Mid-Winter Premiers 2014

A new year has also brought in a new season for television shows. For most series, this season is the connecting piece to the nail biting cliff hangers that left us wanting more during the holidays—for others, it is just the beginning.

I've chosen to focus on five shows that have a mid-season premiere date. There's one newbie and many returners from various networks and genres. Here's a brief overview of their storylines:

Twisted: An ABC Family original series that follows Danny Desai (Avan Jogia) as he returns to high school in the small town that he grew up in after being incarcerated for the murder of his aunt. He gains the nickname "Socio" and is constantly outcasted because of his past. He looks to his childhood best friends Jo Masterson (Maddie Hasserson) and Lacey Porter (Kylie Bunbury) for support. Jo stays on his side no matter what, even after he is accused of murdering a student at their school. Lacey believes associating with Danny in public will ruin her "popular girl" reputation — at least until Danny and Lacey fall for each other. But while Jo is helping him to clear his name, she falls for him too. Can someone say love triangle?! Catch up on past episodes before season one resumes at 9 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 11.

Glee: A wildly popular Fox musical-drama that follows members of McKinley High School's glee club, the New Directions and their advisor William Schuester (Matthew Morrison). As the New Directions work their way to nationals, they face plenty of opposition from their peers and the new principal (and former Cheerios coach) Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). The club gives jock Jake Puckerman (Jacob Artist_, the cheerleader Kitty Wilde (Becca Tobin), the wheelchair bound Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), the 'girl next door' with a fear of getting fat Marley Rose (Melissa Benoist), the formerly homeless stripper Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet), the cross-dressing Wade "Unique" Adams (Alex Newell), the gay heartthrob Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) and the asian Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz) a place to put aside their differences and come together through music and dance. Now in it's 5th season, the show also follows New Directions' alumni Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), and Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) as they live out their dreams of "making it" in the Big Apple. Catch up on the beginning of season five before the mid-season premiere at 8 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 25.

Mixology: An all new ABC comedy  produced by Ryan Seacrest (yea, the guy that hosts American Idol!) follows 10 singles in an upscale bar over the course of one night. According to abc.com, the cast is made up of Tom (Blake Lee), who was recently dumped by his fiance and his best friends confident Cal (Craig Frank) and fast-talking Bruce (Andrew Santino) who are trying to get Tom back into the dating scene. At the bar, they meet Maya (Ginger Gonzaga), a beautiful attorney and her friends Liv (Kate Simses) and single mom Jessica (Alexis Carra). Jessica's chic frenemy, Fabienne (Frankie Shaw), cocktail waitress Kacey (Vanessa Lengies), bar tender Dominic (Adan Canto) and failed internet entrepreneur Ron (Adam Campbell) round out the cast. Tune in at 9:30 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 26 to join the mix.

Scandal: ABC's hit drama that follows Washington D.C. fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) as she solves the problems of D.C.'s elite and tries to get her own life under control. She even fixed the lives of her associates who have gained the nickname 'gladiators in suits'. Olivia saves Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield) from an abusive marriage, Harrison Wright (Columbus Short) from being unfairly incarcerated for fraud, Huck (Guillermo Diaz) from homelessness after being booted out of B6-13 (a secret government assassin agency), and the newest member of the group Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes) from being accused of murdering her boyfriend. Olivia started her career as the manager of Fitzgerald Grant's (Tony Goldwyn) presidential campaign . Now that he's in the White House, she's trying to separate herself from the on-and-off affair they've had over the years. That's right, I said affair! Fitz's wife, Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), isn't willing to let some this 'distraction' put her place in the White House at stake until she realizes that Olivia is the only thing that keeps Fitz sane.Then there's Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry), the gay White House chief of staff, David Rosen (Joshua Malina) the Assistant US Attorney who is now dating Abby, Sally Langston (Kate Burton) the right-winged vice president and Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) Olivia's dad and head of B6-13. Watch the beginning of season three before the drama continues at 10 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 27.

Suits: A USA network original show about Mike Ross' (Patrick J. Adams) journey from immature pot smoker who was hired by many to take the bar exam for them to a suit-wearing lawyer at Pearson Hardman (which changes to Pearson Darby Specter by season three), New York City's top law firm. There's one catch, Mike doesn't have a law degree — just a photographic memory and a knack for thinking out-of-the-box to solve cases. Hired by Harvey Specter, (Gabriel Macht) an egotistical, slightly narcissistic partner (and later managing partner) at Pearson Hardman who is known for going against the rules and doing whatever it takes to win a case, Mike starts his law career with a huge secret that no one can know. Well, until senior partner  and Hervey's mentor Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) finds out and tries to use Mike's secret to make him go against Harvey. Oh, and he tells Rachel Zane (Meagan Markle), the firms best paralegal and daughter of their rival Robert Zane, after he falls in love with her.While trying not to get discovered by anyone else, Mike helps Harvey and Jessica to solve some of the firms toughest cases and waging several wars with the other senior partners (hence the firm's name change). Some other important characters include Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), a partner at the firm who is in charge of training the associates and Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty), Harvey's all-knowing secretary who always knows just what to do and say in every situation. Catch up on season three before season four begins at 9 p.m. (EST) on March 6.

Look out for my posts about each episode when these shows return!