2013 Midseason TV

In ABC's midseason crime thriller Red Widow, Radha Mitchell stars as Marta, a woman who must rethink life as she knows it. When her drug-trafficking husband (Anson Mount) is murdered, Marta is forced to choose between cooperating with the authorities or protecting her family of Russian criminals. Sound like something you might be interested in? Before it premieres tonight, read on to find out our take on the new show.

• What it's about: Marta and her sister Kat (Jaime Ray Newman) were born into a powerful family of Russian mobsters, and though it's not a world Marta wants to take part in, her husband is immersed in the family's dirty doings. Just when Marta convinces him to leave it behind, he's brutally gunned down in their driveway, leaving behind a huge pile of debt. Marta must get past her crippling grief to take care of her children and decide to take part in the criminal life she's tried to escape.
• Where it works: Though her husband's death is heartbreaking, the show really kicks it up a notch when Marta is on her own. She may seem like a proper housewife, but Marta has an edge. Her craftiness is surprising, making her a more entertaining character than I anticipated.
• Where it doesn't: The pilot didn't grab my attention the way some of primetime's other dramas have. I'm hoping there will be less talk and more action in the upcoming episodes.
• You might like this show if: You're looking for a more grown-up Revenge.
• When it's on: Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Watch a preview and see some pictures from Red Widow after the jump.

The Vampire Diaries' Matthew Davis is returning to The CW to lead his very own spooky new series, Cult, a midseason show premiering tonight. Davis plays Jeff, a former journalist who finds himself investigating a bizarre TV show after his brother goes missing. He's joined by Skye (Jessica Lucas), a production assistant on the show who shares his concerns about the series' rabid fan base. It doesn't take long to discover that the show within the show isn't entirely fictional. Read on to find out if the new thriller is worth a watch.

• What it's about: Jeff's little brother is always getting into trouble, but when he mysteriously goes missing after pleading with Jeff to believe his conspiracy theories about a TV show, Jeff is forced to take his claims seriously. His search leads him to the set of Cult, a creepy show about an enigmatic cult leader named Billy Grimm (Robert Knepper). Grimm's followers aren't limited to the small screen, though, and things take a serious turn for the creepy when real-life fans start taking their own lives after uttering the seemingly innocuous phrase, "These things just snap right off."
• Where it works: The premiere sets up a great mystery and the subject matter of cult leaders and cult behavior is really fascinating. I also like Davis and Lucas as the leads; they're both alums of the network and I think they're ready to carry their own show.
• Where it doesn't: It's a show named Cult about a show named Cult. It splices "reality" with the show, so you never quite know what is or isn't happening. Sometimes it's fun to put the pieces together, but it's also quite confusing.
• When it's on: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW
• You might like this show if: You're looking for a new mystery to dig into.

Watch a preview and see all the pictures for Cult after the jump.

With ABC's new drama Zero Hour, not only are we getting a new mystery to unravel, but we also get to do it with a beloved TV veteran. Anthony Edwards stars as a man who gets tangled up in a web of conspiracies that span years and continents, and he sets out to get to the bottom of it all because his own wife is at stake. I've checked out the pilot for Zero Hour, so I can break it down for you — and let you know whether it might be one of your new TV favorites.

• What it's about: Hank (Edwards) is the editor of a magazine that disproves conspiracy theories and paranormal activity, but he starts to change his mind when his wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is kidnapped. When he starts to connect the dots and finds a link between Laila's clock shop and a decades-old conspiracy, he takes off on his own quest to find her, and he unearths some disturbing truths along the way.
• Where it works: It feels so right to have Edwards back on TV, leading his own show as the charismatic everyman. I was also excited to see Scott Michael Foster (Greek's Cappie!), who brings a little youthful humor as one of the reporters at Hank's magazine.
• Where it doesn't: Zero Hour is very complicated, and sometimes it feels like it's for the sake of being complicated. Nazis, clocks, and attempted murders all come up in the first episode, making the show feel stuffed with way too much. It's often hard to follow.
• You might like this show if: You feel like watching The Da Vinci Code every week.
• When it's on: Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC

Watch a preview and see some pictures from Zero Hour after the jump.

NBC's new drama Do No Harm introduces a leading man with two very different sides; Steven Pasquale plays a man with alternate personalities. The midseason show, which premieres tonight, is loosely based on the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the stakes are raised a bit more, since the good personality is also a surgeon. If you're wondering whether Do No Harm is worth adding to your DVR, read on to find out what we thought of the series's pilot.

• What it's about: Jason Cole (Pasquale) is a successful neurosurgeon, but he has a big secret: he has another identity — "Ian Price" — who is narcissistic, destructive, and basically evil. Jason takes medication to suppress Ian's ability to emerge, but his bad identity has started to become resistant to the drug, and when Ian does come out, he's determined to wreck Jason's life, personally and professionally.
• Where it works: Pasquale is perfectly cast; he's just as believable as the sweet, decent Jason as he is as bad boy Ian — not an easy feat. It's also exciting to see cast members from past TV shows we loved playing Jason's hospital colleagues: Samm Levine (from cult classic Freaks and Geeks) and Phylicia Rashad (from consummate classic The Cosby Show).
• Where it doesn't: While the premise is compelling, Jason's struggle to keep Ian from coming out isn't that exciting. More importantly, Ian is more fun to watch than Jason. How are we supposed to root for good-guy Jason to get rid of his evil alter ego?
• When it's on: Sundays at 10 p.m. on NBC (regular time slot after premiere)
• You might like this show if: You need a new TV crush. Pasquale is inexplicably dreamy as both identities.

See a preview and pictures from Do No Harm after the jump.

CBS is bringing another drama about police politics to primetime with Golden Boy, about an officer who becomes the youngest commissioner for the NYPD ever. Newcomer Theo James stars in the leading role as the titular golden boy of the force, and before the midseason series premieres next month, I'm giving you my first impressions of the pilot so you can decide whether to give Golden Boy a chance.

• What it's about: Walter William Clark Jr. (James) has become the youngest police commissioner of the NYPD in the shortest amount of time in history, and those around him have questions about how he got there. In present day, Clark breaks down his story, and we watch his trajectory in flashbacks while getting to know his secrets, his colleagues (played by Kevin Alejandro and Bonnie Somerville), and his mentor (Chi McBride).
• Where it works: The usage of flashbacks is an interesting way to tell Clark's story, and it manages to feel fresh. Plus, leading man James is pretty swoon-worthy eye candy.
• Where it doesn't work: Golden Boy isn't quite compelling enough to compete with other cop dramas. I found myself getting bored watching the pilot more often than I was entertained.
• You might like this show if: You never get tired of police procedurals.
• When it's on: Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on CBS

Watch a preview and see some pictures from Golden Boy after the jump.

It usually takes a pretty great concept to lure a movie actor to the small screen, and such is the case for The Following, Fox's newest crime thriller starring Kevin Bacon, which premieres this week. Bacon is playing Ryan Hardy, an alcoholic ex-FBI agent tasked with catching Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a calculating escaped killer. The two have a history, and when Carroll escapes, a dangerous game of cat and mouse is set into play.

• What it's about: Hardy wrote the book (literally) on Carroll, a serial killer inspired by the morbid works of Edgar Allan Poe. So when Carroll escapes from prison, Hardy, along with a team of agents (Shawn Ashmore, Annie Parisse), is faced with stopping Carroll before he can get to his last victim (the one that got away) and the family he left behind when he was caught. Only this time, the game isn't so simple; Carroll has spent his years in the tank motivating a large cult of fans to follow in his murderous footsteps.
• Where it works: The show was created and written by Kevin Williamson (the guy behind the Scream franchise and The Vampire Diaries), and he brings his signature tongue-in-cheek awareness to the show. Though Bacon is the show's big name, Purefoy is terrifying as Carroll. It's clear from the first few minutes of the pilot that he's unpredictable, merciless, and always 10 steps ahead of everyone else.
• Where it doesn't: The show is especially disturbing and gory, so if you're not into that, you might want to take a pass.
• When it's on: Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox
• You might like this show if: You want a (better) replacement for The Killing.

Watch a preview and see all the pictures for The Following after the jump.

In case you feel like you don't have enough drama in your life, ABC is seeking to fill that void with Mistresses, an adaptation of the popular British series. The stateside cast includes Alyssa Milano and Lost's Yunjin Kim as part of a group of girlfriends whose love lives are active and sexy, but very complicated. I gave the pilot a watch to bring you my verdict on Mistresses and whether you should set your DVR to record this soapy new series.

• What it's about: Savannah (Milano), April (Rochelle Aytes), Josslyn (Jes Macallan), and Karen (Kim) are a tight-knit group of friends, and they're each in a different transition in their love lives. Married Savannah is trying to get pregnant, widowed April is trying to date again, therapist Karen is getting over the death of her lover, and Jes is single and loving it — and she intends to stay that way. Each woman's situation is far from smooth sailing, though, and the pilot introduces you to a series of dilemmas, most of them related to infidelity, as you could guess from the title.
• Where it works: Mistresses is addictive from the very first episode. It's packed full of juicy story lines and sexy situations, like Savannah's temptation to cheat on her husband with a sexy colleague, or a shocking revelation about April's past, and I found myself dying to see what happens next.
• Where it doesn't: The cast still needs to find their chemistry. Aside from Savannah and Josslyn, who are sisters, it's not clear why these women are friends and spend time together. It's melodramatic to the extreme (though if you're into that, dive right in).
• You might like this show if: You miss shows like Lipstick Jungle and Desperate Housewives.
• When it's on: May on ABC.

See some pictures and a preview of Mistresses after the jump.

It's been years since Keri Russell had had her own TV show, but now the actress is a back in a series that puts her in situations Felicity Porter would never have dreamed of. In The Americans, Russell plays a Russian agent devoted to the motherland during the Cold War-era 1980s, along with her onscreen husband Matthew Rhys. I've checked out the FX show's pilot, so I have some insight into whether The Americans might be the next TV series you can't miss.

• What it's about: Phillip (Rhys) and Elizabeth (Russell) are the average American couple living in the suburbs in the 1980s, with the perfect nuclear family (one son and one daughter) — only they're actually not American at all. In fact, Phillip and Elizabeth are Russian agents just posing as citizens and doing work as KGB agents.
• Where it works: Russell and Rhys have fantastic chemistry, which serves their interesting relationship; though they've been "together" for years, it's a business arrangement. However, when the series picks up, we find them developing real feelings for each other (which may conflict with the fact that some of their missions involve them engaging in sexual activity with targets for information).
• Where it doesn't: Some people may be uncomfortable essentially rooting for the enemy, though the cast and crew recently acknowledged that and hope you can watch with an open mind. Also, Russell's latent Russian accent, which emerges in her flashback scenes, is hard to take seriously.
• You might like this show if: You were on Brody's side in season one of Homeland.
• When it's on: Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX

Watch a preview and see some photos from The Americans after the jump.