This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Our TV schedule will be pretty packed this fall, with the return of some of our favorites like American Horror Story, Homeland, and The Mindy Project. But there are also some fresh, new shows on the horizon that we're excited about, including Fox's Gotham, which takes a look at the origin stories of the characters surrounding Batman; Amazon's Transparent that follows a father's public transition into becoming a woman; and a remake of lauded BBC crime drama, Broadchurch. Plus, we'll be catching some big-name actors on the small-screen—from Laurence Fishburne to Viola Davis.
'Red Band Society,' Fox, Sept. 17
This dark comedy is an American adaptation from a Catalan series, about sick children who are patients in a pediatric ward. The kids are all suffering from different illnesses, from cancer to cystic fibrosis, and Octavia Spencer (The Help) stars as the no-nonsense head nurse to these group of kids. It's The Breakfast Club, The Fault in Our Stars, and Glee all rolled into one. The show's also backed by some big names like executive producers Stephen Spielberg and Margaret Nagel, a scribe for Boardwalk Empire who adapted this show.
'Gotham,' Fox, Sept. 22
Even though you may think of Batman when you hear about Gotham City, this new Fox crime drama isn't centered around the enigmatic Bruce Wayne, but rather Commissioner James Gordon (Ben McKenzie)—during his rookie years on the police force. After Wayne witnesses the murder of his parents, Gordon vows to track down the murderer, and in the process, we get to see the seedy underbelly of Gotham City. The origins show also follows future supervillains like the Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Catwoman (Camren Bicondova) and the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). (Imagine a young Mr. Freeze—oh, the possibilities!) The Wire's John Doman also stars as a mob boss. McKenzie, who's a Southland and The O.C. alum, even voiced Batman in the animated film, Batman: Year One, so this isn't his first time to the rodeo. And we kind of love that Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy), who can easily slip between comedic (remember Grounded for Life?) and dramatic roles, portrays Gordon's partner.
'black-ish,' ABC, Sept. 24
Black-ish is a sitcom same vein as Modern Family, but with a black family—and it tackles cultural and race issues off the bat. This ABC comedy is about Andre (Anthony Anderson), a successful exec, father of four and loving husband. When he starts questioning how far he's distanced himself from his cultural identity because he's assimilated and gotten comfy in the suburban life, he starts making an effort to explore that with his family. And yes, some wild antics ensue. When Anderson, who co-created the series with Kenya Barris, brought the idea for the show over to Laurence Fishburne's company, not only did Fishburne want to produce it, but he also wanted to star in it as Andre's father. Fishburne in a TV sitcom? You've got our attention.
'How To Get Away With Murder,' ABC, Sept. 25
Hey, we don't blame you if one of your guilty pleasures include watching Scandal for its batshit crazy plot lines. Scandal and Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes serves as the executive producer on ABC's new series, How To Get Away With Murder. This one stars Viola Davis (Prisoners, The Help) as a criminal law professor whose brilliant students (including Matt McGorry from Orange Is the New Black) get involved in a murder mystery. We can be certain there will be some really over-the-top, Shondaland plot twists.
'Transparent,' Amazon, Sept. 26
Transparent follows Mort (Jeffrey Tambor of Arrested Development), a Los Angeles father who is in the midst of transitioning into a woman. As the dark comedy unfolds, Mort tells her family about her public transition to Maura. That family includes her children played by Gaby Hoffmann (Girls), Amy Landecker (Louie), and Jay Duplass (The Mindy Project), who are in their 20s to 30s and all seem to have some growing up to do. Judith Light (Who's The Boss) plays Mort's wife and seems to be unfazed by Mort's transition. "It's his thing, it's his little private kink, everyone has one," she tells her children in the pilot. Jill Solloway (Six Feet Under, United States of Tara), whose real-life father came out to her as transgender three years ago, created this show.
'Gracepoint,' Fox, Oct. 2
British dramas have made their way overseas to America (ahem Downton Abbey); however instead of importing BBC's highly-acclaimed crime thriller, Broadchurch over here, Fox created a remake called Gracepoint. The plot stays pretty much the same and centers around how a child's death affects a sleepy seaside town. But what makes this story so engrossing is not just unraveling the whodunnit, but rather looking deeper into how a death can break apart a community. And it's helmed by a pretty stellar cast, including Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn and Doctor Who's David Tennant who also was in the original Broadchurch.
'The Affair,' Showtime, Oct. 12
It's been awhile since we've seen The Wire's Dominic West (McNulty!) in a TV series, so we were extra giddy to find out that he'll be starring in Showtime's latest drama, The Affair. West portrays Noah, a father of four who has an affair with a married waitress Allison (Ruth Wilson) in Long Island while he's on vacation. Everyone's lives involved gets tangled in this affair, including Noah's wife Helen (Maura Tierney) and Allison's beau Cole (Joshua Jackson). But what makes the show intriguing is that the affair is told through flashbacks from both perspectives of Noah and Helen. Hey, there are two sides to every story.
'Marry Me,' NBC, Oct. 14
If you were among the ones who were upset that ABC's Happy Endings got the axe last year, you'll be happy to know that the show's creator, David Caspe, has created a new rom-com show, Marry Me. It stars his wife and former Happy Endings alum Casey Wilson and Children's Hospital's Ken Marino as a longtime couple who just can't seem to get their engagement right and face some major road blocks. However, Caspe said during the TCA summer press tour that the show isn't going to be just about planning a wedding, but rather about the couple, their parents, and friends (including a gay character played by Tim Meadows).
These are the dates for returning shows:
Boardwalk Empire, HBO, Sept. 7
Sons of Anarchy, FX, Sept. 9
New Girl, Fox, Sept. 16
The Mindy Project, Fox, Sept. 16
Good Wife, CBS, Sept. 21
The Big Bang Theory, CBS, Sept. 22
Sleepy Hollow, Fox, Sept 22
The Blacklist, NBC, Sept 22
The Voice, NBC, Sept. 22
Marvel's Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, Sept. 23
Person of Interest, CBS, Sept. 23
Law & Order: SVU, NBC, Sept. 24
Nashville, ABC, Sept. 24
Modern Family, ABC, Sept. 24
Grey's Anatomy, ABC, Sept. 25
Bones, Fox, Sept. 25
Scandal, ABC, Sept. 25
Parenthood, NBC, Sept. 25
Hawaii Five-0, NBC, Sept. 26
SNL, NBC, Sept. 27
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fox, Sept. 28
Once Upon a Time, ABC, Sept. 28
The Simpsons, Fox, Sept. 28
Family Guy, Fox, Sept. 28
CSI, CBS, Sept. 28
Resurrection, CBS, Sept. 28
Revenge, ABC, Sept, 28
Criminal Minds, CBS, Oct. 1
Vampire Diaries, CW, Oct. 2
American Horror Story: Freak Show, Fox, Oct. 3
About a Boy, NBC, Oct. 4
Homeland, Showtime, Oct. 5
Bob's Burgers, Fox, Oct. 5
Supernatural, CW, Oct. 7
Arrow, CW, Oct. 8
The Walking Dead, AMC, Oct. 12
Grimm, NBC, Oct. 24
2 Broke Girls, CBS, Oct. 27
Elementary, CBS, Oct. 30
Masterchef Junior, Fox, Nov. 7
The Newsroom, HBO, Nov. 9
