Seven new fall TV series you need to watch

For TV nerds, the fall season used to feel like Christmas as a kid, a time when anticipation turned to wonder at the gifts the networks were about to bestow.

Now, it feels closer to Christmas as an adult. Finding a worthwhile series can be as difficult as tracking down one of those TurboMan action figures in “Jingle All the Way.” (Still, it’s far easier than actually sitting through “Jingle All the Way.” Yikes!)

To help cut through some of the clutter, here’s a look at seven new fall series you need to watch:

‘The First’

Capt. Thomas Hagerty (Sean Penn) leads the first manned mission to Mars in this drama written by “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon. Sure, Penn can be a lot to take. Regardless, there’s plenty to like in “The First,” which spends as much time, if not more, exploring the fractured relationship between Hagerty and his daughter (Anna JacobyHeron) as it does exploring space. surreal series reunites Carrey and his “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind“director, Michel Gondry. The results are straight-up gonzo.

‘Mr Inbetween’

Ray Shoesmith (creator Scott Ryan) is a doting father, a loving dog owner and a staunch supporter of a brother suffering from a motor neuron disease — when he isn’t working as an enforcer/gun for hire. The half-hour Australian drama has enough darkly comic moments to make it enjoyable. And Ray, who’s going through a bit of a midlife crisis and embarking on a new relationship, is just likable enough to make his day job all the more troubling. “The Rookie” is not a great series, but it’s one that’s executed extremely well. Nathan Fillion (“Castle”) stars as John Nolan, a recent divorcee who decides to start over and becomes the oldest trainee in the Los Angeles Police Department. Fillion is a rare commodity in that he’s an actual TV star. He’s able to take the material he’s given — without spoiling anything, many officers go their entire careers without seeing the kind of action Nolan is hit with during his first day on the job — and not only make it better, but make it seem more believable. the groundwork for the superheroes known as the Titans. Unlike the animated version of the team featured in “Teen Titans Go!,” the gritty, violent drama, the first new offering from the subscription service DC Universe, is most assuredly not for kids.

Advice columnist Leigh Shaw (Elizabeth Olsen) is still reeling, three months after the death of her husband. Her mother (Janet McTeer, “Jessica Jones”) and recovering-alcoholic sister (Kelly Marie Tran, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) aren’t exactly helping — at least not in the way that her grief group and its free donuts are. “Sorry for Your Loss,” which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a powerful showcase for Olsen. And, yes, it’s more than a little jarring to see her acting on the same platform where your uncle shares the latest QAnon conspiracy theories.

Brenton Thwaites stars as Dick Grayson in “Titans.”

Elizabeth Olsen and Kelly Marie Tran in “Sorry for Your Loss.”

Erica Parise Showtime Jim Carrey as children’s show host Jeff Pickles in “Kidding.”

Eric McCandless “The Rookie” stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan.

Alan Markfield Hulu “The First” stars Sean Penn as Capt. Thomas Hagerty.

Frank Ockenfels FX FX’s “Mr Inbetween” stars Scott Ryan as Ray Shoesmith.

Amazon Studios Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph star in “Forever.”