GUIDE TO NEW MOVIES, TV SHOWS AND BOOKS THIS MONTH
Check out what’s coming in movies, music, TV and books in September.
Here are some of the best and highest-profile new releases in music, movies, TV and more on the horizon in September. As always, dates are subject to change without notice. “Star Trek: Discovery” (CBS) Well, here we (boldly) go. “Discovery” is the first new “Star Trek” series since “Star Trek: Enterprise” arrived in 2001 (and if you’ve never seen it, the fourseason “Enterprise” became a really fun program — the final two years contain some of the best “Trek” around).
Set roughly 10 years (and at least one uniform iteration) before the original program and in the middle of the Federation and Klingon cold war, “Discovery” plays with the formula a bit in that the focus will be on the ships’ first officer, a human woman named Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) raised as a Vulcan by none other than Spock’s father, Sarek. (The show swears it will have an explanation as to why Spock never mentioned having a sister). Burnham will also serve on two ships as the show goes one, first the Shenzhou and then the Discovery.
Look for Michelle Yeoh as Shenzhou captain Philippa Georgiou and Jason Isaacs as Discovery captain Gabriel Lorca (and please let the rumors that Isaacs plays this guy with a Southern accent be false). Doug Jones shows up as a member of a brand-new alien race, and Anthony Rapp plays a gay science officer. And feel free to ignore anyone who says the show’s interest in having nonwhite, non-straight characters is somehow going against traditional Star Trek — whatever that means. The original show, which debuted in 1966, featured African-American, Asian and Russian characters — diversity has literally always been built into the program.
The show will debut on CBS before moving to the CBS All Access streaming service, with seven additional new episodes airing weekly this fall. The second half of the 15-episode season will debut in January. One hopes for the best. (Sept. 24)
Tori Amos, “Native Invader” (Decca). It’s Tori’s 15th studio album and first since 2014. (Sept. 8)
The National, “Sleep Well Beast” (4AD). The new album from a band that, let’s be frank, many indie rock watchers were not expecting to make it as long as they have. Expect cavernous singing and terrific drumming. (Sept. 8)
The Specials, “Specials,” “More Specials,” “In the Studio With the Special AKA” (Chrysalis). Hey, giggle at ska all you want; the Specials were a spectacular band. The first album comes reissued with a second CD, a 14-song “BBC in Concert at the Paris Theatre 15/12/79,” the second with a second CD containing John Peel BBC Radio 1 sessions and other rarities and their final record with a second CD of BBC John Peel sessions and instrumentals. (Sept. 8)
Neil Young “Hitchhiker” (Reprise). It has been moved around a bit, so don’t be too surprised if it vanishes again, but here, finally (?) is Young’s previously unreleased album from 1976. A few of the songs have appeared on other Young albums; two songs (“Hawaii” and “Give Me Strength”) are making their debut. (Sept. 8)
“It.” The new and completely terrifying adaptation of the Stephen King classic is here. That is one creepy looking clown. (Sept. 8)
“Con Man” (Syfy). This show