Winter TV preview: 'Severance,' 'White Lotus,' 'Yellowjackets,' 43 more great shows to watch

Welcome to the winter of 2025 on TV — otherwise known as that stretch when NBC promises to remind us that "Saturday Night Live" was launched 50 years ago.

And remind us. And remind us ...

But first (and reasonable) impressions aside, there actually will be a lot more to watch this winter besides the "SNL50" anniversary telecast, and all that will be leading up to that.

In fact, this will be an unusually busy season on Netflix, which launches Robert DeNiro's first TV series along with "American Primeval," a major must-check-out Western (remember those?).

And have I yet mentioned that "Severance" (Apple TV+) and "The White Lotus" (HBO/Max) are back as well?

So settle in, stay warm, and keep the remote handy. Here's your guide to what's on over the next two months:

ALREADY ON 

MISSING YOU (Netflix)

The Harlan Coben factory continues on Netflix with this eighth adaptation, as Det. Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar) finds a former lover on a dating app.

JAN. 2

CONSPIRATORS (ALLBLK)

This streaming service found success with the five-season "Double Cross," and the parents of that success — Christel and Howard Gibson — now have another crime series, this one about a group of friends who work for a local politician with some dark secrets.

GOING DUTCH (Fox/5, 9:30 p.m.)

Denis Leary ("Rescue Me") is an obnoxious colonel who the Army decides should be stationed on the other side of an ocean — you know, for its own sanity — hence his arrival in Holland. Danny Pudi co-stars.

LOCKERBIE: A SEARCH FOR TRUTH (Peacock)

After the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland on Dec. 21, 1988, Dr. Jim Swire — whose daughter, Flora, was killed — became a family advocate for a full investigation. Now, the miniseries, with Colin Firth as Swire.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC/7, 8)

From 2004-12, "Extreme Makeover" ruled its Sunday roost with an addictive mix of house-carpentry-on-steroids, and the high-octane energy of host Ty Pennington. Families in need got a beautiful home in the bargain. And then — kapoof — it was all over. The houses were hard to maintain, and taxes through the roof. Those families in need were left holding the bag. This reboot — hosted by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the cofounders of decluttering startup Home Edit — will still build new houses but address those earlier problems.

JAN. 3

OUTLANDER (Starz, 8)

This feels like an appropriate point to remind fans that "Outlander" will wrap with these final two episodes (on the 3rd and 17th), then not to be seen again for who-knows-how-long (this is "Droughtlander," after all.) A good bet for the eighth and truly final season is 2026.

JAN. 7

THE BREAKTHROUGH (Netflix)

There was a double murder in the southern Swedish city of Linköping in 2004 that went unsolved for 16 years; this four-part (Swedish) dramatization is all about the final breakthrough, thanks to a combination of old-fashioned police work, with a genealogist assist.

DOC (Fox/5, 9)

Based on an Italian series about a real-life doctor — Dr. Pierdante Piccioni, who suffered amnesia following a car accident — here at last is the Americanized version, with Molly Parker ("Deadwood") as Doc Amy Elias, who wakes up after a traumatic accident to find eight years of her life missing.

JERRY SPRINGER: FIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION (Netflix)

"The Jerry Springer Show" ran for 27 seasons (1991-2018), during which time the civilized world (and critics) howled about how this travesty was contributing to the decline and fall of Western Civilization. This two-parter should serve to remind us just how much we miss both the show and ringmaster (Springer died in 2023.)

JAN. 8

HOUND'S HILL (Netflix)

If "Squid Game" proved anything, it's that hits can come from any part of the globe. So why not Poland, from whence came this thriller-horror six-parter about a blackmailed novelist?

SHIFTING GEARS (ABC, 8)

He's back! Or more to the point, did Tim Allen ever really go away!? ("The Santa Clauses" is the latest, and there must be another "Toy Story" video game/TV movie in the works, too, right?) "Shifting Gears" does indeed sound a lot like "Last Man Standing" (which finally wrapped in 2021) — Allen as a widower/classic car whose estranged daughter (Kat Dennings of "Two Broke Girls") moves back home.

JAN. 9

AMERICAN PRIMEVAL (Netflix)

A little bit of "True Grit" mixed in with some "Deadwood" and a whole lot more violence than either, this six-part hardcore Western comes from Mark L. Smith ("The Revenant") and Peter Berg. Set in 1857 Utah territory in the midst of a hot war between Mormons, the U.S. Army, Indians and whoever gets in their way, "Primeval" stars Betty Gilpin as a mother trying to unite with her husband in a distant town on the frontier. Quite the cast too, with Dane DeHaan, Joe Tippett, Shea Whigham and Taylor Kitsch — as you've never quite seen him before. 

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES (CBS/2, 8)

This once-iconic, now-forgotten game show has been gone so long that a refresher is in order — contestants pick celebs in the "square" to win at tic-tac-toe. Drew Barrymore is in the center square of this reboot, surrounded by celebs who include Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Tyra Banks, RuPaul, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, Gabriel Iglesias, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Yvette Nicole Brown, Whitney Cummings. Nate Burleson hosts.

ON CALL (Prime Video)

This is not — repeat not — "Cops" but same idea nonetheless: cinema verite procedural from Dick Wolf starring Eriq LaSalle and Hauppauge's Lori Loughlin as cops in the Long Beach (California) Police Department on their rounds.

THE PITT (Max)

This is not — repeat not — "ER" but same idea nonetheless: Noah Wyle stars as ER chief of trauma surgery in a Pittsburgh hospital. ("ER's" John Wells produces, too.) Each of the 15 episodes unfolds over a 15-hour day. (And this is not — repeat not — "24" either but same idea, etc.)

ASURA (Netflix)

Set in 1979, this latest adaptation of Kuniko Mukōda's novel "Like Asura," is about four sisters who discover their father's affair. Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, who was also behind 2018 cult hit "Shoplifters" (about an impoverished family living outside Tokyo).

JAN. 12

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (WNET/13, 9)

Maybe not a new series, but certainly a beloved one, this fifth season opens in the spring of 1941, with Helen (Rachel Shenton) caring for her newborn while James (Nicholas Ralph) is in flight training. Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) and Siegfried (Samuel West) are soldiering on in their own way. This season's surprise: Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) is back.

MISS SCARLET (WNET/13, 8)

Hey, where's "The Duke" (Stuart Martin)? That's right, he's off to New York, leaving Miss Scarlet (Kate Phillips) on her own, in pursuit of malefactors. She's got some help at Scotland Yard but as press notes ponder, "all these changes and decisions beg the question — can Eliza Scarlet have it all?"

JAN. 15

AN UPDATE ON OUR FAMILY (HBO/Max)

Former YouTube vloggers Myka and James Stauffer posted popular videos of their happy family until one day, the internet noticed one of the children missing. Turns out the Stauffers had found another home for the kid — and the internet went crazy. HBO/Max actually got a three-part doc out of the story.

JAN. 16

SNL 50 : BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT (Peacock)

This much-anticipated four-part doc on how the "SNL" sausage is made could actually be more interesting than that whole sausage arriving in February. The episodes — which all drop today — will look at the audition process; the writer's room; how a famous sketch ("Cowbell") was made; and the 11th season, when Lorne Michaels returned from a five-year hiatus.

JAN. 17

THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR (Starz, 9)

This Brit psych thriller stars Sam Heughan as a traffic cop, and Jessica DeGouw as his wife Becka, who befriend the new neighbors, Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch). Then things start to get weird (or were they weird already?). And yes, this is Heughan's first starring role on a TV series outside the cozy confines of "Outlander."

SEVERANCE (Apple TV+)

After nearly three long, lonely years, "Severance" fans can at last rejoice because the second season is here. Expect more of the same — Mark Scout (Adam Scott) and his colleagues at Lumen Industries — learn a little more about the company's "severance barrier" whereby work and personal memories must never cross (or else). New cast members include Gwendoline Christie —  the beloved Brienne of Tarth from "Game of Thrones" — along with Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development"), Merritt Wever ("Nurse Jackie") and Bob Balaban. Two episodes drop today.

JAN. 22

PRIME TARGET (Apple TV+)

Not since "Numb3rs" has there been a TV thriller about numbers but they're about to get their numbery close-up once again, in this Ridley Scott-produced series starring those of the prime variety.  Mathematician Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) is about to find out something special about prime numbers which will help him to hack — -were he of a mind — every computer on the globe. But someone wants to stop him first. Quintessa Swindell stars as the NSA agent tracking him.

JAN. 26

WATSON (CBS/2, 10)

Sherlock Holmes has been killed by Moriarty, which suddenly frees up his redoubtable assistant, Dr. Watson (Morris Chestnut). As a doctor, Watson decides to return to his original career — that medical one — and he becomes chief of a clinic involved in rare diseases. There are also murders (Holmes') and mysteries to solve, but this procedural sounds a little more like "House" because those medical mystery cases will take precedence.

JAN. 28

PARADISE (Hulu)

Sterling K. Brown ("This Is Us") is back at long last, in this political thriller where he plays head of security to a president (James Marsden) who's murdered. As the last one to see the prez alive, he's the chief suspect. This eight-parter reunites Brown with "This Is Us" creator Dan Fogelman.

GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE (WNET/13, 9)

This four-parter from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. looks at the Great Migration of Black Americans from the Deep South to the North between 1910 and 1940, but brings the story up to date, with a reverse-migration that has seen Blacks returning to the South.

FEB. 2

THE 67TH GRAMMYS (CBS/2, 8)

This 67th looks like it might be an all-Beyoncé night (11 nods, for a career record of 99.) By contrast, Taylor Swift mustered a mere six nominations.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS (Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.)

This animated comedy is exec-produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels so attention must be paid (that late hour notwithstanding). A pair of former high school lab partners discover a mushroom that heals everything — cue to a satire about Big Pharma, the DEA, insurance companies and the health care system.

FEB. 3

THE HUNTING PARTY (NBC/4, 10)

Easy to laugh (or groan) at the tagline of this procedural — beautiful, brainy cop (Melissa Roxburgh) hunts down America's most murderous murderers who have escaped from a prison that's not supposed to exist (huh?). But who'll get the last laugh when this goes into its 18th season in 2043?

FEB. 5

KINDA PREGNANT (Netflix)

This movie (not series) stars Amy Schumer as Lainey, an English teacher who's jealous of all the attention showered on her pregnant best friend (Jillian Bell, former "SNL" writer and star of "Brittany Runs a Marathon"). To get some of that attention for herself, she fakes her own pregnancy then meets Mr. Right (Will Forte) in the process. Tyler Spindel (Netflix's "The Out-Laws") directs.

FEB. 6

CLEAN SLATE (Prime Video)

Up until his death nearly a year ago at the age of 101, Norman Lear was at work on another sitcom that (very) distantly evoked his most famous creation, "All in the Family" and just as distantly his "Sanford and Son." In this, Desiree (Laverne Cox) returns after a 17-year absence to the home of her father, Harry (George Wallace), the working-class owner of an Alabama car wash. The twist — or "clean slate" — is that Desiree is now a trans woman.

FEB. 7

NEWTOPIA (Prime Video)

This South Korean zombie apocalypse series should get plenty of attention for one big reason: It stars global pop sensation Jisoo of K-pop girl band Blackpink. She plays an engineer who's trying to avoid a zombie menace that has overrun Seoul.

FEB. 9

SUPER BOWL LIX (Fox/5)

What? Already? And it just seemed like yesterday when 200 million of us were camped out in front of the widescreen for LVIII to watch the commercials.

FEB. 14

YELLOWJACKETS (Showtime, 9)

After an underwhelming season 2, "Yellowjackets" wants to get back in the business of overwhelming fans — this time with a back-to-basics (and back in the wilderness) vibe. Hilary Swank and Joel McHale join in guest/recurring roles, respectively.

FEB. 15

THE '90S BOY BAND BOOM (CW/11, 8)

Once upon a time boy bands were everywhere, and now, not so much. This CW documentary tells us why and (hopefully) what happened to the members of Dream Street, 3T and 5ive.

FEB. 16

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (NBC/4, Peacock, 8)

After 50 years in the making, surely you didn't expect "SNL" (or NBC) to let this little anniversary pass by unnoticed? "SNL" (and NBC) will not: This three-hour celebration will be part of an "SNL" weekend long celebration, with many of the former hosts and cast members in attendance. Like the 40th (also three hours), this live broadcast will originate from Studio 8H.

THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO/Max, 9)

This third season arrives without Jennifer Coolidge — so we'll all have to deal with that — but at least there are a total of eight episodes, which means "Lotus" has been supersized. There will be a new locale (Thailand), some new cast members (Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs) and a whole new theme (Eastern mysticism set in a luxury resort).

FEB. 19

GOOD COP/ BAD COP (CW/11, 9)

This cop-comedy-drama procedural follows the exploits of a sister/brother team — Leighton Meester, Luke Cook — who must deal with the "quirky" inhabitants of a cute little crime-ridden town in the Pacific Northwest.

FEB. 20

ZERO DAY (Netflix)

The headline here is "Robert De Niro stars in his first TV series"(although he did play Bernie Madoff in that HBO movie). In this 6-episode political/cyber thriller, he plays an ex-prez investigating a global cyber meltdown. Big themes (reportedly) i include the role of disinformation in political discourse, so (yes) "Zero Day" certainly promises to be topical. Besides De Niro, this has quite the cast: Lizzy Caplan, Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Matthew Modine and Joan Allen (Dan Stevens, Clark Gregg, Bill Camp and Gaby Hoffmann also appear.)

FEB. 21

A THOUSAND BLOWS (Hulu)

This British historical period drama about bare-knuckle boxing comes from Steven Knight of "Peaky Blinders," so safe to assume no punches (ahem) will be pulled. Like "Blinders" this is a dark tour of the London underworld of the 1880s, with a "Rocky" overline: Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby, "Roots") will eventually face off with the ruthless Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham, "The Irishman). In six episodes.

FEB. 23

SUITS: L.A. (NBC/4, 9)

After a nine-season run (on USA) ended in 2019, "Suits" disappeared into America's memory hole, and then that magical Netflix (and Peacock) Effect took over. "Suits" got popular all over again, and the reboot call went out. What's markedly different here, however, is no Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman or Gabriel Macht — who appears only in a recurring role. Instead, this stars "Arrow's" Stephen Amell as a Hollywood entertainment lawyer — which means this could also conceivably work as a reboot of "L.A. Law."

THE AMERICAS (NBC/4, 7)

NBC leaves its wheelhouse for a nature — that's right nature — series narrated by Tom Hanks, which covers the natural wonders of both continents. This (no-doubt-splendid) 10-parter gets off to a blast, with a two-episode launch.

GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY (NBC/4, 10)

Who out there remembers "Good Girls," the 2018-21 NBC show that starred Christina Hendricks, Mae Whitman and Retta about three "good girls" who robbed a grocery store? Good, because now you have a tonal hint of this newcomer about four members of a Detroit-area garden club who are more preoccupied with murder than with pruning the azaleas. Stars AnnaSophia Robb, Melissa Fumero, Ben Rappaport and Aja Naomi King.

FEB. 24

BEYOND THE GATES (CBS/2, 2 p.m.)

A pair of "firsts" with this new soap: First network soap launch in a quarter century; and first soap with a Black cast since "Generations" ended on NBC in 1991. In fact, this comes from a barrier-breaker herself: Michele Val Jean, the prolific soap writer who got her start on "Generations" then went on to become head writer at "General Hospital." "Gates" is about the wealthy Dupree family who live in an exclusive community outside Washington, D.C., wherein lie secrets, deceit, along with a laundry list of other soap storytelling tropes.

FEB. 27

HOUSE OF DAVID (Prime Video)

King Saul (Ali Suliman, "The Looming Tower"), the first ruler of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah, was king for some 40 years before that Biblical rift with the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang, "Avatar"), leading to the ascension of longtime rival, King David (Michael Iskander). This eight-parter does indeed get around to the story of Goliath (Martyn Ford) too.

MARCH 2

THE ACADEMY AWARDS (ABC/7, 7, Hulu)

This telecast of the 97th annual Oscars will make a little bit of history, with Hulu offering a livestream for the first time. In addition, Conan O'Brien hosts; in the event you've forgotten, he was the former "Tonight Show" host, and now needs a friend. 

MARCH 4

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (Disney+)

Interesting tidbit here is that this is the continuation of the "Daredevil"/Marvel series that launched on Netflix back in 2015. There were two subsequent series (not to mention a few other MCU series) until Disney — which bought Marvel in 2009 — realized its fast-growing streaming rival was eating its lunch then pulled them all. Charlie Cox returns as the blind lawyer (by day) / vigilante (by night) Matt Murdock. (Vincent D'Onofrio — Kingpin — and Jon Bernthal — Punisher — reprise their roles too.)