When everyone seems to be fighting, yelling at each other, and the future is uncertain, the idea of settling in to watch new episodes of familiar TV shows sounds like the entertainment equivalent of putting on your most comfy pajamas and snuggling up in a blanket.

Like everything else, TV schedules have been impacted by the coronavirus, as filming was forced to stop in the spring. That meant that, instead of a wave of returning series coming back to our screens in September and early October, season premieres were delayed because of the slow pace involved in getting shows back into production, and steps required for safety protocols.

Returns and premieres of new shows have generally been more staggered than usual, as some series were able to film before others. But, after several weeks of space-filling fare, including repurposed series from cable (L.A.'s Finest), streaming (Star Trek: Discovery) and imports (Transplant), the networks are finally bringing back some viewer favorites, along with intriguing new offerings.

For those of us lucky enough to be safe and able to work from home, November and December are bringing back TV meat and potatoes fare, along with some more gourmet items. Here are some of the most anticipated, and most promising, shows coming to our screens in the final months of this difficult year.

2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex are this years honorees. (8 p.m. Nov. 7. HBO)

NCIS: Los Angeles: The action resumes in Season 12. (8 p.m. PT Nov. 8, CBS)

NCIS: New Orleans: Season 7 premieres. (9 p.m. PT Nov. 8, CBS)

Moonbase 8: Portlandia veterans Fred Armisen and director Jonathan Krisel reunite for a new, six-episode comedy about three hapless astronauts woring at NASAs Moon Base Simulator in Winslow, Arizona, and hoping to be sent on a mission to the moon. The cast also includes John C. Reilly and Tim Heidecker. (11 p.m. Nov. 8, Showtime)

Industry: A British-made workplace drama about ambitious college graduates competing to be hired by a London investment bank. Lena Dunham (Girls) directs the first episode. (10 p.m. Nov. 9, HBO)

A Teacher: Kate Mara stars in a drama that, as the show description says, explores the complexities and consequences of a predatory relationship. Mara plays a young high school teacher in a suburban Texas community, and Nick Robinson plays a student of hers who is dealing with his own challenges. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 10, FX on Hulu)

Eaters Guide to the World: Maya Rudolph narrates a series that, in each episode, explores areas known for outstanding food. In the first installment, options for Dining Alone in the Pacific Northwest are featured, including a section where Portland Monthly restaurant critic Karen Brooks visits favorite Portland spots. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 11, Hulu)

Chicago Med: The Chicago-set procedurals are all back. (8 p.m. Nov. 11, NBC)

Chicago Fire: Season 9 begins. (9 p.m. Nov. 11, NBC)

Chicago P.D.: Season 8 begins. (10 p.m. Nov. 11, NBC)

S.W.A.T.: The police drama returns for Season 4. (10 p.m. Nov. 11, CBS)

Station 19: The drama about firefighters returns for Season 4, in an episode thats a crossover with Greys Anatomy. (8 p.m. Nov. 12, ABC)

Greys Anatomy: The medical show thats been on forever keeps going, with its return for Season 17. (9 p.m. Nov. 12, ABC)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Another veteran show comes back, for Season 22. (9 p.m. Nov. 12, NBC)

The Unicorn: The comedy starring Walton Goggins as a widowed single father returns for Season 2. (9:30 p.m. Nov. 12, CBS)

The Blacklist: James Spader and Megan Boone return for Season 8. (8 p.m. Nov. 13, NBC)

The Crown: The first three seasons of this dramatization of the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II have been absolutely scrumptious, a feast of drama, wit and superb performances. Season 4 continues to feature the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman as Her Highness, and were also set to see the beginning of the tragically ill-fated marriage of Prince Charles (Josh OConnor) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin). As if that isnt reason enough to wait impatiently, the season also features Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 15, Netflix)

The Reagans: A four-part documentary from Matt Tyrnauer that combines archival footage and interviews to revisit the story of the couple that went from Hollywood to the presidency. (8 p.m. Nov. 15, Showtime)

Murder on Middle Beach: A four-part documentary series that traces filmmaker Madison Hamburgs experience as he investigates a true-crime case thats all too personal the murder of his mother, Barbara Hamburg, who was killed in the comfortable community of Madison, Connecticut. (10 p.m. Nov. 15, HBO)

The Neighborhood: The genial comedy is back for Season 3. (8 p.m. Nov. 16, CBS)

Bob Hearts Abishola: More laughs as the comedy-romance returns for Season 2. (8:30 p.m. Nov. 16, CBS)

His Dark Materials: A second season of the fantasy series inspired by author Philip Pullmans trilogy begins. (9 p.m. Nov. 16. HBO)

Bull: The Michael Weatherley-starring legal show begins Season 5. (10 p.m. Nov. 16, CBS)

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special: Favorite Star Wars characters in LEGO form celebrate Life Day, the holiday first introduced in the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 17, Disney Plus)

NCIS: The long-running ratings champ will be back for Season 18. (8 p.m. Nov. 17, CBS)

FBI: CBS loves its procedurals. This one returns for Season 3. (9 p.m. Nov. 17, CBS)

Big Sky: David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) created this thriller about investigators trying to get to the bottom of a case involving young women kidnapped in a remote area of Montana. The cast includes Ryan Phillippe, Kylie Bunbury, Katheryn Winnick, Brian Geraghty and John Carroll Lynch. (10 p.m. Nov. 17, ABC)

FBI: Most Wanted: The FBI spinoff begins Season 2. (10 p.m. Nov. 17, CBS)

Crazy, Not Insane: Documentary directed by the prolific Alex Gibney, this follows a psychiatrist who studies murderers and tries to deduce why they kill. (9 p.m. Nov. 18, HBO)

For Life: Nicholas Pinnock returns for Season 2 of the drama about a prisoner who becomes a lawyer. (10 p.m. Nov. 18, ABC)

A Million Little Things: The ensemble drama returns for Season 3. (10 p.m. Nov. 19, ABC)

Small Axe: Director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) created this anthology series that focuses on characters from Londons West Indian community. The cast includes Letitia Wright and John Boyega. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 20, Amazon Prime Video)

Between the World and Me: A special event, based on Ta-Nehisi Coates' bestselling book, about the authors thoughts and concerns about violence against Black Americans and the dangers of white supremacy. This broadcast is based on a 2018 staging of the book at the Apollo Theater. The special will combine elements from that production, documentary footage, animation and readings from Coates' book. Those participating include Coates, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Angela Davis, Janet Mock, Joe Morton, Wendell Pierce, Phylicia Rashad, Mj Rodriguez, Yara Shahidi, Courtney B. Vance, Olivia Washington, Pauletta Washington, Susan Kelechi Watson, Michelle Wilson and Oprah Winfrey. (8 p.m. Nov. 21, HBO)

Belushi: A documentary about the late John Belushi, which includes materials from the Belushi family, as well as interviews with Belushi creative collaborators, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Lorne Michaels. (9 p.m. Nov. 22, Showtime)

Dolly Partons Christmas on the Square: A new holiday musical, featuring original songs by Parton. Christine Baranski stars as a Scrooge-like woman who needs to learn a lesson about Christmas. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 22, Netflix)

Black Narcissus: A limited series based on Rumer G
oddens novel, which was earlier filmed, in 1947, by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. This new adaptation, set in the 1930s, is about a group of nuns who try to establish a mission in a clifftop location in the Himalayas. (8 p.m. Nov. 23, FX)

Hillbilly Elegy: Ron Howard directs a movie adapted from J.D. Vances memoir, with a case that includes Glenn Close, Amy Adams, Freida Pinto and Bo Hopkins. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 24, Netflix)

Saved By the Bell: A sequel to the popular TV series, this one brings back some members of the original cast to play grown-up versions of their characters (including Elizabeth Berkeley, Mario Lopez and Mark-Paul Gosselaar), along with new young actors portraying the current crop of students at Bayside High. (Available to stream beginning Nov. 25, Peacock)

SEAL Team: The action picks up again in Season 4. (9 p.m. Nov. 25, CBS)

The Flight Attendant: Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) stars in a miniseries about a flight attendant who has too much to drink, and then wakes up to find that shes lying next to a dead body. What happened? Can she remember? And is she the killer? (Available to stream beginning Nov. 26, HBO Max)

Selena: The Series: Christian Serratos (The Walking Dead) stars as the late singing star, Selena Quintanilla in a series about her life and career. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 4, Netflix)

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Get into the spirit of the season with some especially tempting treats. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 4, Netflix)

Shameless: The long-running series returns for its 11th and final season. (9 p.m. Dec. 6, Showtime)

Your Honor: Bryan Cranston stars in a New Orleans-set drama, playing a judge who tries to protect his son, after the young man is involved in a hit-and-run accident. (10 p.m. Dec. 6, Showtime)

The Prom: Ryan Murphy directs a movie version of the stage show about a pair of New York theater veterans who hear about a female Indiana high school student who hopes to attend the prom with her girlfriend. Deciding that helping the student out could boost their images, the two decide to travel to Indiana. The cast of the musical includes Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington and Keegan-Michael Key. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 11, Netflix)

The Stand: Stephen Kings novel about a world stricken by plague sounds a little too timely. This new version stars Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgrd. (Available to stream Dec. 17, CBS All Access)

Ma Raineys Black Bottom: The film based on August Wilsons play, about a recording session involving legendary blues singer Ma Rainey, features an impressive cast, including Viola Davis and, in his last role, the late Chadwick Boseman. George C. Wolfe directs. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 18. Netflix)

Coming 2 America: A sequel to the 1988 hit, this again stars Eddie Murphy as an African prince named Akeem, who learns that he has a son in America who he didnt know about. The cast includes Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Jermaine Fowler, Tracy Morgan and Leslie Jones. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 18, Amazon Prime Video)

Soul: Another movie that was originally bound for theaters, this Pixar animated feature is about a music teacher whose dream of becoming a jazz artist gets complicated. Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey are among the stars who lend their voice talents. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 25, Disney Plus)

Bridgerton: From Shonda Rhimes (Scandal) comes a highly anticipated series based on a popular book series, telling a romantic tale that takes place in early 1800s England. The series is narrated by Julie Andrews, and it sounds like this will be a bit more daring than your standard period piece. (Available to stream beginning Dec. 25, Netflix)

More of our coverage:

Watching a lot of Netflix? Get ready to pay more, as the streamer just raised prices

Holiday TV movies: In 2020, Hallmark, Lifetime and more promise much-needed escapism, more diversity

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

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Heres when Greys Anatomy, NCIS, Law & Order: SVU return, plus more TV highlights (The Crown, Shame - OregonLive