Snowpiercer (based on the film of the same name) is a train, 1,000 cars long, carrying the last known humans on earth. Poor management of climate control is the cause of the reality in which they now live. The atmosphere is far too cold for anyone to survive; one would freeze instantly upon exposure. This is an interesting storyline that paints a dark view of our possible future. The train is constantly on the verge of a mechanical catastrophe that scientists are trying to repair which adds to the high-speed drama.

The series premieres its second season this month and stars the alluring Jennifer Connelly, Broadway’s Hamilton mega-star Daveed Diggs, and my personal favorite, Alison Wright. She slayed in the critically acclaimed The Americans on FX. Game of Thrones fans will have their tongues wagging for the arrival of hottie Sean Bean as Mr. Wilford, the creator and mastermind behind Snowpiercer. Season 2 also introduces us to Melanie’s (Connelly) daughter played by Rowan Blanchard. The train cars are decorated brilliantly and are specifically set up by class. Living in the tail car is basically prison. Some cars are decorated with extreme hip and wild style. The bar and nightclub cars feature cool and edgy hip-hop music, so some passengers not consumed by the war on the train try to achieve some kind of normalcy. The fashion is futuristic and extreme. Snowpiercer is fun!

“Snowpiercer” season 2 premieres January 25th on TNT.

Walker is an upcoming action television series on The CW and stars Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) in the title role. It is a reboot of the 1993–2001 television series Walker, Texas Ranger, an action crime series inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both the series and film starring Chuck Norris. The series was noted for its moralistic style. The characters refrained from drug use and often participated in community service. Martial arts were displayed prominently as the primary tool of law enforcement and occasionally as a tool for Walker and company to reach out to the community.

In September 2019 it was announced that a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger was in development. The CW quickly picked up the project for its 2020–21 slate. The series is written by Anna Fricke who also serves as executive producer alongside Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, and Padalecki. In the story, Cordell Walker (Padalecki), a widowed father, returns to Austin after two years attempting to reconnect with Stella, his 16-year-old daughter (Violet Brinson, Sharp Objects) and Arlo, his 14-year-old son (Kale Culley, Fresh Off the Boat). Walker navigates clashes with his family and seeks common ground with his new Ranger partner Micki (Lindsey Morgan, The 100) while growing increasingly suspicious of the circumstances around his wife’s death (Genevieve Padalecki, seen in flashbacks).

“Walker” is scheduled to premiere on January 21st.

Spencer James has some big decisions to make when All American returns to the CW for season three on the CW. Inspired by the life of professional American football player Spencer Paysinger, this 2018 sports drama was created by April Blair. Paysinger was a rising high school football player from South L.A. recruited to play for Beverly Hills High. All American is a tale of the wins, losses, and struggles of two families from vastly different worlds, Crenshaw and Beverly Hills.

Crenshaw High School star wide receiver Spencer James (Daniel Ezra, A Discovery of Witches), transfers to Beverly Hills High to play football but is switched to playing Safety and covers as running back. After trying to drive Tyrone’s gang out of Crenshaw, he was the only player given a standing ovation by the South Crenshaw crowd, despite playing for the cross-town rival. During a legal coverage tackle, he knocked Chris (Spence Moore II, 13 Reasons Why) out cold. Chris temporarily lost feeling in his legs, a suspected lumbar injury. The day after the ring ceremony and his top 60 college prospect ranking, Spencer quit football over Corey James’s death (Chad L. Coleman). He gets shot and removes the bullet himself so he can return to playing football for South Crenshaw High. Expect lots of answers and even more questions when the new season rolls in.

“All American” returns January 18 on The CW Network.

Great news for Ted Danson fans … he is returning to prime time in the new workplace comedy Mr. Mayor. The series, created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock (30 Rock), has Danson portraying Neil Bremer, a wealthy retired businessman in LA who rashly runs for office — and unexpectedly wins. Danson’s co-star, the Oscar-winning Holly Hunter (Broadcast News, The Piano), plays Arpi Meskimen, a combative liberal councilwoman who becomes Bremer’s way more qualified deputy mayor. The supporting cast includes Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as the less than supportive chief of staff, Mike Cabellon (Orange is the New Black) as chief strategist, Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as the mayor’s simple-minded communications director, and Kyla Kenedy (The Walking Dead, Speechless) as the mayor’s teenage daughter.

I got a sneak peek at the first couple of episodes and this is truly funny stuff! I like Ted Danson a lot, but I rarely watched Becker and only saw The Good Place every now and again; I haven’t seen a lot of Holly Hunter’s recent work. Getting to watch these two mega-talents having so much fun together is a real treat. They are heading up a truly fine comedy ensemble. Asked why he jumped into another series so quickly (after The Good Place), Danson said, “At almost 73, to be playing some old white guy who shouldn’t still be up to bat, who is in slightly over his head? That’s me!”

“Mr. Mayor” premieres January 7th on NBC.