It's the fall TV season!
Don't get excited. It's not like the fall TV seasons we remember.
Comedies are in short supply; dramas aren't destined to nudge the work of Steven Bochco; limited series aren't as iconic as "Roots" or "The Thorn Birds."
This year, because of the writers and actors strikes, there aren't even extensive lists of new shows. Because the premieres could be shifted due to those strikes, everything we've got for you is tentative.
Game shows and reality series may fill in the gaps until the season really begins. In the meantime, one of your next favorite shows could be lurking in the list we've been able to compile.
Ready for their debuts (with approximate dates):
LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo play a couple awaiting the birth of their child in "The Changeling."
THE CHANGELING (AppleTV+ Sept. 8) -- Based on Victor LaValle’s bestseller, this creepy drama goes back and forth in time to tell the story of a family that may (or may not) have done the right thing. LaValle narrates; LaKeith Stanfield stars as man looking for wife and son in a not-too-friendly New York City. Twists and turns exist on every corner.
THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON (AMC, Sept. 10) -- Ready for another “Walking Dead” series? This is the sixth and it focuses on Norman Reedus’ character, Daryl. He washes ashore in France, but doesn’t know how he got there. Working his way back home, he encounters people who could make his goal more than a little difficult. Clemence Poesy, Adam Nagaitis co-star.
THE SWARM (The CW, Sept. 12) -- With U.S. production companies on hold until the strikes are over, networks are looking elsewhere for content. This German production looks at what happens when humans have to battle some underwater force that’s determined to take over. It’s based on Frank Schatzing’s bestselling novel.
"The Other Black Girl," stars Sinclair Daniel, left.
THE OTHER BLACK GIRL (Hulu, Sept. 13) -- An editorial assistant (played by Sinclair Daniel) has trouble navigating the waters as the only Black employee at her company. When another is hired, she discovers something wicked this way comes. Ashleigh Murray, Eric McCormack co-star.
Mike Walden aka Ca$h Flo in "Wrestlers."
WRESTLERS (Netflix, Sept. 13) -- If you loved “Cheer,” you’ll probably find plenty to applaud in this docu-series. Following members of the Ohio Valley wrestling team in Louisville, Kentucky, the seven-part venture shows how the gym produced big names (John Cena, Dave Bautista among them) but now struggles to keep the doors open.
Lifelong friends compete in a series of games devised by Josh Duhamel and his team in "Buddy Games."
BUDDY GAMES (CBS, Sept. 14) -- Josh Duhamel turned his real-life vacations into a film (also called “Buddy Games”) and now interprets it as a competition series. Six teams of friends compete in a series of games designed to see who’s best.
WILDERNESS (Amazon Prime Video, Sept. 15) -- When Liv learns her husband has been having an affair, she agrees to a road trip that could repair their relationship. Unfortunately, plenty happens that makes her question the move. Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen play the couple.
NEIGHBOURS (Amazon Freevee, Sept. 18) -- The Australian soap (which ran for decades) ended in 2022 but that didn’t stop the antics from continuing. Reviving the ventures on Ramsay Street, this edition picks up two years after the finale. Mischa Barton is among the new residents.
THE SUPER MODELS (AppleTV+, Sept. 20) -- They aren’t just on the cover of Vogue. Supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista are the subjects of this four-part documentary about their hold on the world of modeling.
Colin Woodell stars in "The Continental: From The World of John Wick."
THE CONTINENTAL: FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK (Peacock, Sept. 22) -- How did that hotel become a hotbed for assassins? That’s the focus of this drama set in the John Wick universe. Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) serves as the tour guide through the hotels he later comes to own. Ian McShane, you may remember, plays the character in the “John Wick” movies. Also in the cast: Mel Gibson as the man who runs the New York Continental in the 1970s.
STILL UP (AppleTV+, Sept. 22) -- Can’t sleep? Don’t worry. There’s a whole world that exists after most people go to bed. Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts play two who bond over the phone.
KRAPOPOLIS (Fox, Sept. 24) -- Hannah Waddingham turns in her “Ted Lasso” wardrobe for a shot at life as the goddess of self-destruction. With her family of humans, gods and monsters (it’s set in Ancient Greece), she’s forced to answer to her son, Tyrannis, the benevolent king of Krapopolis. Created by Dan Harmon, the animated venture brings to life all sorts of mythological characters.
Jesse L. Martin stars in "The Irrational."
THE IRRATIONAL (NBC, Sept. 25) -- Jesse L. Martin plays a professor of behavioral science who agrees to handle high-level government cases. Based on Dan Ariely’s book, “Predictably Irrational,” it gives Martin another shot at crime-solving.
LOVE IN FAIRHOPE (Sept. 27, Hulu) -- What goes on in a small Alabama town? Get the cameras. This docuseries looks at five generations in Fairhope. Reese Witherspoon is an executive producer.
“The Golden Bachelor” stars Gerry Turner.
THE GOLDEN BACHELOR (Sept. 28, ABC) -- Old guys get their moment. Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old widower, gets to play the game, roses and all. Jesse Palmer hosts.
GEN V (Sept. 29, Amazon Prime Video) -- Just when you thought superheroes were in trouble (thank you, “The Boys”), the franchise expands to college where kids with super powers have to decide what team they’re on. Expect a lot of flipflopping.
Shanola Hampton and Brett Dalton in "Found."
FOUND (Oct. 3, NBC) -- More than 600,000 people go missing each year. A public relations whiz and her team try to figure out why. Shanola Hampton, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kelli Williams star.
THE SPENCER SISTERS (Oct. 4, The CW) -- A mom and daughter (who are mistakenly viewed as sisters) solve mysteries. Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber star. Imported from Canada.
SULLIVAN’S CROSSING (Oct. 4, The CW) -- Maggie Sullivan, a neurosurgeon, moves home and reunites with her dad. Chad Michael Murray, Morgan Kohan and Scott Patterson star. Another Canadian import.
"The Fall of the House of Usher."
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (Oct. 12, Netflix) -- Edgar Allan Poe’s work is updated and given a pharmaceutical spin. Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Carla Gugino and Mark Hamill are in the house.
Joel McHale hosts "House of Villains."
HOUSE OF VILLAINS (Oct. 12, E! And other related channels) -- Reality show villains compete for $200,000 and the title “America’s Ultimate Supervillain.” No wonder there was so much trouble last year on “Vanderpump Rules.”
Jack Cutmore-Scott, left, and Kelsey Grammer star in "Frasier."
FRASIER (Oct. 12, Paramount+) -- That head shrinker (played by Kelsey Grammer) tosses the salad again and moves back to Boston (which means no Niles). There he deals with other family members, Lilith and Roz.
Brie Larson stars in "Lessons in Chemistry."
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Oct. 13, AppleTV+) -- The page turner that became a 2022 bestseller is adapted for television. Brie Larson stars as a scientist who hosts a TV show when she’s dumped from the university that could have ridden her coattails to the top. Lewis Pullman, Patrick Walker and Aja Naomi King also star.
LIVING FOR THE DEAD (Oct. 18, Hulu) -- Five gay ghost hunters go across the country looking for ghosts in order to help survivors. They go to noted haunted locations and play their own “Queer Eye” games. It’s narrated by Kristen Stewart.
"Fellow Travelers"
FELLOW TRAVELERS (Oct. 27, Paramount+) -- Two men attempt a relationship during the 20th century, when Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declared war on “subversives and sexual deviants.” The thriller stars Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer.
LOVE ISLAND GAMES (Nov. 1, Peacock) -- Another “Love Island” competition.
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE (Nov. 2, Netflix) -- This four-part series looks at blind girl and her father who flee German-occupied Paris with a diamond that could fall into the hands of Nazis. Louis Hofmann, Aria Mia Loberti and Mark Ruffalo star.
"The Buccaneers."
THE BUCCANEERS (Nov. 8, AppleTV+) -- A group of American girls in the 1870s look for husbands in London. It’s inspired by Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel.
Emma Corrin in "A Murder at the End of the World."
A MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD (Nov. 14, FX) -- Murder, they wrote. A billionaire invites a Gen Z sleuth and tech-savvy hacker and other guests to a retreat. When one winds up dead, the others go on the hunt. Emma Corrin, Joan Chen, Raul Esparza star.
SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF (Nov. 17, Netflix) -- “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” didn’t work when it was first released but then became a cult fave. In this animated adaptation Scott must take on the exes of a girl he loves. Many of the original cast members return to bring the story to life.
BOOKIE (November, Max) -- A bookie tries to make it in a world of legalized sports gambling in Los Angeles.
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters."
MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS (November, AppleTV+) -- Monsters thrive in this sci-fi drama from the folks behind the recent “Godzilla” films. Kurt Russell and son Wyatt star.
FARAWAY DOWNS (November, Hulu) -- Baz Luhrmann’s film “Australia” is augmented with unused footage and a new ending. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman still star.
Jon Hamm stars in season 5 of "Fargo."
FARGO (Nov. 21, FX) -- In season five, its 2019 in Minnesota and North Dakota. A Midwestern housewife (Juno Temple) is thrust into a life she thought she had left behind. On her trail: A sheriff (Jon Hamm) who sees himself as the law and above the law.
Movie critic Bruce Miller says "Blue Beetle" brings a different vibe to the suit, not the story. It's very much Spider-Man in a different neighborhood. This film plays by the rules but it’s best when it colors outside the lines. Those flights of fancy make it interesting and, yes, worth suiting up.
