateurs. F-bombs are hurled.