As the New Year dawns, so begins many seasons of our favorite shows plus opportunities to discover hidden gems of yore. And thanks to Xbox Live recently adding a ton of new streaming content with new apps like VUDU and Epix, we should be able to catch first-run episodes without a cable subscription.

Here’s some of what we’re most excited to sit on our couches and mindlessly consume in the first half of 2012.

Kevin’s Picks:

(Credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC)

Mad Men: Season 5 (March; Zune, hopefully)
Looking ahead to a new year of TV in 2012, few things jump out like a new season of Mad Men. The main characters seem to be nearing the final days of what's basically been consequence-free boozing and womanizing, thanks to the inevitable rise of the 1960s Woman’s Movement and the overall decline in prominence of patriarchal American society. Plus, protagonist Don Draper left us with a bizarre twist right before the end credits of season 4 that raised more way questions than answers.

(Credit: Helen Sloan)

Game of Thrones: Season 2 (April; HBO GO, VUDU, hopefully)
Haven’t read the books, but you get a couple episodes into the first season and you’re a prisoner of the show’s seven kingdoms. Dragons, black magic, beheadings, incest, deceit, love, revenge- April can’t come soon enough. I’ve even considered digging into the-thick-as-Bibles books (hear they're real good) to get caught up on the action, that’s how bad I need a fix.

(Credit: Danielle Mathias/IFC)

Portlandia: Season 2 (Now; Hulu Plus)
Really wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of this sketch show that pokes fun at hipster, hippie, and yuppie tropes, but Portlandia easily ended up being one of my favorite shows of last year. Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and Carrie Brownstein (formally of rock act Sleater-Kinney) did such a note-perfect imitation of some of the worst habits and behaviors of self-righteous urbanites that it’s difficult not to cringe when you see flashes of yourself in the parodies.

(Credit: NBC Universal)

30 Rock: Season 6 (Begins Jan. 12; Hulu Plus)
Its delayed premiere, thanks to Tina Fey’s pregnancy (way to go, Tina Fey’s husband), left a vacancy in hyper-caffeinated, pop-culture-obsessed, network comedy that’s difficult to replicate with the same precision that 30 Rock can deliver. Plus, really interested to hear Jack’s (Alec Baldwin) take on the republican presidential candidates.

Baseball (Spring; MLB.TV on Xbox Live)
Major League Baseball is coming to Xbox. I imagine it’ll offer just about every game, every night, for the entire summer. And therefore, it’ll probably cost more than I can afford. I’m hoping someone will be able to hook both Dave and I up with a season-long free trial, because really, how else would we be able to give an adequate review of the service here on Stream Team? Anyways, whenever this hits Live, we want.

Head over to the next page to see Dave's picks!