I know you have all been waiting for this, so here is my list of returning shows that I am most looking forward to in 2017. Sometimes, I look back at these lists and mourn the shows we have lost too soon or found their natural end. Hopefully, there are not too many of them this year.
1. BONES, season 12 premieres January 3rd on Fox, Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Boyd, Patricia Belcher, Michael Grant Terry, Eugene Byrd, Carla Gallo, Pej Vahdat, Ryan O’Neal, Joel David Moore, Ignacio Serricchio, Laura Spencer, and Eric Milligan. In this final season premiere, Dr. Brennan has been kidnapped by former squintern Zack Addy. No one knows what Zack is up to, but Agents Booth and Aubrey, with the help of the Jeffersonian team, must find her and bring her home safely. This has never been one of my “must-watch” shows, but it has been consistently well-written, and the chemistry among the entire cast is always excellent. I am interested to see how they bring this series to a close.
2. HOMELAND, season 6 premieres January 15th on Showtime, stars Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham, Sebastian Koch, and Elizabeth Marvel. Carrie is back in the United States with Franny, and is working as an advocate for Muslim Americans. Saul and the CIA have a new President-Elect to brief, and she is not necessarily on their side. Quinn is awake, and dealing with the reality of his health situation. It all sounds like it might hit a little too close to home for our country right now, which means it should definitely be an interesting season.
3. MERCY STREET, season 2 premieres January 22nd on PBS, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, AnnaSophia Robb, McKinley Belcher III, Patina Miller, Hannah James, Norbert Leo Butz, Josh Radnor, Lyne Renée, Tara Summers, Bryce Pinkham, L. Scott Caldwell, Brían F. O’Byrne, Luke Macfarlane, Jack Falahee, Donna Murphy, Brad Koed, Gary Cole, Suzanne Bertish, Shalita Grant, and Peter Gerety. I did not watch the first season as it aired, but once I realized what a fantastic cast it had, I decided I need to give it a try. Set during the Civil War, this show takes places at a hospital in Virginia, where both Union and Confederate soldiers are treated. The nurses, doctors, and the freed slaves that work at the hospital all have differing views about what it means to do good during this time of conflict. The second season picks up in June of 1862 and everyone is realizing that things in the country are going to get much worse before they get better.
4. OUTSIDERS, season 2 premieres January 24th on WGN America, stars David Morse, Ryan Hurst, Kyle Gallner, Thomas M. Wright, Gillian Alexy, Joe Anderson, and Christina Jackson. The first season ended with a stand-off on the mountain between the Farrells and the local law enforcement and, from the trailer, it looks like there will be a pretty epic fight in the first episode back. The coal company and the town are still looking for a way to contain the Farrells, which causes some fighting within the clan. I loved the first season, and this second one looks even more action-packed, so I am very excited to see what happens next.
My TV Family 