GET READY FOR SECRETS AND MUTANTS
WILL & GRACE NBC, SEPT. 28
( Thursdays, 9 ET/ PT)
Yes, there are far too many remakes coming — and most for shows that would be better left dead. But for this one, the time just could be right for Will’s return. The stars seem excited and on top of their games; the creators are back on board; and we’re all in dire need of a comedy that is laugh- out- loud funny, as Will was at its height. Maybe it will all still go the way of Netflix’s dismal Arrested Development return, but as long as optimism remains free, why not be optimistic?
TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY ABC, OCT. 1
( Sundays, 10 ET/ PT)
I’m not in favor of TV shows coming back to life, but I’m all for great TV actors returning — and few are finer than Kyra Sedgwick. This time she plays a TV producer whose daughter is kidnapped, a crime that reveals the secrets of everyone it touches. This 10- episode limited series gets off to a beautifully taut start, and you don’t have to worry about being left hanging. The producer promises the main story will be wrapped up in the finale.
MINDHUNTER NETFLIX, OCT. 13
Charlize Theron and Gone Girl’s David Fincher produce this new series, based on Mark Olshaker and famous profiler John Douglas’ non- fiction book Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. That’s pretty much all we know about it, but the source material, Fincher’s involvement and that of stars Jonathan Groff, Anna Torv and Holt McCallany are enough to earn the series a spot on your calendar.
FUTURE MAN HULU, NOV. 14
Seth Rogen brings his unrestrained sense of humor to this amiable fantasy comedy about a janitor ( Josh Hutcherson) whose video- game skills may prove the key to saving mankind — if the game’s heroine- come- to- life ( Eliza Coupe) doesn’t get him killed first. As you might expect from Rogen, Man’s a little on the raunchy side, but underneath it are some good performances and sly comments on our never- ending affection for violent entertainment.
THE MAYOR ABC, OCT. 3
( Tuesdays, 9: 30 ET/ PT)
In a weak season for new sitcoms, this amusing ABC effort stands out on the strength of its appealing cast, led by Brandon Micheal Hall as a young rapper- turned- accidental- mayor and Yvette Nicole Brown as his mom. The premise ( he runs for office as a publicity stunt and is dismayed when he wins) comes across as silly, even with its current- events overtones, but that may not matter. The show itself seems to turn on the relationship between the young mayor and his mom, and that looks rock- solid.