According to TV Guide, there are fifty-seven new shows premiering this fall. Fifty-seven. That’s a lot of shows. Clearly, not all of them will succeed, but there are five new shows with criminal elements (ha) that I am excited about. So, I thought I’d share a bit about each one.
Here are my top five, in reverse order of interest (trailers included!):
5) Ironside
This is a remake of the late '60s, early seventies show starring Raymond Burr as Robert Ironside, a paraplegic chief of detectives who doesn’t mess around. This version has been updated and features Blair Underwood (L.A. Law) as Ironside. There has been some controversy, because a paraplegic actor was not given the Ironside role. Other stars include Brent Sexton (former Sheriff Hunter Mosely on Justified), Spenser Grammer, and Kenneth Choi.
Ironside premieres on NBC on October 2 at 10/9c.
4) Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Saturday Night Live skit wunderkind Andy Samberg stars in this half-hour comedy about a squad of Brooklyn detectives used to following their own rules when they get a new boss. This show will be silly, but I hope, just like Samberg’s SNL skits, it’s funny-silly. Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age, Homicide: Life on the Street) plays the new captain. Other stars include Terry Jeffords, Amy Santiago and Charles Boyle.
The series premiers Tuesday, September 17 at 8:30/7:30c.
3) Almost Human
J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Revolution, recent Star Trek movies) brings us this take on the future where in the year 2048 all human cops are paired with robots. The show stars Karl Urban (Dr. “Bones” McCoy” in the recent Star Trek movies and Judge Dredd himself) as a cop who survives a “catastrophic attack.” He wakes up 17 months after the incident to learn his partner is dead and that he lost a leg, now replaced with advanced technology. He’s pretty screwed up mentally and physically. Now he has to get used to his robot partner, played by Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell, Common Law), get over his injuries, and make it all work. Other stars include Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, Hemlock Grove), Rudy Lom, and Valerie Stahl.
The series premieres Monday, November 4 at 8/7c.
2) Dracula
Imagine yourself in Victorian London and a handsome American entrepreneur named Alexander Grayson comes into to town bringing that brand new invention, electricity, with him. The problem is that Grayson is really Dracula. And he only brought the electricity because he can’t stand sunlight. And of course, he wants to take revenge for things people did in past lives.
Jonathan Rhys Myers (Henry VIII of The Tudors) plays Dracula. Other cast members include Oliver Jackson as Jonathan Harker, Jessica De Gouw as Mina Murray, and Thomas Kretschmann as Van Helsing.
To start, there will only be ten episodes of Dracula, then mid-season, it will be replaced in the time slot by ten episodes of another new show called Crossbones. (This one stars John Malkovich as the super swashbuckling pirate, Blackbeard.)
Dracula premieres on FOX, Friday October 25 at 10/9c
1) The Blacklist
James Spader (Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Practice, Boston Legal) plays a Whitey Bulger-type criminal character that unlike Bulger, turns himself into the FBI so he can help them catch bad guys. But he’ll only help if he gets assigned to a specific, female rookie profiler (not named Clarice). It’s a big carrot for the Bureau, but how can you trust this guy? He is after all a super-criminal mastermind. And he’s played by James Spader, who can’t help but be awesome.
Other stars include Megan Boone, who plays the rookie, Diego Klattenhoff (Mean Girls, Homeland), Harry Lennix (24), and Ryan Eggold.
The Blacklist premieres on Monday, September 23 at 10/9c (opposite Castle, but that’s what DVRs are for).
Of course fall wouldn’t be the same without our returning favorites. Here are some of their premiere dates and times:
- Bones – FOX, Friday September 6, 8/7c
- Castle – ABC, Monday, September 23, 10/9c
- NCIS – CBS, Tuesday, September 24, 8/7c
- Revolution – NBC, Wednesday, September 25, 8/7c
- Elementary – CBS, Thursday, September 26, 10/9c
- Major Crimes – TNT, Monday, November 25, 9/8c (second half of a split season)
What did I miss? What fall shows are you excited about?
Deborah Lacy also writes for Mystery Playground. You can find her on Twitter https://twitter.com/Quippy.
I’m excited about Mob City, personally.
@Ken – I am also excited about Mob City, but TNT sn’t debuting it until December so I didn’t include it in the fall post. Thank you for mentioning it thought. It looks to be a great show.
I’m looking forward to Sleepy Hollow-tonight!
@Katreader– I’ve got the DVR set for that one, too!
I am SO excited for The Blacklist and Ironside!!!!
@Katreader & Clare2e – what did you think of Sleepy Hollow?
@Sk1336 – I am so with you.
According to those that write about these shows, NONE of them are supposedly good. I will give Blacklist and Ironside a chance, however. In the meantime, back to the old reliables. I’m waiting for Boardwalk Empire on HBO.
@bitsy08 – Boardwalk Empire is very good. I still have hope for these shows. Only time will tell.
Spot on about The Blacklist! Loved the pilot and can’t wait for more.
I’ve now watched Blacklist twice and Sleepy Hollow twice. While I’m “planning” on continuing with Blacklist, I’m “iffy” on Sleepy Hollow.
bitsy08 – I really enjoyed The Blacklist as well. Brooklyn Nine Nine is really silly but I like it. I’m with you on Sleepy Hallow but I might give it one more week.
Okay – here I am again to report on The Blacklist and I’ll cover Ironside, too. I’ve watched both since the beginning of the series and neither are, to me, that great. I watched Blacklist but last week it got so violent that I turned it off. I just don’t want to watch that much blood and guts on TV. Don’t know if I’ll go back to it. I’ll still watch Ironside but I’m not enamored of either one. If they both went off the air – I wouldn’t miss them. That says a lot, I think.
@bitsy08 – Thank you for coming back and sharing your thoughts.
I love The Blacklist, I do. It is a little violent, but I look forward to it every week.
I don’t love Ironside and it’s already been cancelled and pulled from the NBC line up. I’m seriously OK with that.
I thought Dracula last night wasn’t so hot, but I’ll watch a few more episodes just to be sure. I was dissappointed…
Brooklyn Nine Nine is hysterical. It makes me laugh outloud. It’s super silly, but I love that one too.
We’re still waiting for Almost Human to premiere.