Fall TV: Our Top 10 New Shows
Wondering which new series to watch? Take a look at our list of ten new shows we think are worth checking out. -- Melanie McFarland, TV Editor
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- CreatorGreg BerlantiGeoff JohnsAndrew KreisbergStarsGrant GustinCandice PattonDanielle PanabakerAfter being struck by lightning, Barry Allen wakes up from his coma to discover he's been given the power of super speed, becoming the Flash, and fighting crime in Central City.Most current interpretations of superheroes have a grim, anguished tone to them, which is why watching "The Flash" is such a delight.
The Flash is a challenging character to believably render in a live action series; he isn't a muscle-bound tough guy with vengeance in his stride. Mind you, like many supers, Barry Allen did experience a personal tragedy early in life that shapes his evolution. But Barry's appeal is akin to Peter Parker's in that he's an amiable, geeky Everyguy that happened to have powers foisted upon him.
As such, a poorer interpretation could have made him too much of a do-gooder, or would not ring true to viewers. Indeed, a past attempt to bring this character to primetime did not fare so well. Fortunately this is the right era, and network, for The Flash to make a successful run.
The character's fascination with possibility and optimism serve as nice counterpoints to this show's darker CW sibling "Arrow", from which this series is spun off. Grant Gustin strikes the perfect balance as the title character, imbuing Barry Allen with the proper combination of awkward sweetness, intelligence and vulnerability that is absolutely winning.
Injecting humor into the story at just the right moments, and genuine poignancy where warranted, this is a pilot that made my pulse race a little faster -- particularly while watching the premiere's epic final showdown between our hero and his first metahuman opponent. Between that and an intriguing coda that pulls back the curtain on a crucial subplot simmering beneath all the action in the forefront, I can't wait to see what future episodes have in store.
Series premiere: 8pm Tuesday, October 7 on The CW. - CreatorJoey SolowayStarsJeffrey TamborAmy LandeckerGaby HoffmannAn L.A. family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.One of the most moving, bold offerings on tap for fall, "Transparent" is a provocative glimpse at sex and identity filtered through the prism of a family dramedy.
"Transparent's" three siblings -- a rich, bored housewife who yearns to return to her nearly forgotten younger self; a navel-gazing music producer with intimacy issues; and their aimless youngest sister -- are struggling to find a direction in the world. They all lean on their father Mort, who is drained not only by their collective neediness but by a deep secret he's yearning to reveal but can't quite bring himself to share.
It's highly doubtful that any broadcast or cable network would allow series creator Jill Soloway to explore the psychological terrain that she does here. In telling Mort's story and setting the table for everyone else's, "Transparent" illuminates the inner struggles posed in questioning ones gender and sexual identity, and does so with a great deal of care and subtlety. The pilot proved to be simultaneously frustrating (in the best sense of the term) and surprising, and one expects future episodes to thoughtfully build from that strong foundation.
Series Premiere: September 26 on Amazon Instant Video. Free for Prime subscribers. - CreatorBruno HellerStarsBen McKenzieJada Pinkett SmithDonal LogueThe story behind Detective James Gordon's rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman's arrival.Wait, wait... Fox expects us to buy into a chapter of the Batman universe that doesn't actually have Batman in it? Yes, in "Gotham" we meet 12-year-old Bruce Wayne in the moment that changes him forever. But he's years away from becoming The Dark Knight, and far less important to the survival of Gotham than James Gordon, Batman's eventual partner in law enforcement.
Based on the origin stories of a young James Gordon and a younger Harvey Bullock (played by Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue), "Gotham" is one of the most highly anticipated new shows on the fall schedule. These two actors display a strong onscreen chemistry and ably carry the pilot's center.
We'll admit that "Gotham" has the familiarity of a police drama; it's about the city's two most famous cops, after all, and it's executive produced by procedural vetaran Bruno Heller ("The Mentalist"). But its tale of urban decay, indicting the city's socioeconomic structure at every level, is its engine. If the producers and stars effectively weave this idea through future episodes, an audience longing to see Batman won't be much of an issue to contend with.
One expects that DC fans will be watching closely to see how "Gotham" handles the origin stories of its villains. Sticklers for maintaining the purity of the source material's canon won't be pleased with the liberties taken here. For those curious to see new interpretations of Poison Ivy, The Riddler, Catwoman and Penguin, "Gotham" may pleasantly surprise you. The most tantalizing villain in the pilot, for example, is Jada Pinkett Smith's Fish Mooney, a creation specific to the show.
Some may still miss The Dark Knight, but from my point of view, watching the darkness develop in this city through the eyes of these two men is enough of a tempting proposition.
Series premiere: 8pm Monday, September 22 on Fox. - CreatorHagai LeviSarah TreemStarsDominic WestRuth WilsonMaura TierneyA struggling novelist and a young waitress strike up an extramarital relationship that promises to forever change the course of their lives."The Affair" is one of those pilots where the less information a person knows going in, the more enjoyable savoring the hour potentially can be.
The basic conceit: Ruth Wilson plays Alison, a waitress at a Hamptons diner who has been shattered by a personal loss, and who is struggling to connect to her husband Cole (Joshua Jackson). When Noah (Dominic West), a harried but attractive married man, comes into her diner with his wife Helen (Maura Tierney) and their kids, the connection between the two is palpable.
This grows into an affair, of which we only see the seed in the pilot. Or do we? We can't be sure, any more than we can accurately describe the moral characters of any of these people. The tale is told from two very distinct perspectives, neither of which feels entirely truthful. Who is the seducer? Are his or her actions justified? "The Affair's" first episode leads the viewer asking a lot of questions, none can be answered easily.
But it's appear that Noah and Alison's tryst is merely the launchpad for a more complex examination of marriage, trust and tragedy, which one only sees by sticking around until the end of its first hour.
Series premiere: 10pm Sunday, October 12 on Showtime. - CreatorKenya BarrisStarsAnthony AndersonTracee Ellis RossMarcus ScribnerA family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.The central idea of "Black-ish" is a familiar one: Anthony Anderson's "Dre" Johnson is an executive at an ad firm who grew up in a rough neighborhood and is proud to be able to provide his wife Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) and their four kids with everything he didn’t have, like a big beautiful house in a safe neighborhood, and a top-shelf education at a fancy school.
This all reads as pretty average sitcom fodder to the typical viewer, and that's precisely the thing that's eating at Dre. In his view, while the Black experience is part of the dominant culture, it's also something over which African Americans should hold a sense of exclusivity and ownership. His children don't share that viewpoint, however, and he fears that their disregard of Black culture means he's failing them.
The intent here is not to create an "African American" comedy, and viewers don't have to be African American to get it.
Americans of every ethnicity are seeking connections to their ancestral cultures, enough to sustain an industry based on tracing one's genealogy.
There are broader relatable points in that idea, although the main thing audiences may connect is the widening relationship gap between the ideas held by older generations and that of their children and grandchildren.
Using comedy to foster discussions about race and culture has been done before, although the subject can make viewers uncomfortable. But the well-meaning if out-of-touch dad is a familiar, beloved sitcom archetype. The difference between the success and failure of this series will be in how well its writers and cast can blend these ideas and make viewers fall in love with Johnsons.
Series premiere: 9:30pm Wednesday, September 24 on ABC. - CreatorJennie Snyder UrmanStarsGina RodriguezAndrea NavedoYael GrobglasA young, devout Catholic woman discovers that she was accidentally artificially inseminated.Like other shows that challenge viewers to see past their titles, this clever dramedy takes what sounds like a ridiculous premise -- a virgin becomes pregnant via accidental insemination during her annual pelvic exam, oopsie! -- and transforms it into an utterly charming journey that is so much better and more intelligent that the name suggests.
Skillful writing and strong performances, particularly the one delivered by its star Gina Rodriguez, grant the story a level of warmth and soul most of this fall's crop of shows can't match. Rodriguez is surrounded by an extraordinary cast anchored by Andrea Navedo as her young mother Xiomara, and Ivonne Coll as her devout grandmother, who lend a bright energy to this telenovela masquerading as lighthearted dramedy.
Living without regret is a major theme of the pilot, so take a cue from that idea and check out the premiere. Even if you don't want to admit to your friends that you plan to watch "Jane", or that you did, just watch. You'll be glad you did.
Series premiere: 9pm Monday, October 13 on The CW - CreatorDave GrohlStarsDave GrohlTaylor HawkinsPat SmearSonic Highways commemorates the Foo Fighters 20th anniversary by documenting the eight-city recording odyssey that produced their latest, and eighth, studio album.In this eight part series, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl embarks on a musical odyssey across the United States, examining the history, environment and people that came to define America's musical identities as experienced in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
The show neatly ties in with the Foo Fighters' eighth album release, but if you're at all familiar with Grohl, you shouldn't need any convincing to watch a series that he's created and produced. Grohl's one of the most profoundly learned, passionate musical explorers we've got.
Still have doubts? Watch the trailer.. If it doesn't give you even the smallest of chills, check your pulse to make sure you're still alive.
Series premiere: 11pm Friday, October 17 on HBO. - CreatorPeter NowalkStarsViola DavisBilly BrownJack FalaheeA group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives."How to Get Away with Murder" shares a key similarity with its lead-in "Scandal," in that the entire series is about maintaining appearances – the difference being that once Olivia Pope repairs to her condo with a bowl of popcorn and a huge glass of wine, her mask comes off. Whereas in "Murder", it's difficult to tell whether imposing defense attorney and criminal law professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) ever gives us an honest moment to work with. Even in a scene in which she shows a glimmer of vulnerability when she'd by herself, staring in a mirror and weeping, seems utterly staged.
That one of the show's central tensions, and if there's an actress who can sustain that in future episodes, it's Viola Davis.
As for the murder mystery arc referenced in the title -- yes, there's one of those to explore -- its reveal should serve as a twisty carrot-on-a-stick to keep viewers coming back for more.
Series premiere: 10pm Thursday, September 25 on ABC. - CreatorMargaret NagleStarsOctavia SpencerDave AnnableAstroA group of teenagers live together as patients at a hospital's pediatric ward and learn how to deal with their illnesses, the experiences that they have, and the people that they meet.Narrated by a boy in a coma who is watching the action of his peers from a different plane, the longterm residents in "Red Band's" pediatric ward are committed to living out the adolescent experience in spite of their dire health circumstances. They're lippy, mischievous and rebellious. One is the archetypical mean girl. Together, their various personalities give viewers everything we'd find enjoyable about watching a high school drama, without the high school and with much higher stakes.
"Red Band" is an American version of a Catalan series, but to US viewers it could be described as "House" (without the cranky title character) meets The Breakfast Club. There are tones of "Glee" in the pilot, in that it balances snark and whimsy while tugging at heartstrings.
While Octavia Spencer is the marquee draw here, with Dave Annable as the other main adult tending these patients, the premiere's main focus is on the young cast, and their strong performances make the story endearing.
One questions how long the show can stick with the comatose kid-as-narrator device, but the pilot was executed well enough to earn my attention for a few more episodes.
Series premiere: 9pm Wednesday, September 17 on Fox. - CreatorChris ChibnallStarsDavid TennantAnna GunnVirginia KullWhen a young boy is found dead on an idyllic beach, a major police investigation gets underway in the small California seaside town where the tragedy occurred. Soon deemed a homicide, the case sparks a media frenzy, which throws the boy's family into further turmoil and upends the lives of all of the town's residents.Viewers who watched the excellent "Broadchurch" on BBC America last summer may have met the announcement that Fox would be doing an American version with a bit of eye-rolling.
To ease the tale's transition from Britain to its new setting in a Northern California oceanside town, David Tennant is reprising his role from the original, albeit with a rather strange accent, and the incomparable Anna Gunn steps in to the role originated by Olivia Colman. Gunn's detective is tougher around the edges than Colman's, which we're only mentioning because if you've seen "Broadchurch", the first two episodes of "Gracepoint" may feel like you're watching a rerun with unfamiliar actors. They US episodes are virtually a carbon copy of the original's opening acts.
That said, other Americanized versions of British shows started out the same as their sources in order to establish the story before taking drastically different turns to distinguish themselves (the first few episodes of "The Office" did that, for example), so it's possible that "Gracepoint" will transform into its own distinct work.
Clone though it may be, odds are a large portion of the American audience hasn't seen the original. So even if Tennant is reprising his role pretty much in body and spirit, that might not matter too much -- he and Gunn partner nicely, and if the original's appeal is an indicator, the thrilling murder mystery could be enough to win "Gracepoint" its own group of enthusiastic fans.
Series premiere: 9pm Thursday, October 2 on Fox.