Wednesday, September 13, 2017

2017 Fall Television Preview

It’s September, and the fall television season is almost upon us. Most of the shows will return in a couple of weeks. Not too sure about many of the new shows but I’ll give a couple a chance. Here’s the run down (starting with Sunday):

THE SIMPSONS [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 29
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, Oct 1 @ 8pm
Genre: Animated Comedy
Starring: Dan Castellaneta (Hey Arnold!)
Hank Azaria (Smurfs, Ray Donovan)
Creator: Matt Groening (Futurama)
Why I watch: I’ve seen every episode, why stop now?
Coming up: Voices of Ed Sheeran & Daniel Radcliff, an ‘It’ parody

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 4
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, Oct 1 @ 9:30pm
Genre: Apocalyptic Comedy
Starring: Will Forte (SNL, Nebraska, MacGruber)
January Jones (Mad Men, X-Men: First Class)
Creator: Will Forte (That 70’s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Why I watch: The concept is lagging but want to know what happens next
Coming up: Kristen Wiig and Chris Elliot have recurring roles

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM [HBO]
Upcoming Season: 9
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, Oct 1 @ 10pm
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Larry David (SNL, Clear History)
Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs)
Creator: Larry David (Seinfeld)
Why I watch: It’s an amplified version of Seinfeld’s George.
Coming up: Apparently lots of twist and crazy stuff

THE WALKING DEAD [AMC]
Upcoming Season: 8
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, Oct 24 @ 9pm
Genre: Drama / Horror
Starring: Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Strike Back)
Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints)
Creator: based on Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel
Why I watch: It’s an intense hour of drama and zombies
Coming up: A big war between Rick and Neegan

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER [HBO]
Upcoming Season: Still in Season 4
Premiere Date/Time: Sun, still running @ 10:30pm
Genre: ‘News’ program
Starring: John Oliver (Daily Show, Community)
Creator: John Oliver
Why I watch: Love Oliver’s rants and in depth stuff
Coming up: More focussed news stories and Trump analysis

THE BIG BANG THEORY [CBS]
Upcoming Season: 11
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Sept 25 @ 8pm (moves to Thurs in Nov)
Genre: Friends Comedy
Starring: Jim Parsons (Garden State, The Muppets, Normal Heart)
Johnny Galecki (Roseanne, In Time, Christmas Vacation)
Creators: Chuck Lorre (2½ Men) & Bill Prady (Dharma & Greg)
Why I watch: Great cast chemistry
Coming up: Sheldon & Amy’s relationship hits a new milestone

[NEW!]YOUNG SHELDON [CBS]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Sept 25 @ 8:30pm (really starts Thurs in Nov)
Genre: Family Comedy
Starring: Iain Armitage (Big Little Lies, The Glass Castle)
Zoe Perry (Scandal, The Family)
Creators: Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro (The Big Bang Theory)
Premise: The early life of Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory
Why I’ll give it a chance: The kid’s cute and the writing is funny
What could hurt it: Seems like a retread of Malcolm in the Middle

[NEW!]ME, MYSELF & I [CBS]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Sept 25 @ 9:30pm
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Bobby Moynihan (SNL, Sister, new DuckTales)
John Larroquette (Night Court, The Librarians, Boston Legal)
Creator: Dan Kopelman (Malcolm in the Middle, Galavant)
Premise: An inventor’s life is explored at 14, 40 and 65.
Why I’ll give it a chance: Interesting premise & like the actors
What could hurt it: The creator’s shows are not my favourite

[NEW!]THE GOOD DOCTOR [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Sept 25 @ 10pm
Genre: Medical Drama
Starring: Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel, Finding Neverland)
Richard Schiff (West Wing, I Am Sam, The Affair)
Creator: David Shore (House, Houdini and Doyle)
Premise: An autistic surgeon is hired at a prestigious hospital
Why I’ll give it a chance: I like the actors
What could hurt it: Too much like House and too procedural-y

[NEW!]THE GIFTED [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Mon, Oct 2 @ 9pm
Genre: Marvel Action
Starring: Amy Acker (Angel, Person of Interest, Cabin in the Woods)
Stephen Moyer (True Blood, The Bastard Executioner)
Creator: Matt Nix (Burn Notice, The Good Guys)
Premise: Mutated human fight to achieve equality
Why I’ll give it a chance: It’s Marvel and I like Acker
What could hurt it: The premise looks a little blah

THIS IS US [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Tue, Sept 26 @ 9pm
Genre: Drama
Starring: Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember, Tangled)
Sterling K Brown (ACS: The People vs OJ Simpson)
Creator: Dan Fogelman (The Neighbors, Grandfathered)
Why I watch: Top notch writing and performances
Coming up: Randall adopting and how Jack died

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 5
Premiere Date/Time: Tue, Sept 26 @ 9:30pm
Genre: Workplace Comedy
Starring: Andy Samberg (SNL, Hot Rod, Celeste & Jesse Forever)
Andre Braugher (Last Resort, Homicide:Life on the Street)
Creator: Michael Shur (SNL, The Office, Parks & Recreation)
Why I watch: Such a great ensemble. Still very funny.
Coming up: Jake and Rosa try to take down a dirty cop

[NEW!] LAW & ORDER: TRUE CRIME [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Tue, Sept 26 @ 10pm
Genre: Crime Drama
Starring: Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie)
Chris Bauer (True Blood, Sully, The Deuce)
Creator: Dick Wolf (Law & Order and Chicago franchises)
Premise: Anthology series looking at real court cases
Why I’ll give it a chance: Interested in Menendez Brothers case
What could hurt it: Not as good as The People vs OJ Simpson

THE FLASH [CW]
Upcoming Season: 4
Premiere Date/Time: Tue, Oct 10 @ 8pm
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Grant Gustin (Glee, 90210, Arrow)
Jesse L Martin (Law & Order, Smash, Rent)
Creators: Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Everwood, Eli Stone)
Andrew Kreisberg (Boston Legal, Arrow) & Geoff Johns (Arrow)
Why I watch: Fun stories despite their playing with time
Coming up: A new non-speedster big bad

MODERN FAMILY [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 9
Premiere Date/Time: Wed, Sept 27 @ 9pm
Genre: Family Comedy
Starring: Ty Burrell (Back to You, Out of Practice)
Julie Bowen (Boston Legal, Weeds, Lost, Ed)
Creators: Steve Levitan (Just Shoot Me, Frasier, Wings)
Christopher Lloyd (Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You)
Why I watch: A well done family sitcom however aging
Coming up: Luke’s in a gap year while Manny is at university

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Wed, Sept 27 @ 10:00pm
Genre: Drama Thriller
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland (24, Touch, The Lost Boys)
Kal Penn (House, How I Met Your Mother, Battle Creek)
Creator: David Guggenheim (Safe House)
Why I watch: Fun what-if scenario and some interesting politics
Coming up: More West Wing, less 24

RIVERDALE [CW]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Wed, Oct 11 @ 8pm
Genre: Teen Drama
Starring: KJ Apa (A Dog’s Purpose)
Cole Sprouse (Big Daddy, Friends, Suite Life of Zack and Cody)
Creator: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee, Supergirl)
Why I watch: Fun teen angst with comic characters in Langley
Coming up: Aftermath of diner shooting and darker

THE GOOD PLACE [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Wed, Sept 20 @ 8:30pm (usually on Thursdays)
Genre: Divine Comedy
Starring: Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
Ted Danson (Cheers, Becker, CSI:, Fargo)
Creator: Michael Shur (Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Premise: A terrible person somehow makes it to heaven to start anew
Why I watch: Very funny characters and interesting twists
Coming up: Eleanor tries to find Chidi after the big twist last season

GOTHAM [FOX]
Upcoming Season: 4
Premiere Date/Time: Thu, Sept 21 @ 8pm
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Starring: Ben McKenzie (Southland, The OC)
Donal Logue (Vikings, Terriers, Zodiac)
Creator: Bruno Heller (Rome, The Mentalist)
Why I watch: It’s goofy but fun to see some of the backstories
Coming up: Ra’s al Ghul and new love interest for Gordon

SCANDAL [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 7
Premiere Date/Time: Thu, Oct 5 @ 9pm
Genre: Drama Thriller
Starring: Kerry Washington (Confirmation, Django Unchained)
Katie Lowes (Super 8, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6)
Creator: Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away With Murder)
Why I watch: The twisty political show is entertaining
Coming up: The ending of the show

[NEW!] MARVEL’S INHUMANS [ABC]
Upcoming Season: 1
Premiere Date/Time: Fri, Sept 29 @ 9pm
Genre: Marvel Action
Starring: Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels, Line of Fire, Conviction)
Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones)
Creator: Scott Buck (Dexter, Six Feet Under, Iron Fist)
Premise: Isolated superhumans fight to protect themselves
Why I’ll give it a chance: It’s Marvel & liked Buck’s work on Dexter
What could hurt it: Iwan Rheon is just Ramsay Bolton again, hate Mount

STRANGER THINGS [NETFLIX]
Upcoming Season: 2
Premiere Date/Time: Fri, Oct 27 @ 12:01am
Genre: Drama Fantasy Horror
Starring: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice, Reality Bites, Little Women)
David Harbour (The Newsroom, Black Mass, Suicide Squad)
Creator: Matt & Ross Duffer (Wayward Pines)
Why I watch: Binge-able fun with eighties references and great kid actors
Coming up: The return of Eleven and more from the Upside Down

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 43
Premiere Date/Time: Sat, Sept 30 @ 11:30pm
Genre: Sketch Comedy
Starring: Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters)
Cecily Strong (The Awesomes)
Creator: Lorne Michaels (30 Rock, Portlandia)
Why I watch: It’s an institution. Always something to talk about.
Coming up: More of Alec Baldwin as Trump.

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 5
Premiere Date/Time: ongoing @ 11:30pm
Genre: Talk Show
Starring: Jimmy Fallon (SNL, Fever Pitch, Whip It)
Creator: Lorne Michaels & NBC
Why I watch: It’s always filled with fun moments and games

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS [NBC]
Upcoming Season: 5
Premiere Date/Time: ongoing @ 12:30pm
Genre: Talk Show
Starring: Seth Meyers (SNL, The Awesomes, New Year’s Eve)
Creator: Lorne Michaels & NBC
Why I watch: Mostly just his Closer Looks into the Trump presidency

What new shows are you going try this year?

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Emmy Predictions

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