The Magicians casts its spell on Syfy and begins season 3

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Wednesday, January 10. All times are Eastern.

Top pick

The Magicians (Syfy, 9 p.m.): For two years, The Magicians has slowly built itself into an entertaining and efficient adaptation of (and extrapolations from) Lev Grossman’s novels. At the start of season three, magic is gone, and while Fillory was saved from destruction, we already know things aren’t going to be beer and skittles from here on out. Also, Julia might be the only real hope, which is a much better place to find her than most of last season. There won’t be regular coverage this year, but Lisa Weidenfeld will be here to drop in on the premiere and offer her thoughts.

Regular coverage

The X-Files (Fox, 8 p.m.)
Vikings (History, 9 p.m.)
Modern Family (ABC, 9 p.m.)

Wild card

Alone Together (Freeform, 8:31 p.m.): The description of this new sitcom (“two overlooked millennial misfits from different backgrounds trying to make their way in the vain and status-obsessed culture of Los Angeles”) makes it sound potentially excruciating, but with the imprimatur of exec producers The Lonely Island, we have hope this little series might actually be a funny and absurdist twist on the subject matter. And if not, hey, you’ve only blown the lesser part of an hour on it.