From streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu to networks such as NBC and FOX, the world of television is now more accessible than ever. And with so many new and exciting ways to watch television, producers are tasked with creating new and exciting series to match.
Television has been stepping it up over the past few years, and this spring brings along with it a few more shows that have real promise. Whether or not they’ll reach their potential, we’ll have to wait and see. But just the premises of these spring shows have us excited enough to get our hopes up: Here’s hoping they won’t let us down!
Here are the 12 Most Anticipated TV Series of Spring 2016.
12. American Grit – FOX (April 14)
Hosted by WWE superstar, John Cena, American Grit is a new reality competition show airing on FOX that will follow sixteen of the country’s toughest men and women as they compete for a million dollars and bragging rights. And while there are plenty of competition shows on television now, this will be unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The competitors will be split into four teams and face military-grade, survival-based challenges meant to not only test them physically, but mentally as well. The military theme will be present throughout the show, as it demonstrates its ethos, “no man left behind,” in the team-oriented challenges while also reinforcing the importance of being a strong individual, on all fronts.
11. The Catch – ABC (March 24)
The newest Shondaland creation, following in the footsteps of How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, The Catch is yet another Shonda Rhimes joint, which also follows a tough, smart and charismatic leading lady. At this point, it’s hard to say if there’s too much Shondaland on TV, or not enough, and that’s the big debate fans are facing as The Catch begins its first season.
The show will follow Alice Vaughn (Mireille Enos), the number one private investigator in L.A. after she’s conned out of millions of dollars by her fiancé, viewers will learn that she isn’t a woman to be messed with, and she’s very, very good at her job.
10. Dice – Showtime (April 10)
In a six-episode, first season comedy series airing on Showtime, Dicewill follow the semi-autobiographical life of comedian Andrew Dice Clay (played by himself) in Las Vegas as he juggles the desire to reclaim his career while dealing with problems from his family, his ex and his finances.
Though the comedian isn’t exactly loved by everyone, the show, which is written by Scot Armstrong (The Hangover), will be a thirty minute throwback to what it was like when Clay was famous and will undoubtedly also be a laugh-filled second act to the comedian’s career. So love him or hate him (or have no clue who he is), this is one to watch out for.
9. Game of Silence – NBC (April 12)
Opening with a two-night premiere, Game of Silence already has quite a bit going for it. The show follows a group of long-lost childhood friends as the dark secrets from their past follow them into adulthood and threaten to destroy lives. The adaptation, based on the Turkish series Suskunlar, comes from the producers of CSI and Friday Night Lights, so at the very least, the show is in good hands.
The story will be mysterious, captivating and powerful if the trailers and the Turkish series are any indication, and though it’s still a little too early to say what fans should be expecting, it’s hard to imagine the show will fall flat. But we’ll have to wait and see.
8. The Girlfriend Experience – Starz (April 10)
Based on the 2009 film directed by Steven Soderbergh, The Girlfriend Experience will follow the same premise, following a New York call girl, but will hopefully breathe new life into the story with a bit more drama. The story will follow Christine Reade (Riley Keough), a second-year law student, who finds herself captivated by the “girlfriend experience.”
However, when juggling both worlds, she finds herself losing control of what matters quickly, leaving her to pick up the pieces and make a decision. The hour long drama seems like it has plenty to keep audiences captivated, so here’s hoping the show is as good as the movie it’s based on.
7. Heartbeat – NBC (March 23)
Having just aired its first episode this past Wednesday, Heartbeatis the new NBC show that audiences are talking about, whether good or bad. The show is loosely based on the life of Dr. Kathy Magliato and follows Dr. Alex Panttiere (Melissa George), a world-renowned heart transplant surgeon.
Because Dr. Panttiere is one of the few females in this field, she’s very driven and accomplishes tasks in her own way, which doesn’t always sit well with colleagues. The show has a House M.D. feel to it, and with George as the new Hugh Laurie, it’ll be interesting to see how far this new NBC show makes it.
6. Hunters - Syfy (April 11)
Most Walking Dead fans will recognize the name Gale Anne Hurd, which should be enough to draw interest to Syfy’s newest original series, Hunters. Hurd is executive producing along with Natalie Chadez (Heroes and Twelve Monkeys) and the show is that perfect combination of action, sci-fi and drama that the network is best known for.
The series will follow the disappearance of an FBI agent’s wife. As the decorated FBI agent searches for her, he stumbles upon a secret government unit tasked with hunting out of this world terrorists known as “Hunters.” The show is based on the novel Alien Hunter by Whitley Strieber and is described as a cross between crime-fighting television and the best sci-fi has to offer.
5. The Last Panthers – SundanceTV (April 13)
The show, a six-part crime series, will air on SundanceTV this April, and it’s going to be well worth the watch. The series is based on the real life events of a group of notorious Balkan jewel thieves, the Pink Panthers. The series was originally a European drama that aired in November of last year, and Sundance has procured it for our viewing pleasure.
The series will open up with a large-scale diamond robbery and will then delve into the world of crime in the heart of Europe. The show is one of the largest in Europe at the moment, so to view the premiere this April is an event we can’t help but be excited for.
4. The Path – Hulu (March 30)
A new, Hulu original series, The Path, will follow the cult-like Meyerist Movement set in upstate New York. The show will play big on the idea of belief, as the characters are continuously fighting with the life they want and the life they live, at the expense of their relationships with one another.
The show stars Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, Hugh Dancy and Michelle Monaghan and is executive produced by Friday Night Lights and Parenthood’s Jason Katims. The struggles between relationships, faith and power propel this show forward, and as we watch the three main characters battle their inner demons, it’s clear how important (and detrimental) faith can be.
3. The Ranch – Netflix (April 1)
Set to premiere on Netflix April 1, The Ranch reunites That 70’s Show alumni, Danny Masterson and Ashton Kutcher. The comedy series will utilize the lack of restrictions in foul language and suggestive content, though it won’t overdo it on either either. Like Fuller House, The Ranch will be a multi-cam sitcom with a laugh-track, which is still fairly new ground for Netflix. The bromantic relationship between Masterson and Kutcher is apparent in their dialogue with one another, which can sometimes feel like an unfiltered conversation between old friends.
The series will follow two adult brothers as they return home to Colorado to help their father run the family ranch. The stressed, obviously dysfunctional family relationship will be the source of many laughs and some more intimate moments as well, and all in all, the sitcom looks to be promising.
2. Rush Hour – CBS (March 31)
This reimagining of the hit film series Rush Hour, originally starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, is being referred to as a “buddy-cop” drama, in which the main actors have been replaced by Jon Foo and Justin Hires as Detective Lee and Detective Carter, respectively.
The two are very different from one another: Detective Lee is more reserved while Detective Carter is outspoken and typically plays by his own rules. Understandably, the two don’t hit it off right away, but as the series progresses they learn how to work with one another and ultimately become a crime-fighting force that can’t be messed with.
1. Wynonna Earp – Syfy (April 1)
This show, based on the IDW Comic, follows Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano), Wyatt Earp’s great granddaughter, as she uses her unique abilities and completely dysfunctional allies to defeat demons and other such creatures that the human world isn’t ready to handle.
Seen as a paranormal law enforcement officer, Wynonna Earp is a powerful leading lady in a series that combines the past with the future in a way that’s unique and refreshing, so it would only make sense that the series will be appearing on Syfy. Nevertheless, a show this unique and this creative deserves to be watched, and hopefully it’ll be exactly what TV needs.
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Excited for any of these spring shows? Worried about their outcomes? Let us know in the comments!
