Our Wish List Revealed: 18 Things We Need to See Happen on TV in 2016!

Kristin Dos Santos, Tierney Bricker, Chris Harnick, Jean Bentley, Billy Nilles and Lauren Piester reveal what they are asking Santa for in 2016

By TV Scoop Team Dec 23, 2015 4:00 PMTags
E! Placeholder Image

Dear Santa,

We here at the TV Scoop Team have been so very good this year. We've covered heartbreaking TV deaths. We've reported every renewal and every cancellation. And as we head into a new year, there are a few things we're hoping to see happen on TV in 2016, ranging from resurrections (Oh hi, Game of Thrones!) to satisfying ends (Here's looking at you, The Good Wife). Plus, we have our fingers crossed for some amazing new midseason offerings and we're kind of hoping to see some overused storylines retired.

So here are 18 items we've put on our collective wish list for what we want to see happen on the small screen in 2016...

FX

Kristin Dos Santos

For Game of Thrones' Jon Snow Reveal to NOT Be Infuriating: After so many death fake-outs this year (GIANT SIDEYE TO THE WALKING DEAD), nothing gives me more anxiety when it comes to the 2016 TV horizon than how Game of Thrones will resolve Jon Snow's "death" cliffhanger at the end of season five. We know Kit Harrington is back, and the wait for answers as to how is brutal. Here's hoping it was all worth it and the story arc ahead for Jon Snow is just as riveting as what came before and we don't all feel gutted, too.

For American Crime Story: The People Vs. OJ Simpson to Be As Epic It Seems: After seeing the first two episodes, I can honestly say I have never been so excited for a new TV show than American Crime Story: The People Vs. OJ Simpson. It's just…insanely good. 100 million people watched that white Bronco roll down the 405 Freeway in 1994, and if just a fraction of that many tune in to see this stunning, 10-episode miniseries when it premieres in February on FX, ACS could be the huge hit it deserves to be. Oh, and if Sarah Paulson finally wins a dang Emmy? Well, what sweet, sweet icing that would be.

For Outlander to Return Before We All Die of the Droughtlander: Hey, Starz, could you give us a premiere date for season two SOON, or at the very least offer to pay for part of our therapy? Thanks so much. Merry merry.

CW

Tierney Bricker

For The Flash and Arrow to cut the B.S.: So the midseason finale of The Flash helped with this (at least when it came to Iris and Joe with the Wally West bombshell), but I really, really, REALLY need superhero shows to stop relying on secrets. They don't save people from anything and it's a lazy storytelling device. Plus, The Flash and Arrow are too good (and too far into their runs now) to rely on  that at this point. Say it with me now: Secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone.

For the Gilmore Girls revival to happen and be amazing…and realistic: I cannot wait to return to Stars Hollow…and FINALLY learn Amy Sherman-Palladino's final four words. I just  hope that, unlike the Veronica Mars (which I still loved but it did feel a bit too much like fan-service, no?),  it actually feels like GG—meaning the women have evolved and changed and matured—but can still drop enough witty pop culture references to make your head spin.

For The Bachelor to NEVER end: Listen, I am what I am. I used to be just like you, judging the crap out of people who were into the franchise. But once I started watching with a group of snarky and sarcastic friends, it became the highlight of my week. And each day as we started an email chain that has made me laugh more than most TV shows. True love might not always be found on The Bach (oh yeah, we're on nickname terms at this point), but friendship sure was. (Gross.)

John P Johnson/HBO

Chris Harnick

For Playing House to get renewed: What a Christmas miracle it would be for USA to give a third season to Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham's glorious comedy! Season two ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and since then, my life has never been the same. What will happen between Emma and Mark? I can't imagine a world without Parham channeling Bosephus. Please, please, please give us at least one more season (if not 35 more seasons) to celebrate these ladies who are doing it for themselves.

For The Good Wife to have a satisfying ending: Let's be real: This feels like the end of The Good Wife, no? If it is the final season as has been discussed publicly (but not officially) by Robert and Michelle King and Julianna Margulies, that's fine, but please make that decision known so we can begin coming to terms to living life without Alicia Florrick's eye rolls on a weekly basis. Give The Good Wife the proper (and well-crafted) ending it (and we) deserve.

For The Comeback to come back, again: Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow) will always have a special place in my heart and she deserves a special place on TV. The season two finale sure felt like a series finale, but Kudrow has discussed a third season of The Comeback, but I hope we don't have to wait 10 years for the return of our baby girl, Val. How has life changed since she got the Emmy? Can Kudrow finally get an Emmy for playing Val? These are important questions I want answered in 2016.

Michael Becker / FOX

Jean Bentley

For American Idol to go out on top: Unlike most people, I was a latecomer to the Idol craze. I've become incredibly emotionally invested over the past few seasons I've covered, and it would mean a lot if the series went out with a quality crop of singers who do Kelly Clarkson and co. proud. At the very least, I'm hoping the focus on honoring the show's legacy (and the crop of stars it's produced) will not completely overshadow the contestants competing for the final Idol crown.

For time to watch Game of Thrones: Let's be honest—this one is totally on me. Everyone has that list of shows they know they need to binge at some point, they just haven't gotten around to it. And as a completest, I'm totally against diving into a show a few seasons in. So once I was finally ready to give GoT a shot, I was already pretty late to the game. But the fact that I'm so invested in Jon Snow's fate and I haven't seen one frame of the show? I think that means it's time to finally dive in. Right after I finish The Wire, and The 100, and this Gilmore Girls rewatch…

For networks to create NEW shows I'll fall in love with: I couldn't be more thrilled that Gilmore Girls is coming back, and I'm pumped for a new generation of Full House. But just because I loved something once doesn't mean it needs to come back. Because you know what would be worse than never getting more Friday Night Lights? For it to come back and be mediocre instead of a beautiful angel of a show whose DVDs I want to physically cradle like a baby. Hey networks: Instead of being obsessed with recreating past successes, how about you concentrate on creating something new we can obsess over?

Tommy Garcia/Bravo

Billy Nilles

For Mr. Robot to keep the quality level in season two: The first season of USA's Mr. Robot was a breathtaking, tightly-structured piece of terrific storytelling. With the acclaim that's followed (Hello, Golden Globe and SAG Award noms for star Rami Malek!), the pressure is astronomical for season two to live up to. I'll be saying my prayers nightly that this one follows in Fargo's footsteps—and not True Detective's.

For Bravo to deliver a new Real Housewives worthy of its predecessors: Bravo's had a bit of a challenge launching a successful extension of its Real Housewives franchise. D.C. in 2010 was D.O.A. and 2011's Miami was more fizzle than sizzle. Potomac and Dallas, both planned for 2016, better deliver the goods because Vicki Gunvalson and Kyle Richards won't be around forever.

For Netflix to be a little bit more discriminate in their quest for a glut of original programming: Netflix has revealed plans to premiere a new series just about every day in 2016, it feels like, but in this PeakTV era, is that really such a good thing? Not if their barometer of worthwhile programming is so low things like Rob Schneider's Real Rob get produced. Who wanted a Curb Your Enthusiasm-style show with Schneider and his "famous" pals? Besides his agent, we mean. Less is more, Netflix. Less is more.

Katie Yu/ The CW

Lauren Piester

For someone to die already: I'm so sick of TV shows faking me out by pretending to kill major characters. I just want one of them to actually die for once. I want to know what it's like to feel suspense again, to be totally shocked by a TV death I could never have seen coming. Just give me one new Will Gardner and I'll be happy (I mean very very sad, but happy that I'm sad) all year long (as long as it's not Felicity).

Another Mr. Robot: It's just so much fun when a show comes out of left field and gradually blows everyone away. I love my book/comic book/movie/real life-based shows of course, but there's something thrilling about an original show that far exceeds all the expectations nobody even had.

For Legends of Tomorrow to be incredible: I need this very ambitious time traveling superhero show to blow my mind and to not have bitten off more than it could chew. Based on what we've seen so far, I'm a little dubious, but I love time travel so much that if this works, it could be my new favorite thing on TV.

What are you hoping to see on TV in 2016? Share your own wish list in the comments below!