Editors' Picks: Entertainment Must Haves For January

A brand-new year means a fresh crop of movies, and I love checking out the offerings at the Sundance Film Festival. The trip to Park City has become a bit of an annual pilgrimage for me, and somehow bundling up in freezing temperatures with fellow movie fanatics never seems to get old. This year, there will be a new slate of indies starring some of my favorites like Tom Hiddleston, Amy Poehler, and Mark Ruffalo when the festival kicks off on Jan. 16.

— Becky Kirsch, entertainment director

The Television Critics Association press tour happens twice a year, and this month's Winter TCA will give all the networks a shot at selling us on their midseason series. We're most excited to find out about new series like ABC's Mixology, NBC's TV version of About a Boy, and Fox's lawyer-behaving-badly drama Rake starring Greg Kinnear. We'll be reporting from the event, so check back to see what might be your new favorite show!

— SV

It's a travesty that more people didn't get to see the indie gem Short Term 12, but Jan. 14 is your chance to pick up a copy on DVD. Brie Larson and John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) star as young caretakers in charge of a short-term facility for troubled kids. It's a powerful and realistic story, and Larson's performance is unforgettable.

— Maggie Pehanick, assistant editor

Want to ring in the New Year with some Zac Efron nudity? Then you'll have to catch That Awkward Moment, which comes out this month. Efron bared his butt in the trailer, and the dating comedy also starring Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller is just getting more enticing from there. Catch it Jan. 31.

— SV

Tom Clancy fans, unite! The author's seminal hero Jack Ryan returns for a new adventure, and this time he's played by Chris Pine. I'm curious to see if Pine's performance holds up to the other actors who have portrayed the skilled CIA analyst; Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck have all taken on the role. Will Pine do Jack justice? And how will Keira Knightley fare as his wife? We'll find out on Jan. 17.

— MP

Girls comes back on Jan. 12, and we've been ready to reunite with Hannah and the gang since before those hilarious trailers came out. Also coming back in January? Community, The Bachelor, Pretty Little Liars, and Shameless. Better start making space on the DVR!

— SV

Matthew McConaughey's name has been all over the award season ballots, and his face is about to be all over HBO. He's teaming up with Woody Harrelson in a mystery series spanning 17 years. The partners are on the hunt for a Louisiana serial killer, and the haunting trailer already has me on board. The eight-episode season begins on Jan. 12.

— MP

While most of the season's new shows premiered in the Fall, there is still plenty of fresh blood making midseason debuts this month. Comedies Enlisted and Rake begin in January, while dramas Intelligence, Killer Women, Chicago PD, and HBO's Looking are all starting up as well. Time to mark your calendars!

— MP