For the colder states, March can feel like an eternity, as winter drags on and we look forward to spring. Winter is here, but it's also coming, in the more figurative, fantastical sense. Game of Thrones returns for its third season in March. But the HBO fantasy-drama is just one of the ten TV highlights worth looking forward to as March gets underway. There's also Celebrity Apprentice, basketball, The Voice and a couple of anticipated season finales, among some other reasons to set your DVR.
All-Star Celebrity Apprentice
All star seasons tend to be hit or miss, depending on the series and the all stars, but the roster for All-Star Celebrity Apprentice is brimming with potential for drama. Two words: Gary Busey! Busey alone is reason enough to tune in to NBC on Sunday, March 3, if only to see what the unpredictable star gets up to next. But then factor in some of the other names on the list, which include Penn Jillette, Bret Michaels, Omarosa, Lisa Rinna and La Toya Jackson and it's anyone's game. Adding to the star power among the contestants are this season's "hosts and advisors," which include Arsenio Hall, Joan Rivers, Piers Morgan and John Rich. That's in addition to Donald Trump and his people (Don, Ivanka and Eric Trump, as well as George Ross).
The fact that these celebrities have played this game before is just part of what makes this "all star" season so exciting. How will their past experiences with the show and the aftermath of playing affect how they play this time around? We'll find out. Beyond that, Celebrity Apprentice is returning! That in itself is something to look forward to as we anticipate a group of celebrities teamed up and attempting to tackle whatever business-related challenges Donald Trump drops in front of them. Anything can happen.
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Grimm has been on a mid-season hiatus since mid-November. At long last, NBC is bringing the excellent fantasy-drama back with its first new episode of what's left of the second season. What's next for Juliette and Renard? And how will Nick deal with the situation? We'll find out when "The Face Off" airs on NBC Friday, March 8.
March Madness
The most satisfying and thrilling of the many annual sporting events, (save the Stanley Cup Finals, of course), is the collegiate basketball tournament affectionately known as March Madness. There really is no better time in sport than the few weeks in March when the best basketball teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association play it out to decide which one will be declared the best. The 2013 Madness starts on Tuesday, March 19 and concludes with the National Championship on Monday, April 8, with as many of the intense games as possible broadcast on Turner Sports, meaning CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. And International viewers may luck out by not only getting those networks but also our own affiliates meaning even more coverage of the three week long event.
You really don't want to miss a single moment of the action taking place all across the US because, unlike their pro counterparts, these kids are playing for nothing but pride and a chance to be the last team standing after the 64 team tournament. And even if you’re not particularly invested in the world of sports, the always compelling event also provides a great opportunity to engage in some good natured gambling. Money may be involved but what's really at stake are bragging rights. Shame or glory that you keep until next March. The dates and venues have been set but the bracket's still up in the air, so be sure check with the NCAA March Madness site in the coming weeks for all the information. Who will cut the most important net this year? Go Wildcats! Figure that one out.
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The second season of HBO's Girls has been in a bit of a slump these past few week's but Lena Dunham's series got off to such a great start this year that the finale in just a few weeks time is still a pretty major March television event. "Together," the last episode of the sometimes sensational, sometimes so-so season airs mid-month, on Sunday, March 17 and was co-written by Dunham and Judd Apatow. Even though there are only two installments before the big finale, it's still unclear where the story and characters will end up and who isn't keen to find out? One of the most intriguing new shows of the season, Bates Motel, is set to make its debut on March 18 is A&E's contemporary Psycho prequel from LOST's Carlton Cuse and Friday Night Lights's Kerry Ehrin. Bates Motel skipped the pilot stage, going straight to a ten episode first season order, because of the kind of confidence afforded a show with such a prestigious predecessor like Hitchcock's film, not to mention the fantastic ensemble assembled to play the now iconic parts, Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as Norman. Don't you want to see what makes us all go a little mad sometimes?
Celebrities make a Splash
I’m not normally the world’s biggest fan of watching celebrities compete in strange reality competitions. In fact, I didn’t even watch the diving special that ran a few months back, but thanks to one widely reported moment, I can’t wait for ABC’s Splash to premiere on Tuesday, March 19. Apparently, former Family Feud host and popular comedian Louie Anderson almost died and had to be saved by Detroit Lions linebacker Ndamukong Suh during one of the practices, and I have to know what the hell happened.
If nothing else, one of the appeals of competition shows is the curveballs life sometimes throws. From Snooki getting punched in the head to Sue Hawk absolutely going off during the finale of Survivor’s inaugural season, the real world is sometimes crazier than anything a writer could come up with. And that, in a swimsuit, is why I’m excited to watch Splash. I need to know exactly what happened. I need to know if the media blew the situation out of proportion or if he legitimately almost died. I need to know exactly what went wrong, and if ABC decides to push it in the promos, I think a lot of people will be with me.
The Voice returns!
For the past three seasons, The Voice has been NBC’s ratings darling, bringing in viewers across different age demographics. However, this season the series faces its first big challenge: veteran judges Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green have left the show for at least a season and have been replaced by Usher and Shakira. I cannot wait to see how the new judges will adjust to their swiveling red chairs, as well as see how the power dynamics between the four judges is or isn’t thrown off balance thanks to the two newbies.
Returning judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton have emerged over the first three seasons as the most skilled and competent of the group, with one or the other winning each season. In theory, against two new judges who maybe won’t be as aware of what to look for, the two men should continue to dominate, but in practice, some new perspectives might bring some much-needed balance to the show. We’ll see how everything plays out when The Voice premieres on March 25 at 8 p.m. ET.
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Revolution ended the first portion of its season on a good note in the ratings, but also at a high point in the series. We’ve spent some time waiting to see what might happen when the Matheson clan fully unites and it looks like that will be happening when NBC’s hit drama returns to the schedule on March 25 at 10 p.m. ET.
Being Human's final episode of Season 3 is "If I Only Had a Raw Brain." It's a little too soon to tell, but previews for the next new episode suggests a potential zombie twist for Sally, which might be an advance clue to the finale's title. Either way, it's probably not a stretch to predict big things for the Season 3 finale when it airs later in the month. If Season 2's closer put Josh and Sally back to human, will Season 3 turn them back into a werewolf and ghost respectively? We'll find out March 25 when the finale airs on Syfy.
Game of Thrones premiere…
They say March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but not this year. On March 31 at 9 p.m. EST, HBO brings back Game of Thrones, which makes us want winter to stick around a bit longer so we can stay inside and watch. We’ve been promised the biggest season yet, with longer episodes and filming locations in five different countries that allows the drama to play out on an enormous scale.
The Season 3 trailer already makes good on some of the promises. Winter is coming fast, as we saw in the Season 2 finale as an army of the dead marched through the north. The war-torn Seven Kingdoms face another claimant to the throne as Danaerys and her quickly-growing dragons cross the water. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The upcoming premiere of Game of Thrones may come on the last day of March, but it will ensure that this month goes out like a Lannister lion.
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And just in case GoT isn’t enough to look forward to on the last day of March, PBS is stepping up as well. First at 8 p.m., the highly-anticipated return of Call the Midwife, one of our best new shows of 2012 premieres.
Right after that, filling the 9 p.m. slot left by Downton Abbey in PBS Sunday night lineup, we’ll get to see the Jeremy Piven-starring new drama Mr. Selfridge. The story of an American department store owner who changes the face of shopping; we’re hearing good things and can’t wait to check it out.
