TNT has set a busy premiere schedule for the fall of 2011 and the start of 2012, including chunks of new seasons for four dramas, plus a series of mystery movies.
Because of its slightly odd segmented programming schedule, TNT has fresh episodes of “The Closer,” “Rizzoli & Isles” and “Leverage,” even though all three dramas have also been airing new episodes this summer. The network also has a new season of “Southland.”
Premiering first is “Leverage,” which has eight episodes to complete the second half of its fourth season, premiering on Sunday, November 27. The following night, “The Closer” and “Rizzoli & Isles” will kick off the five-episode winter runs for their seventh and second seasons, respectively.
“Southland” fans will have to wait a bit longer for the 10-episode fourth season of the former NBC castoff, which will launch on January 17, 2012.
TNT is also kicking off “The TNT Mystery Movie Night,” a series of original telefilms based around contemporary mystery procedurals.
The network has six original telefilms ready to go, starting on Tuesday, November 29 with “Scott Turow’s Innocent” which is based, we’re just assuming, on the Scott Turow novel “Innocent,” which was a sequel to “Presumed Innocent.” That movie stars Bill Pullman, Marcia Gay Harden, Richard Schiff and Alfred Molina and was directed by Mike Robe (“Hawthorne”).
On November 30, TNT will air “Ricochet,” which comes from the novel by Sandra Brown. Gary Cole, Julie Benz and Kadeem Hardison star, with Nick Gomez (“Dexter”) directing.
Carla Gugina, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kevin Alejandro star in “Hide,” which premieres on Tuesday, December 6 and is based on Lisa Gardner’s book, with John Gray (“Helter Skelter”) directing.
On December 7, TNT has the Richard Patterson adaptation “Silent Witness,” which stars Dermot Mulroney and Michael Cudlitz.
On December 13, Catherine Bell and Cole Hauser star in “Good Morning, Killer,” which April Smith adapted from her own novel, with Maggie Greenwald (“Songcatcher”) directing.
Finally, on December 20, the Mary Higgins Clark adaptation “Deck the Halls” will premiere, with Ron Underwood (“Tremors”) directing a cast that includes Kathy Najimy and Jane Alexander.