Grab the remote, set your DVR or queue up your streaming service of choice! GLAAD is bringing you the highlights in LGBT on TV this week. Check back every Sunday for up-to-date coverage in LGBT-inclusive programming on TV.
The fifth season of Downton Abbey premieres on PBS this week. Chaos reigns when a new working-class prime minister is elected and Thomas pressures Baxter to tell the truth about Bates. Meanwhile, Robert is shunned by the village and Edith's actions may have great consequences.Downton Abbey: Sunday, 9pm on PBS.
Emily and Paige come to a turning point in their relationship in the return of Pretty Little Liars. The Liars search for justice for Mona and are determined to find evidence to incriminate Ali, no matter what lines they have to cross to get it, and Aria is concerned about her future. Pretty Little Liars: Tuesday, 8pm on ABC Family.
The 2015 People's Choice Awards air this week and your votes picked the winners! Out actors Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Jim Parsons are all nominated in Favorite Comedic TV Actor. Ellen DeGeneres, Sia and Sam Smith also picked up nominations. LGBT-inclusive series and films nominated include Faking It, Pretty Little Liars, Jane the Virgin, Orange is the New Black, Shameless, How to Get Away with Murder and more! Check out the long list of LGBT-inclusive nominees here. 2015 People's Choice Awards: Wednesday, 9pm on CBS.
FOX's new music drama Empirefrom out writer/director Lee Daniels premieres January 7. The series follows the CEO of a successful record label diagnosed with ALS who starts looking for a successor in one of his three sons. Jamal is a talented musician and gay, which infuriates his father, though he has the support of his mom, Cookie, who has recently been released from prison and is looking for revenge against the ex-husband she went to prison for. Empire: Wednesday, 9pm on FOX.
Glee's final season premieres with a supersized back-to-back two hour block this Friday night. In the first episode, "Loser Like Me," Rachel returns to Lima and works to bring back the Glee club after Sue shuts them down and Rachel reunites with Blaine who has taken a position as the coach of the Dalton Warblers. In the second hour, the New Directions alumni return, Kurt approaches an out member of the football team to join glee, and the Warblers are taken aback when a female student is admitted to the formerly all-boys school and wants to join the club. Glee: Friday, 8pm on FOX.
For a breakdown of LGBT-inclusive shows airing every week, check out our nightly listings below:
Sunday January 4:Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8:30pm, FOX); The Good Wife (9pm, CBS);Downton Abbey (9pm, PBS);Revenge(10pm, ABC)
Monday:Gotham (8pm, FOX); Major Crimes (9pm, TNT)
Tuesday:Pretty Little Liars (8pm, ABC Family); Marry Me (9pm, NBC); Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (10pm, Bravo)
Wednesday:Empire (9pm, FOX); People's Choice Awards 2015 (9pm, CBS)
Thursday:The Biggest Loser (8pm, NBC);The McCarthys(9:30pm, CBS); Archer (10pm, FX); Portlandia (10pm, IFC)
Friday:Glee (8pm, FOX)
On daytime, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS), The Gossip Table (VH1), The View (ABC) and The Chew (ABC). Soap operas Days of Our Lives on NBC and General Hospital on ABC (check local listings) both feature out characters.
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GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.