Returning TV: 15 Freshman Shows Renewed

We generally watch a lot of tv in order to be ‘hip’ and ‘with it’.  Not to mention, several of the recent first year shows have been REALLY good!  But what we have here are a current list of first year shows that have been picked up for an official second season from their networks.  I should point out that just because a freshman series isn’t on this list doesn’t mean it’s out of the running, it just means the official order hasn’t been placed yet.  It’s only January, there are still at least two months in the TV ‘order’ window.

This list is in no particular order, and many of these we haven’t watched, so we can’t tell you if they deserved it or not:

1.  Gotham, FOX.  One of those live action comic adaptations we’ve been waiting a long time for.  I was a huge fan of Birds Of Prey….what?  STOP LAUGHING, it was awesome and just misunderstood.  But young Detective Gordon tackling Gotham’s most notorious feels like it can continue strong.

2.  Jane The Virgin, The CW.  A young, devout woman discovers that she was accidentally artificially inseminated.  Recently received the Golden Globe for Best Actress TV Comedy or Musical for Gina Rodriguez.

3.  Scorpion, CBS.  Drama series loosely based on the life of self-proclaimed genius and computer expert Walter O’Brien.

4.  BoJack: Horseman, Netflix.  Animated comedy series, a beloved sitcom horse of the ’90s – 20 years later. BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit TV show “Horsin’ Around,” but today he’s washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters.

5.  The Flash, The CW.  One of the best reviewed first year comic series, based on the early years of young DC Comics and Justice League alum The Flash, Barry Allen.

6.  Outlander, STARZ.  Highly anticipated historical romantic/adventure/fantasy/science fiction television adaptation of the award-winning best selling book series by author Diana Gabaldon.

7.  NCIS: New Orleans, CBS.  The third and most recent series in the NCIS procedural drama series.  The cases and lives of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s New Orleans branch, which consists of Senior Special Agent Dwayne Cassius “King” Pride, Special Agent Christopher LaSalle, and Special Agent Meredith Brody.

8.  Empire, Fox.  A unique family drama set in the world of a hip hop empire.

9.  Transparent, Amazon Prime.  The story revolves around a Los Angeles family and their lives following the discovery that their father Mort (Jeffrey Tambor) is transgender.  It won for best dramatic series, and Tambor took home the best actor in a drama at the Golden Globes.

10.  Survivor’s Remorse, Starz.  Produced by LeBronn James, the show centers around the lives of Cam Calloway (Jesse T. Usher) and his family after he signs a pro basketball contract and moves his family to Atlanta.

11.  The Affair, Showtime.  A drama that explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship.

12.  Madam Secretary, CBS.  Apolitical drama television series centering around a CIA analyst who is promoted to United States Secretary of State.

13.  Marco Polo, Netflix.  An epic historical fantasy series based on the life and travels of famed explorer Marco Polo.

14.  Z Nation, SyFy.  Think of this as a cheaper, more gritty The Walking Dead, produced by SyFy network.

15.  The Knick, Cinemax.  A look at the professional and personal lives of the staff at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital during the early part of the twentieth century starring Clive Owen.

We’re still waiting to hear the official word on NBC’s Constantine.  For a listing of NON first year series’ fates, check here.