Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Sunday, December 29. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Dare Me (USA Network, 10 p.m, series premiere): At long last, the dark and twisty cheerleading drama we never knew we always needed has arrived. Based on executive producer Megan Abbott’s book of the same name—a book that’s frequently been compared to Lord Of The Flies—Dare Me is, per USA, “an unflinching exploration of teen angst, jealousy, loyalty and the dynamics of power in a small Midwestern town.”
Here’s Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya in her very positive pre-air review:
“[M]ake no mistake: This isn’t a small-town drama or a teen soap, though there are elements of both. Dare Me is a slow-burn psychological thriller, warranting comparisons to twisted movies about desire, relationships between women that straddle toxicity and passion, and poisonous power dynamics. When it comes to its suspense, Dare Me exercises immense control. It withholds just long enough to simmer the tension and then lunges forth.”
You bet your ass we’re watching that. Check out Kayla’s full review before or after you tune in.
Regular coverage
Shameless (Showtime, 9 p.m.)
The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime, 10 p.m.)
Wild card
Flirty Dancing (Fox, 8:01 p.m., series premiere—special time): Okay, hear us out on this one. There’s not much about the preview directly below that makes Flirty Dancing, the Jenna Dewan-hosted reality show that engineers dance-centric meet-cutes as the central element of its matchmaking strategy, seem all that engaging.
But this clip from the U.K. version? Good lord.
Listen, we’re not made of stone. If the U.S. version pulls anything like that off on the regular, consider us on board. Typically the show will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m.