TV: What to Watch in 2015
The strong 2015 TV season is showing potential for some great shows over the rest of the year. New shows, new seasons, and a mass of new actors all intice TV viewers. Here is a small list of shows to definitely look out for this TV season.
Better Call Saul (Season 1) - February 8 (ongoing)
Those of you who watched AMC’s Breaking Bad during its original run from 2008-2013 probably remember the crooked lawyer Saul Goodman. Bob Odenkirk reprises his role in Better Call Saul, AMC’s new spinoff of Breaking Bad . If you have any negative preconceived notions about spinoff shows, Saul is going to show you that they can be done well. All the comedic characteristics that made Saul funny to begin with are still present – and hints of the drama and thrills that made us loving Breaking Bad are very present. Even if Brian Cranston is not there to lead, Odenkirk and the rest of the cast (some of them returning from the original show) have proven so far that they can lead a primetime show on their own. Better Call Saul is already four episodes in – make sure to tune into AMC at 10/9pm central to see what all to buzz is about.
Silicon Valley (season 2) – Airs April 12
‘Nerd humor’ as it is so endearingly been dubbed is a very popular subject for television today – just look at the popularity and success of The Big Bang Theory. Silicon Valley is nerd humor taken to the next level – incorporating not just the humor but west coast technology culture and a success story all in one. The story follows a developer (Thomas Middleman) who has created a revolutionary piece of software and decides to develop it himself rather than sell it off to a huge Apple-wannabe company. His supporting developers are the gothic Bertram Gilfroye (Martin Starr) and stoic Dinesh Chugtai (Kumail Najiani) as well as the crazed rich man that houses and supports them (the hilarious T.J. Miller). If you believe that math and science are good for a laugh then be sure to watch HBO’s Silicon Valley when season two begins on April 12th.
Empire (season 1) – January 7th (ongoing)
Do you enjoy ABC’s Nashville but want a show with a little more flair? The Fox’s new melodrama Empire is for you. Empire tells the story of the CEO of Empire Entertainment, Luscious Lyon (Terrence Howard) who has been diagnosed with a disease that will leave him unable to run his company in three years. Lyon must choose which of his three sons – all with redeeming qualities but also their own vices – will take over his business when he becomes too ill to work – all the while Lyon’s ex-wife (Taraji P. Henson) is released from prison after 17 years and claims she owns half of the company. Full of twists, backstabbing, and enough drama for the entire family, Empire is for anybody who likes a serious story with over the top serious characters.
The Americans (season 3) - January 28th (ongoing)
The Americans is a period drama that follows two KGB agents posing as a married couple in Washington, D.C. during the election of President Ronald Reagan. The two leads, husband Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) and wife Elizabeth (Keri Russell) deserve whatever prays they get from critics – the two manage to take a show about espionage, war, and crime drama and make it about a romance between a man and a woman in a dangerous situation. If you love a story of spy games and romance then be sure to watch The Americans, airing on Wednesday nights on FX.