When All The Superhero Shows Return To TV In 2016

When Adam Duritz of the band Counting Crows wrote the song “A Long December,” it’s a safe bet he wasn’t talking about how fans of superhero shows on TV feel during the winter hiatus. I suppose it’s possible he was talking about Lois & Clark or Smallville, but I kind of doubt it.

Jokes aside, it does seem like a long wait for our favorite comic book heroes to return to the small screen again. The holidays help pass the first few weeks of the break, but now that it’s January, it’s simply a waiting game. And no one really enjoys those.

All we can do to help you pass the time is give you reading material. Well, that and let you know exactly when you can look forward to the returns and/or debuts of your favorite superhero shows — and comic book shows that aren’t based on superheroes, for that matter. Let’s go day by day through the week and check out the dates you need to keep in mind.

Monday

Gotham – Since Gotham was the first superhero show to return to the air in the fall, it was also the first to reach its winter hiatus. There hasn’t been a new episode since November 30, 2015. You might think that would make it the first to return to the air as well, but you’d be wrong — the next new episode is scheduled for February 29.

Supergirl – Consider this series the exact opposite of Gotham. CBS’ plan for the freshman campaign of the Girl of Steel didn’t see it debut until late October, so it has to make up ground on the other shows. That’s good news, because it comes back into our lives on January 4, though it will immediately take the following week off before resuming with regular new episodes on January 18.

Lucifer – For everyone thinking that Gotham could use a comic book-related partner, well, you’re about to get your wish. Lucifer will make its debut on January 25 while Gotham is still on hiatus, and while its second episode is currently slated to air on Friday, January 29, Fox’s plan for it apparently calls for it to continue on Monday nights into the spring. Stay tuned.

Tuesday

The Flash – The second season of The Flash actually didn’t leave us with a huge cliffhanger at mid-season. I mean, Harrison Wells is working with Zoom, but no one really trusted that guy anyway. No matter, as my personal favorite of all superhero shows on TV, I get antsy waiting for it to finish its winter break, which is why I’m already looking forward to January 19.

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Agent Carter – Everyone loves Peggy Carter. Okay, maybe not everyone, but it seems like the vast majority of fans really think both Hayley Atwell and her character are great. Season 2 of her solo series can’t get here fast enough, and January 19 will see Peggy switch coasts but keep kicking butt.

Agents of SHIELD – So you’re a fan of Agents of SHIELD but not of Agent Carter, eh? That’s too bad, because for the second straight season, the latter will run while the former is away, meaning AoS has the longest winter break of any superhero show. The best season yet for Phil Coulson and crew gave us its mid-season finale on December 8, and it doesn’t return until March 8. So … better become a fan of Peggy Carter, yes?

iZombie – I have a confession to make: I’ve never watched a single episode of this series. Call it a concession to my marriage that I don’t keep up with every comic book-related show, or it might be because it’s on at the same time as Agents of SHIELD. Regardless, I know a few people who really enjoy the quirky adventures of Liv Moore, so they’ll be happy to know they will resume on January 12.

Wednesday

Arrow – Now this is one series that did leave us with a big cliffhanger. Did Felicity Smoak survive? And if she did, how will she be affected by the attack that came right after Oliver Queen proposed to her? And there’s that whole funeral scene hanging over the second half of the season … Anyway, Arrow returns on January 20, a night #Olicity shippers already have set aside for focused rage if necessary.

Next: Arrow: Will Felicity Become Oracle?

Thursday

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – Thursday nights were free of superhero shows for the first half of the season, but that won’t be the case for very long. Rip Hunter is coming from the future to round up a group of heroes and villains to prevent Vandal Savage from ruling the whole world, and he’s starting his quest on January 21 — at least in our world, I have no idea what date it is in the Arrow-verse.