1. House of Cards: “The road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties” and with Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) having successfully maneuvered himself into the Vice Presidency, the political intrigue and conspiracy is set to gain momentum. Frank continues to engage in his power-plays and machinations, however is constantly faced with its unraveling due to Zoe Barnes’ (Kate Mara) dedicated pursuit of discovering the truth about Congressman Peter Russo’s death. Meanwhile, on the home front, Frank is faced with an increasingly mercurial Claire (Robin Wright) who struggles to deal with the intense media scrutiny that threatens to expose her once intensely private life, and whose increasingly emotional distance begins to pose a threat to Frank’s position of power. Will Frank’s House of Cards eventually come tumbling down? Ciara Forristal

House of Cards will air on Netflix on 14 February

2.Girls: Lena Dunham’s Girls, which enters its third season, sees a surprising turn of events. Things are finally looking up for Hannah (Lena Dunham), after experiencing several failures and disappointments in both her professional and personal life. Her relationship with Adam (Adam Driver) has a semblance of stability and her writing is finally garnering attention — the longevity of which is subject to speculation. Having believed to have permanently cemented her relationship with Charlie, Marnie (Allison Williams) enters the third season nursing a broken heart and struggling to regain a sense of self. Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), continues to play the field, only to harbour feelings and guilt over her relationship with Ray, who struggles to win back her heart. Meanwhile, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) returns after a prolonged and largely unexplained absence, finding it difficult to readjust herself to the group dynamics. Ciara Forristal

Girls will air on HBO on Sundays from 12 January

 

3. OITNB: Orange is the New Black quickly charmed fans thanks to a host of endearing characters and a brand of humour that is both intelligent and playful. Season One ended on a gut wrenching cliff hanger, fading to orange at a crucial moment, and we are dying to see how yuppie protagonist Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) has fared since we last saw her. Not to mention the best TV friendship since J.D and Turk, Taystee and Poussey. The sound of Regina Spektor’s electrifying theme song simply can’t return to us quickly enough. Eva Short

Season 2 premiere date TBA

 

4.Halt & Catch Fire: AMC have become a television heavy weight in the advent of success with Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead. So with their backing, and a novel premise, 2014 period drama Halt & Catch Fire is almost undoubtedly going to be one to watch. The show, starring Lee Pace, will revolve around the lives of three computing innovators in the backdrop of Texas’ Silicon Prairie during the 80s, a seeming reimagining of the rise of tech gurus such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.  Eva Short

Premiere date of AMC’s ‘Halt & Catch Fire’ TBA

5.Veronica Mars: The Movie: After one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history, Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas used the $5.7 million in donations raised to film Veronica Mars: The Movie. The film, set ten years after the show’s abrupt and untimely end, will see Veronica Mars pick up her binoculars once again and help prove old flame Logan Echolls’ innocence in the face of a murder charge. In its time, the short lived neo-noir series was a critical success, lauded for sharp, and witty dialogue, but suffered sudden cancellation due to low ratings. This film may finally give fans the closure they have been seeking. Eva Short

The Veronica Mars Movie will be release March 14