February is all about quality over quantity in terms of appealing premieres to look out for. The new month packs two specials, one highly anticipated series premiere, and the return of the show that popularized the art of binge-watching. It’s all after the break.

GAME OF THRONES: A DAY IN THE LIFE (Sunday, Feb. 8, HBO, 7:30pm)

Game of Thrones doesn’t return for its fifth season until April the 12th, but that doesn’t mean you can’t venture back to the chaotic world of Westeros before then. HBO is giving fans of the insanely popular fantasy series an inside look at the making of Thrones with a half-hour special that documents a single day of season five production across three different countries. The behind-the-scenes doc will travel to three sets each located in different parts of the world: Belfast, Northern Ireland; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Sevilla and Osuna, Spain. Crafting episodes of Thrones is a massive undertaking; the special will surely open fans’ eyes to the sheer scope of tears and sweat it takes to make Westeros come to life. Watch the clip above for a sneak at what’s in store.

BETTER CALL SAUL (Sunday, Feb. 8, AMC, 10pm)

I’ve covered the Breaking Bad spinoff to death, from the early conception of the series to the many first-looks and teasers hyping its launch. And now the time has finally come to watch one of the most highly anticipated pilots of all time. Why is that? Because Better Call Saul hails from Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the visionaries behind one of the most coveted dramas in history, Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk reprises his sleazy lawyer counterpart from Bad, except he’ll be introduced as Jimmy McGill. Much like Walter White transformed from an unsuspecting science teacher to a drug kingpin, viewers will sit back and watch McGill make mistakes that will eventually lead him into becoming Saul “Better Call Saul” Goodman. Gilligan and Gould have been fairly tightlipped about Bad characters (such as White) making appearances here; remember, BCS is a prequel and Goodman McGill will not be formally acquainted with White and his associates for another six years. But fans can rest assured that at least one Bad alum is a BCS series regular from the get-go and that’s Mike Ehrmantraut (played by Jonathan Banks). Click here to watch an extended trailer.

Note: As stated above, BCS premieres on Sunday the 8th and it will fall into its regular Mondays-at-10 timeslot the very next day (Monday the 9th). AMC is touting this as a special 2-night premiere.

Update (2/9): Record ratings for Better Call Saul last night! The Breaking Bad spinoff prequel drew 6.9 million total viewers and a record-breaking 4.4 million viewers among the coveted 18-49 adults demographic. AMC’s already renewed Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s new series for a second season, and if these numbers remain steady, fans can expect BCS to last for years to come.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (Sunday, Feb. 15, NBC, 8pm)

If you’ve been watching SNL this year then like me you’ve been inundated with logos and stills and bizarre flashy commercials touting that this season marks the 40th anniversary of the late-night sketch comedy show. To celebrate this milestone, SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels is putting together a 3-hour special that will surely include a smorgasbord of surprise guests from SNL‘s past and present. Beyond that, it’s hard to say what we can expect to see here since Lorne and co. have been keeping the special’s contents under wraps. Back in April, NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt had this to say about it:

“Saturday Night Live is an institution unlike anything else in television history. The many brilliant ‘Not Ready for Primetime Players’ over the years is a who’s who of film and television comedy for the last two generations. The roster includes everyone from the iconic first cast in 1975 to household names ranging from Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Will Ferrell, and Adam Sandler, to Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and Seth Meyers–to name only a few. This brand, which is still one of the highest-rated comedies on television, was the brainchild of Lorne Michaels, who still presides over the whole enterprise today. This special is just one of the many ways we plan to celebrate SNL‘s historic 40th season next year.”

Update: The Wrap has a list of 49 guests making an appearance in the SNL special. The list includes former cast members as well as memorable hosts and musical guests.

Update 2: Deadline reports that the special is being extended by a half-hour to accommodate even more guests. Check out the updated guest list here.

HOUSE OF CARDS (Friday, Feb. 27, Netflix)

Knock knock. All hail President Underwood. The binge-tastic political drama that put Netflix on the map in terms of original content returns for a third season and the stakes have never been higher. After oh-so-much plotting and scheming, the bad-guy-you-root-for has finally made it to the top; but where do we go from here? If the trailer and following logline are any indication, this season’s friction will stem from Frank’s relationship from his equally powerful and coercive wife Claire.

President Underwood fights to secure his legacy. Claire wants more than being First Lady. The biggest threat they face is contending with each other.

Click here to watch the season 3 trailer.

Note: As is the case with all Netflix Original Series, the third season of House of Cards will release in its entirety with all 13 installments landing on the streaming service February 27th.