Dollface Hulu (Feb

KILLING EVE

SEASON PREMIERE!

The spy and the assassin have a date for one last deadly dance. The tale of Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) comes to an end in the fourth and final season of BBC America’s acclaimed drama Killing Eve. As Eve drifts deeper into the spy underworld and further from her “normal” life, Villanelle is making some major life changes with a new community. Meanwhile, Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) is going to extremes to track down the group of assassins known as “The Twelve” and find out who ordered the killing of her son. Laura Neal (Sex Education) takes over as lead writer for the final eight episodes, which AMC Networks claims will build toward “a messy, nuanced and totally glorious series finale.”

“Killing Eve has been the most extraordinary journey and one that I will be forever grateful for,” Comer says. “Thank you to all the fans who’ve supported us throughout and come along for the ride. Although all good things come to an end, it’s not over yet. We aim to make this one to remember!”

Premieres on BBC America Sundays beginning Feb. 27

PUPPY BOWL XVIII

The cutest Super Bowl Sunday counterprogramming event returns for its 18th year. The three-hour event again celebrates adoptable pups and the shelters and rescues from which they come. This year, 67 shelters and rescues from 33 states bring 118 puppy players out to play on either Team Ruff or Team Fluff. Among many returning favorite aspects of Puppy Bowl, some new additions include Sesame Street’s Elmo and his dog Tango gathering the starting lineups for the coin toss.

Premieres on Animal Planet Sunday, Feb. 13

ADULTS ADOPTING ADULTS

NEW SERIES! In many parts of the United States, it is legal for adults to adopt adults as long as both parties consent. Why would people even consider this? Some want grandparents. Some want grandchildren. Some want stability. Some want to leave a legacy. Whatever their motivation, A&E turns the cameras on six different pairs who are considering adding an adult family member to their household. Are they being catfished? Does a criminal background cause alarm? There’s lots to learn before adoptions are finalized.

Premieres on A&E Mondays beginning Jan. 31

Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy in a 2000 episode of Law & Order. Waterston will reprise the character in the show’s revival.

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LAW & ORDER

SEASON PREMIERE!

Law & Order fans were bummed last summer when plans for yet another spinoff in the franchise, slated for the fall and with a subtitle of For the Defense, were scrapped. But just a couple of months later, another announcement lifted those fans back up when it was made known that creator/executive producer Dick Wolf’s Law & Order — the original flagship series that launched all the spinoffs — itself would be returning for Season 21 after about a 12-year hiatus (its first 20 seasons ran from 1990-2010).

“There are very few things in life that are literally dreams come true,” says Wolf of his first baby’s return. “This is mine.”

The influential drama racked up more than 50 Emmy nominations during its first two decades, winning for Outstanding Drama Series in 1997. Wolf and the rest of the creative team are not messing with success; Law & Order will continue the classic bifurcated format established during its original run, with each episode looking at the stories of, as the famous intro narration states, “two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders” in a given case.

Sam Waterston will return as District Attorney Jack McCoy, a role the actor originally played from 1994-2010, and for which he earned three Emmy nominations.

“Very few casting announcements have ever given me this much pleasure,” Wolf says, regarding Waterston. “Since day one, Sam has had perfect pitch when it comes to Jack McCoy as a character who both reflects and expands our ability to understand the law. He is the ultimate conscience of the show.” Also back is Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard, a role he originated in Season 18, and Wolf adds, “With both Sam and Anthony returning, it shows that the 21st season is merely a continuation of where we left off.”

In other casting known at presstime, Camryn Manheim, who guest-starred as different characters in Seasons 1, 3 and 4, is now a regular; she portrays Lt. Kate Dixon, successor to S. Epatha Merkerson’s Lt. Anita Van Buren (Merkerson’s current regular role on Chicago Med will keep her from returning to Law & Order). New cast members include Jeffrey Donovan as a yet-to-be-named NYPD detective; Hugh Dancy as a yet-to-be-named assistant D.A.; and Odelya Halevi as Assistant D.A. Samantha Maroun.

Law & Order kicks off NBC’s Thursday primetime lineup, and leads into its Special Victims Unit and Organized Crime spinoffs. There’s no word yet on whether the original will cross over with either or both of its spawn, but given Wolf’s tendency to love crossovers with his series, it seems likely that it will at some point. — Jeff Pfeiffer

Premieres on NBC Thursdays beginning Feb. 24

VIKINGS: VALHALLA

NEW SERIES! Epic action-drama Vikings had a successful sixseason run on History and streaming services, and now Netflix is picking up the gauntlet with this eight-episode spinoff series. Set in the early 11th century, Valhalla tells the story of some of old-school Scandinavia’s most famous historical figures as they clash with England and contend with the growing influence of Christianity. The series follows the adventures of explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson) and ambitious prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), who would become known as the “Last Great Viking.” Their journeys take them across raging seas and bloody battlefields in a quest to preserve their old ways in a violently changing world. Premieres on Netflix Friday, Feb. 25

THE WALKING DEAD

NEW EPISODES! The 11th and final season of The Walking Dead resumes with eight new episodes (the last eight episodes will debut later this year). Last we left the survivors, Leah (Lynn Collins) killed Pope (Ritchie Coster), the leader of the Reapers, and then turned the blame on her former love interest Daryl (Norman Reedus). The storylines for both the Reapers and the Commonwealth will continue, and Leah does show up, along with a new character — the governor of the Commonwealth, Pamela Milton, played by Laila Robins (Homeland), who will finally make an appearance. With only 16 episodes left, how many of these final characters will survive to the end?

Premieres on AMC Sundays beginning Feb. 20