8 of the Best TV Shows to Watch This Winter

How to close out a banner year of television? With a lot more where that came from, of course. Here are ELLE.com's picks for fire TV during the cold months (you can't watch holiday specials forever, you know).

1The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon (November 29)

Look, we've been waiting to lay eyes on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for a while: The combination of Amy Sherman-Palladino at the helm and a housewife who breaks free of domestic life (and the most feckless husband imaginable) will make for breezy comedy with a steel spine. Cold weather be damned; this is the perfect cozy comedy with a dangerous edge of outrage. http://tvtime.me

2The Crown, Season 2, Netflix (December 8)

Tensions are high in Buckingham Palace as we return to England's royals for another round of power, tenacity, and intrigue—all on a world stage. Queen Elizabeth wages an internal war with her secret-harbouring husband, while Princess Margaret struggles with her own bonds and finds new love. For an American touch, JFK and Jackie will be dropping in—but the focus is really on how the Windsors will keep up with a swiftly changing world.

3Wormwood, Netflix (December 15)

If you're already feeling off-balance regarding the U.S. government, conspiracies, and spies, then perhaps you should avoid this one. Otherwise, your December candidate for binge-watching should be the new effort from Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War), who brings his documentarian's focus to the true story of a man trying to prove his father's death was caused by the CIA. The six-part series has a hybrid approach—combining footage of interviews with Olson, fictional dramatic scenes—that may be challenging viewing. But for sheer headlong plunges into the past, it doesn't have an equal this season.

4Gunpowder, HBO (December 17)

Missing Jon Snow? Assuage your longings with this gory historical miniseries, which boasts enough fighting and wicked royalty for the most avid Game of Thrones fan. Kit Harington is Robert Gatesby, who planned to avenge his family's deaths by killing the protestant King James I in 1603. (Amazing fact: Harington is actually a descendant of Gatesby, which gives the whole thing just that little bit more oomph.)

5grown-ish (Freeform), January 3

First of all, how adorable is this grown-ish tribute to The Breakfast Club? Second of all, hooray for Zoey Johnson (Yara Shahidi), who has flown the black-ish coop to head her own adventures on a new freeform series. Just like the classic Club, grown-ish will see Zoey thrown together with fellow students who come from very different backgrounds. And if you're worried about not seeing the Johnsons together again, don't fret: There will apparently be plenty of crossover between the two shows.

6The Chi, Showtime (January 7)

Master of None's Lena Waithe moves on to her own show with Showtime's The Chi. Along with co-executive producer Common, Waithe shines a light on the south side of Chicago; we'll meet six characters, from pre-teen Kevin to drifter Ronnie, as they move through their daily lives. "It’s a different side of my voice, about being black and human and trying to survive and have a dream," Waithe told Entertainment Weekl. "It’s raw. It’s real."

7The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, FX (January 17)

If you don't already want to slam this down like a tequila sunrise, then I don't know what to tell you. Ryan Murphy's newest American Crime installment positively glistens with gold leaf, tears, and the sweat of Ricky Martin. How much better casting could there be than Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace? Is there a more explosive couture-drenched narrative than the glitzy fashion designer's 1997 demise in Miami Beach at the hand of serial killer Andrew Cunanan? I'm listening.

8The Alienist (Freeform), January 22

If you're wondering how aliens and the 19th century go together, you can stop (you'll only hurt yourself). TNT's The Alienist (think people alienated from human nature rather than martians) is actually a psychological thriller about three people searching for a serial killer murdering young boys who work in the sex trade. Starring serial vest-wearer Luke Evans, Daniel Brühl as the titular mentalist, and Dakota Fanning, this is one for the Mindhunter and historical mystery fans.