What’s worth watching this fall?
The days when September signaled the return of our favorite series after three months of reruns are long gone. But fall still means something in the world of TV: With it comes the Emmys, celebrating the best of the medium’s last year; the launch of the broadcast networks’ season, marking the start of the next; and, this time around, the debut of two brand-new platforms: Disney+ and Apple TV+.
After polling The Times TV team about new and returning series, here are some of the shows we’re most excited about this fall:
‘A Little Late With Lilly Singh’
(NBC, Sept. 16) Taking over the spot on the schedule vacated by Carson Daly, the Canadian-born Singh is a new face as far as network TV is concerned, but on YouTube she’s a proven star, with nearly 15 million subscribers to her channel “||Superwoman||,” where she has delivered oneperson comic sketches and the occasional celebrity cameo (the Rock is a fan).
‘mixed-ish’
(ABC, Sept. 24) Kenya Barris adds another branch to the “black-ish” family tree with a look back at the childhood of matriarch Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), who grew up in a hippie-ish cult-commune before it was broken up in 1985. Ross is on hand to narrate, this fish-out-of-water comedy as young Rainbow (Arica Himmel) and her siblings adjust to the horrors of public school and ’80s fashion.
‘Creepshow’
(Shudder, Sept. 26) One of Stephen King’s stories from his cult 1982 horror anthology has been adapted for the pilot, which was directed by showrunner and Romero protege Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead”). The revolving cast includes Giancarolo Esposito, Dana Gould and, in another nod to the show’s roots, Adrienne Barbeau.
‘Evil’
(CBS, Sept. 26) Built around the pairing of a skeptical clinical psychologist (Katja Herbers) and a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) charged with investigating mysterious happenings, the series will try to walk the line between science and the supernatural with horror standbys such as haunted homes and demonic possession.
‘Godfather of Harlem’
(Epix, Sept. 29) The story of Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), a crime figure who gets out of jail in the ’60s to find his neighborhood devastated by drug use and the influence of the mafia. The solution? Teaming with Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) to win back his territory during an already tumultuous time in America.
‘Back to Life’
(Showtime, Oct. 6) Let’s be clear: There is no “hot priest” in this acclaimed British series, which first aired on the BBC and was cowritten by star Daisy Haggard, who plays a woman returning to her seaside hometown after serving an 18-year prison sentence for murder. Still, you can’t blame Showtime for hoping to recapture the magic of “Fleabag” with this series, which was produced by Harry and Jack Williams.
‘Mr. Robot’ Season 4
(USA, Oct. 6) A lot has happened since we last saw this cyber-thriller, which after two years away is embarking on its final season. It’s impossible to predict what lies ahead for Rami Malek’s Elliott — “Mr. Robot” has always delighted in blurring fantasy and reality alongside madness and sanity.
‘Nancy Drew’
(The CW, Oct. 9) At a time when nearly every Marvel character has a series in the works, there’s something almost quaint about the return of this teenage detective, who dates to a series of mystery novels from the 1930s and was first seen on TV in the feathered hair heyday of 1977. Kennedy McMann takes over as the red-headed sleuth in a series created by Josh Schwartz (“The O.C.,” “Chuck”) with a more complex present day in mind.
‘Modern Love’
(Amazon Prime Video, Oct. 18) The New York Times’ weekly-column-turnedpodcast composed of first-person essays about romance and relationships will be transformed into an eight-part anthology featuring a high-profile cast that includes Tina Fey, John Slattery, Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel and Andy Garcia.
‘Mrs. Fletcher’
(HBO, Oct. 27) With her standout appearances on “Transparent” and “I Love Dick,” no one inhabits the comic indignities of midlife quite like Kathryn Hahn. Adapted by Tom Perrotta from his own novel, the series centers on Hahn as the title character, a divorced woman who experiences a sexual reawakening that upends her stable life after her son goes away to college.
‘The Mandalorian’
(Disney+, Nov. 12) This bounty hunter’s story, helmed by showrunner Jon Favreau, stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Nick Nolte and, yes, Werner Herzog. Plot details are slim, but we do know that the series is set between the events of “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens.”
‘The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park’
(Sundance/AMC, Nov. 13) Spread over five episodes, this docuseries looks at the 1986 case of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin, who was killed in Central Park by fellow prep school graduate Robert Chambers. The case spurred a tabloid frenzy, and in revisiting the ways that bias was reflected in favor of privilege and against the victim, viewers may recognize how far we’ve come. Or not.
‘The Crown’ Season 3
(Netflix, Nov. 17) There’s a new queen in town as this historical drama bids farewell to Claire Foy, Matt Smith and the rest of a cast that held court for two acclaimed seasons. The third season, now in the capable hands of Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Elizabeth II, Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, examines the queen’s reign from 1964 to 1977.
‘Toast of London’
(IFC, Dec. 4) Portraying middling stage actor and chaos magnet Steven Toast, Matt Berry (“What We Do in the Shadows”) flexes the talent for far-out absurdity that has made him a perfect fit for Taika Waititi’s oddball universe. Keep an eye out for cameos from long-frustated comic actor Jon Hamm and Queen of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
‘The Morning Show’
(Apple TV+, TBA) Apple’s foray into original content looks to begin with this ripped-from-the-headlines drama about a morning show host (Jennifer Aniston) dealing with the fallout after her cohost (Steve Carrell) is accused of sexual misconduct — and the feather-ruffling local news reporter (Reese Witherspoon) who’s either her biggest ally or her biggest rival.