As we welcome 2022, and plan for the future, we have new shows that will suit our moods, grab attention, and guide us through each of the first 31 days. We have a window into another world with the TV premieres this month: we can explore a melodramatic murder mystery or a comedy full of chaotic moments and hijinks.
Motherhood is a major theme in several programs this month. First, from Miranda Kwok, “The Cleaning Lady” (January 3) follows Élodie Yung as Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian doctor who moves to the United States for her son’s medical aid. In order to make her own way, she is forced to become a cleaner for a group criminals after she is let down by society. Second, the documentary “Eggs Over Easy” (January 4), directed by Chiquita Lockley, discusses the subject of infertility and unexpected routes to motherhood, specifically within the Black community. Third, Marissa Jo Cerar’s limited series, “Women of the Movement” (January 6), follows Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight for justice after the lynching of her son Emmett Till in 1955.
January’s new shows also range across several genres, from the action-packed comic book adaption “Naomi” (January 11), from Ava DuVernay, to the new sitcom spinoff “How I Met Your Father” (January 18), starring Hilary Duff.
Make sure you mark your calendars for some exciting HBO viewing. The highly anticipated return of the high school drama “Euphoria” will take place January 9, while the fifth and final season of the noir-comedy “Search Party” premieres January 7.
Here are January’s premiering and returning women-driven and women-created TV projects. Unless otherwise noted all descriptions are from press materials.
Television and Episodic Premieres
“The Cleaning Lady” – Created by Miranda Kwok (Premieres January 3 on Fox)
“The Cleaning Lady” is a thrilling and emotionally-driven character drama about a whip-smart Cambodian doctor (Élodie Yung() who travels to the U.S. to seek medical treatment for her son. She refuses to be marginalized and beaten down when the system fails her. Instead, she becomes an organized crime cleaning lady, using her intelligence, cunning, and intelligence to forge her own way in the criminal underworld.
“Abbott Elementary” – Created by Quinta Brunson (Premieres January 4 on ABC)
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers – and a slightly tone-deaf principal – are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do – even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
“Eggs Over Easy” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Chiquita Lockley (Premieres January 4 on OWN)
Narrated and executive produced by Emmy-nominated actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, “Eggs Over Easy” investigates the often taboo subject of infertility in the Black community and brings Black women together for an enlightening and empowering dialogue about the sometimes unpredictable path to motherhood. Andra Day, a Grammy-nominated actress and singer, joins the conversation. She’s joined by doctors, fertility advocates, and Black women who share their personal experiences, including IVF, miscarriage and uterine fibroids.
“Good Sam” – Created by Katie Wech (Premieres January 5 on CBS)
After her legendary boss’s death, Dr. Sam Griffith (Sophia Bush), succeeds in her new position as chief of surgery. Sam is assigned to supervise the egotistical surgeon, who refuses to acknowledge her talent, when her former boss wakes up several months later. Problems are made worse by the fact that Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith (Jason Isaacs) also happens to be her father. As Griff defies Sam’s authority and challenges her medical expertise, the big question becomes whether this father and daughter will ever be able to mend their own relationship as expertly as they heal the hearts of their patients.
“Women of the Movement” (Limited Series) – Created by Marissa Jo Cerar (Premieres January 6 on ABC)
This six-episode series, which will air in three parts, is based upon the true story Mamie Till Mobley. (Adrienne Warren)Emmett’s mother, Mary, risked her life in 1955 to seek justice. (Cedric Joe) In the Jim Crow South, Emmett was brutally murdered. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chose to bear her pain on the world’s stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the civil rights movement as we know it today.
“Let the World See” (Docuseries) – Directed by Jeanmarie Condon and Fatima Curry (Premieres January 6 on ABC)
“Let the World See” is a fresh and deep examination of Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight to bring her son’s body home to Chicago and her pivotal yet heartbreaking decision to have an open-casket funeral for the public to see, which ultimately served as a turning point for the civil rights movement. The docuseries also traces Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley’s journey back to the Jim Crow South to face her son’s murderers in court. The program will show how the Till family continued her legacy after her death in 2003. They were active in the movement during protests sparked by the deaths of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd as well as Ms. Breonna Taylor’s murder.
“Pivoting” – Created by Liz Astrof (Premieres January 9 on Fox)
“Pivoting” is a single-camera comedy about how we deal with life, death, and all the crazy things that happen in between. The series is set in Long Island, NY and follows three women and their close-knit childhood friends (Eliza Coupe and Ginnifer Goodwin), as they deal with the loss of the fourth member in their group. These women face the reality of life’s shortness and make pivotal decisions to alter their lives. They do this by making impulsive, ill-advised and self-indulgent choices. These pivots will strengthen their bond and prove it’s never too late to screw up your life in the pursuit of happiness.
“Naomi” – Written by Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship (Premieres January 11 on The CW)
Naomi (Kaci Walfall), a young woman who is shocked by a supernatural event in her hometown of Port Oswego, sets out to find its origins with the help of Annabelle (MaryCharles Jones), her fiercely loyal best friend. Her loving adoptive parents Greg (a veteran soldier) and Jennifer (Mouzam Makar), are there to help her. Naomi is shaken by her encounter with Zumbado (Cranston John), the mysterious owner a used car lot; and she turns to Dee (Alexander Wraith), tattoo parlor owner, who becomes her reluctant mentor. While unfolding the mystery about herself, Naomi also effortlessly navigates her high school friendships with kids on the military base as well as local townies, including ex-boyfriend and high school jock Nathan (Daniel Puig); Annabelle’s longtime, loyal boyfriend Jacob (Aidan Gemme); proud “townie” Anthony (Will Meyers); and fellow comic book enthusiast Lourdes (Camila Moreno), who works in a vintage collectible shop. Naomi will be exploring the Multiverse looking for answers.
“The Kings of Napa” – Created by Janine Sherman Barrois (Premieres January 11 on OWN)
“The Kings of Napa” is focused on a gorgeous and picturesque Napa Valley, California vineyard owned by the Kings, an aspirational African American family whose wealth and status lands them on the pages of design magazines and society pages. The wine business has brought the family success and acclaim, but following the patriarch’s sudden exit from the company, his three children must grapple for the reins to the kingdom — to their own power, wealth, and legacy.
“The Journalist” (Premieres January 13 on Netflix)
Anna Matsuda (Ryoko Yonekura), a reporter for the Toto Newspaper, is a highly regarded and well-respected journalist who uses her strong beliefs to get to the bottom — and discover the truth — of every story. Anna is constantly confronted with the scandals and political crimes of modern Japan. She makes it her priority expose the corruption that is ravaging her country.
“The House” – Directed by Emma De Swaef, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Paloma Baeza, and Marc James Roels (Premieres January 14 on Netflix)
This animated dark comedy combines a variety of eras to show how a poor family and an anxious developer become tied together by a mysterious house.
“Ray Donovan: The Movie” (TV Movie) – Written by Ann Biderman, Liev Schreiber, and David Hollander (Premieres January 14 on Showtime)
The Donovan family’s legacy is complete after a showdown that was decades in the making. The events that made Ray (Liev Scheiber) the man he is today are finally revealed and the Donovans are drawn back to Boston to confront the past. Each of them has to overcome their past violence, but destiny isn’t easy and only their strong love keeps them together. Whether they stand together or they go down swinging, one thing is certain: Ray doesn’t do loose ends.
“Somebody Somewhere” – Created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen (Premieres January 16 on HBO/HBO Max)
“Somebody Somewhere” follows Sam (Bridget Everett), a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, is struggling to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere.
“How I Met Your Father” – Created by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker (Premieres January 18 on Hulu)
In the near future Sophie (Hilary Duff), is telling her son about how she met his father. This story will take us back to 2021 when Sophie and her close-knit circle of friends are still trying to figure out who and what they want from life.
“Single Drunk Female” – Created by Simone Finch (Premieres January 20 on Freeform)
After a spectacularly embarrassing public breakdown, irreverent alcoholic Samantha Fink (Sofia Black-D’Elia) is forced to move back home with her “Smother” (Ally Sheedy) to sober up and avoid jail time. But when her childhood BFF reveals surprising news, Samantha starts to realize there is a fine line between “party girl” and “walking disaster.”
“The Gilded Age” – Directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Michael Engler; Written by Sonja Warfield and Julian Fellowes (Premieres January 24 on HBO/HBO Max)
The American Gilded Age saw a period of enormous economic change. It was characterized by huge fortunes being made and lost, as well as a rise in the disparity between old and modern money. Against this backdrop of change, the story begins in 1882 — introducing young Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson)The orphaned child of a Union General,, moves into the New York City residence of her deeply old money aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). Accompanied by Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), an accomplished African-American woman, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife. Marian will have to decide whether to follow the established social rules or forge her path in this exciting new world.
“Astrid & Lilly Save the World” – Created by Noelle Stehman (Premieres January 26 on Syfy)
High school is hard enough when you’re different, but when outcast BFFs Astrid (Jana Morrison) and Lilly (Samantha Aucoin) accidentally crack open a portal to a terrifyingly quirky monster dimension, it gets a lot more complicated. It’s up to them to vanquish the creepy creatures and save the world, becoming the badass heroes they were meant to be. If they can survive high school’s horrors.
“The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” – Created by Rachel Ramras, Hugh Davidson, and Larry Dorf (Premieres January 28 on Netflix)
Anna (Kristen Bell), a broken woman who lives every day with her husband. She sits with her wine and watches life pass by outside. Anna begins to see the light at the end the tunnel when a handsome neighbor walks in from the street. That is until she witnesses a gruesome murder — or did she?
“Monarch” – Created by Melissa London Hilfers (Premieres January 30 on Fox)
“Monarch” is a multigenerational musical drama about America’s first family of country music, the Romans. Dottie Cantrell Roman, the Queen of Country Music (Susan Sarandon), is the head of the Romans. Dottie, along with her husband Albie Trace Adkins, has established a country music dynasty. Even though the Roman name is associated with authenticity, the foundation of their success is a fabrication. And when their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy, heir to the crown Nicolette “Nicky” Roman (Anna Friel) will stop at nothing to protect her family’s legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom.
Returning Series
“The Hook Up Plan” – Created by Noémie Saglio, Chris Lang, and Julien Teisseire (Netflix, January 1)
“Speak Sis”(Talk Show) – (OWN, January 4).
“The Club” – Created by Zeynep Günay Tan (Netflix, January 6)
“Search Party” – Created by Sarah-Violet Bliss (Charles Rogers), and Michael Showalter (HBO Max, January 7)
“A Discovery of Witches”(Sundance Now/Shudder/AMC+ January 8)
“Euphoria”(HBO/HBO Max January 9)
“Call Me Kat” – Created by Darlene Hunt (Fox, January 9)
“Queens of Mystery”(Acorn TV, January 10).
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”(Talk Show) (TBS January 20).
Source: Women And Hollywood