A 2016 TV Preview
2015 may have spawned the phrase “Peak TV” thanks to an onslaught of shows in every format imaginable, but 2016 isn’t going to offer much respite. In the coming months, terrestrial networks, premium cable, and streaming services will continue to pump out new series and bring back old favorites, no matter how niche their audience. Here’s a look at a fraction of what’s in store for the early months of 2016.
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
Friday on PBS
Premieres January 1
As Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have turned into major film stars, new episodes of Steven Moffat’s 21st-century Sherlock have been harder and harder to come by. But two years after the show’s third-season finale, viewers will get a one-off special that will de-modernize the show, taking it back to Victorian times with a ghost story—something Moffat says wouldn’t work as well in the present day. The 90-minute episode will premiere on PBS on New Year’s Day. Season four? You’ll have to wait until 2017.
Downton Abbey
Sundays on PBS
Returns January 3
The showcase has been a PBS institution and Emmy favorite since its 2010 premiere. After six seasons that covered more than a decade of history, will come to an end next year (though its conclusion, minus a Christmas special, has already been broadcast in Britain). Much of the original cast has already departed, but one imagines there will be plenty
