Written by Kevin T Fischer
Shows come and go, and every year you get those shows that really only go a couple episodes – let alone an entire season – before they get the axe. 2013 was a year like any other when it came to television, but there were a few that managed to make it into the New Year. Below are just a few of those shows.
Hannibal
Surviving the first season...
The first season is always tough for any show. There's so much to prove and not a lot of programs make it past this phase. Three shows in particular, however, managed to make it through the first season and will be coming back for the 2014 year.
Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter, the intellectual cannibal, has been
widely celebrated by a litany of websites that all recognize his genius. That is why it was such a surprise when Hannibal premiered and Hopkins was absent. Instead, what you have here is a retelling of grisly tails with Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen as Special Agent Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, respectively. Stylish, brash, intense and, oh yes, violent – NBC's Hannibal managed to secure a second season and promises to push the envelope even further...if that's possible.
Even with all of these reboots and modernizations of classic tales, Sleepy Hollow still came as somewhat of a shock. Forget what you know about the haunting tale penned by Washington Irving, as this supernatural drama draws little from the source. Sure, Ichabod Crane is there, except he's a Colonial Army soldier instead of a teacher. Also, the Headless Horsemen is actually one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Overall, the show is pretty bonkers and the only thing more shocking than a second season is there ambitious (or cocky) assertion of a
seven-year arc.
You would think that a show about an impenetrable dome over a terrified town would be a pretty small story in terms of scope. Such is not the case with this sci-fi drama based on the book by Stephen King. In an
open letter to fans and haters of the show alike, King addressed his support of the program and he has even agreed to
write the first episode of the new season.
Back For Another Round
Of course, 2014 will also play host to a number of returning shows from years past. These shows have made it well past the first season growing pains and represent some of the most anticipated programs fans can't stop talking about.
Person of Interest blew our minds back in 2011 with Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson and the Machine – a mass surveillance program that, oddly enough, was
a little prophetic. Using the Machine to find people in trouble, these two vigilantes have made powerful friends and even more powerful enemies.
Like Person of Interest, The Walking Dead
returns in 2014 after a midseason finale. Fans of the comic and the show have been chomping at the bit for this drama. There will be zombies, violence and lots and lots of progression as the survivors (and their humanity) are tested.
Those are just a few of the shows – new and old – making a comeback in 2014. Add to that, some of the potential hits premiering in 2014 and you'll have plenty to keep you occupied on into the New Year. Kevin T. Fischer
