HBO/YouTube "True Detective"
- Every month, Business Insider looks at the most anticipated returning shows thanks to data from TV Time.
- "True Detective" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" return in January.
After a nearly four year hiatus, HBO's "True Detective" returns this month with Mahershala Ali in the lead role.
"True Detective," an anthology drama with a new cast and story each season, debuted in 2014 to critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of its two leads, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The first season gained an 87% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for a dozen Emmys, including best drama.
The second season in 2015 didn't fare as well, with a 63% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was largely deemed a disappointing follow-up, but the third season has received more positive reactions. It currently has an 81% critic score. Indiewire's Ben Travers wrote that "True Detective" season three is a "big step up" from season two.
Every month, Business Insider looks at the most anticipated returning shows thanks to data from television-tracking app TV Time, based on its 13 million global users.
"Young Justice" also returns in January on DC Universe, and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" makes a comeback at its new home, NBC.
5. "The Blacklist" (Season 6) - NBC, January 3
NBC
Description: "Following the startling revelation that Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) isn't who he says he is, Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) is torn between the relationship she's developed with the man assumed to be her father and her desire to get to the bottom of years of secrets and lies. Meanwhile, Red leads Liz and the FBI to some of the most strange and dangerous criminals yet, growing his empire and eliminating rivals in the process. All throughout, Liz and Red engage in an uneasy cat-and-mouse game in which lines will be crossed and the truth will be revealed."
4. "Young Justice: Outsiders" (Season 3) - DC Universe, January 4
DC Universe/Warner Bros.
Description: "DC's teenage Super Heroes come of age in an animated world of super-powers, Super-Villains and super secrets as the team faces its greatest challenge yet as it takes on meta-human trafficking and the terrifying threat it creates for a society caught in the crossfire of a global and galaxy-wide genetic arms race."
3. "Gotham" (Season 5) - Fox, January 3
Jeff Neumann/FOX
Description: "GOTHAM is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer and writer Bruno Heller and executive producers Danny Cannon and John Stephens, GOTHAM follows the rise of Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) through a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time. Beginning in Winter 2019, GOTHAM will air its fifth and final season, wrapping up this beloved series in a farewell event that will focus on Bruce Wayne's (David Mazouz) transformation into the caped crusader."
2. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Season 6) - NBC, January 10
Fox
Description: "The hilarious heroics of New York's funniest police precinct continue for a new season, with a brand-new home: NBC. SNL alum Andy Samberg and Emmy winner Andre Braugher lead this diverse, critically acclaimed ensemble that solves crimes like only they can - with tons of humor and the heart to match. Winner of a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series and from Executive Producers Michael Schur and Dan Goor, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has captured the hearts of millions, and NBC is proud to be a part of the story."
1. "True Detective" (Season 3) - HBO, January 13
HBO
Description: "Partner detectives investigate a macabre crime involving two missing children in the heart of the Ozarks, Arkansas. The story spans three decades."