Matt Roush's 5 New Shows to Watch in 2019

The Unicorn

In a break from action roles, Justified's Walton Goggins is all sheepish charm in a comedy about a widowed dad who’s a hot commodity to local single ladies. The ensemble (including Michaela Watkins and Rob Corddry as funny, supportive friends) looks terrific.

The Unicorn, Thursdays, 8:30/7:30c, CBS

Stumptown

Cobie Smulders drops her S.H.I.E.L.D. to play snarky and sexy Dex, a pugnacious PI in Portland, Oregon, with attitude to spare. We loved her on How I Met Your Mother as Robin, and she's even more fun taking down crooks and robbers.

Stumptown, Wednesdays, 10/9c, ABC

Batwoman

TV is awash in superheroes, but Kate Kane (Ruby Rose), cousin to MIA Bruce Wayne, breaks the mold in a stylish return to Gotham. This spiky caped crusader is also openly gay, striking blows for equality as well as justice.

Batwoman, Sundays, 8/7c, The CW

Next

Five simple words — "How can I help you?" — could chill the blood in a sleek techno-thriller about an AI program threatening to outsmart its human creators. Mad Men's John Slattery makes a welcome return to TV as the remorseful Dr. Frankenstein of this story.

Next, Midseason, Fox

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

Music to my ears, if not to Zoey's (Jane Levy), this inventive hybrid of tuneful dramedy features a woman who starts hearing people's thoughts through fantasy musical numbers. Risky, but potentially rewarding.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Midseason, NBC