A new year is upon us while TV is nearly ready to submerge us: 2016 will have more series — and more new series — than ever before, a historic watershed that should beggar the imagination and attention spans. Streaming services will mostly contribute to this population boom, as channels like Crackle and Pivot struggle to get out from under the growing shadows of Netflix and Amazon Prime. In this movable and viewable feast, there will be gems worth savoring and watching. There always are. Just don’t be too surprised if they’re harder to find in the crowd.
• THE LAST SEASON OF “AMERICAN IDOL”: The 15th and final season begins Jan. 6 and a part of TV history starts to wind down. The questions: Will a “superstar” be discovered? (At long last — or at least since Carrie Underwood?) What surprises remain, if any? And of that vital emotional component — 15 years of our TV lives were spent here, after all — will we still feel the love or a little bit of it?
• “DOWNTON ABBEY” WRAPS: Season 6 bows Jan. 3 on PBS, and the countdown to the end begins. This will go awfully fast, I’m afraid — just eight episodes (and a Christmas special), which means the most successful series in public TV history will end before spring begins.
• JOHNNY CARSON IS BACK: Antenna TV, that charming outpost in the upper channel ranges, is bringing back nightly repeats of Johnny’s “Tonight Show” that aired from 1972 to 1992. The fun started Jan. 1.