New fall shows ready to hit screens
Season brings star-filled dramas, thrillers and comedies
The phrase “fall TV” used to have much more allure before streaming services eliminated all sense of time, but there’s still a buzz in the air.
Here are the buzziest new shows of the season — based solely on trailers and descriptions (no spoilers here).
“Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol,” Sept. 16, Peacock
No one would be blamed for wanting to stay away from anything conspiracy theory-related right now, but at the same time, “The Da Vinci Code” may have been the last time any of us had fun. No Tom Hanks this time, but instead a young Robert Langdon, played by “Succession’s” Ashley Zukerman, solves a series of deadly puzzles to save his kidnapped mentor and thwart a chilling global conspiracy.
“Our Kind of People,” Sept. 21, Fox
This messy family drama from Lee Daniels and Karen Gist that takes on race and class is based on Lawrence Otis Graham’s 1999 book, a Martha’s Vineyard-set story about the “powerful Black elite” and a single mom fighting for her own name.
“BMF,” Sept. 26, Starz
It has somehow slid under the radar that 50 Cent not only is making TV now, but is making pretty good TV. After “Power” and what feels like a dozen subsequent spinoffs and the shortlived “For Life,” the Queens native is headed to 1980s Detroit with “BMF,” inspired by the true story of two brothers who formed one of the most influential crime families in the country.
“Ghosts,” Oct. 7, CBS
Sure, CBS’ rep for sitcoms isn’t exactly something to write home about. That said, if anyone can carry a network comedy, it’s Rose McIver, who was utterly delightful on “iZombie.” Now, she’s moving from zombies to ghosts in a crumbling country home. One day she’ll get to just hang out with some humans — and no, a prince doesn’t count. “Dopesick,” Oct. 13, Hulu The rise of star-studded limited series has changed the television landscape, never more than the ability to tell a story like “Dopesick” promises to do. Starring Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever and Rosario Dawson, Danny Strong’s series digs into the opioid epidemic, the big pharma executives who caused it and the victims who paid the price.
“Ragdoll,” Nov. 11, AMC+
It’s the year of the murder mystery. In “Ragdoll,” Lucy Hale hunts a serial killer who has murdered six people and stitched their remains back together to create one malformed monster. AMC’s describing it as a “gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller,” so even if a few of those keywords fit, sign us up (for the show, not the murder).
“The Shrink Next Door,” Nov. 12, Apple TV+
The reunion of Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell is good. Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson could make it great. A psychologist who weasels his way into every corner of his patient’s life and, eventually, his house, might be enough to turn you off from seeking help with your own mental health, but please don’t let it. It’s a comedy.