ZOMBIE SEE, ZOMBIE DO
Fall season is alive with the undead
Not to sound depressing, but this fall is looking like the Autumn of the Dead on television.
AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returns Oct. 11, by which time it will also have had a warmup act: the six-episode “Fear of the Walking Dead,” a “companion series” that launches Aug. 23.
“Fear” will confirm that zombies are no more congenial on the West Coast than they are on the Atlantic Coast.
If that’s not enough “Dead” shows, Starz will roll out the much-anticipated “Ash Vs. The Evil Dead” on Oct. 31.
On a more modest Halloween scale, Fox plans a crossover episode between its medical drama “Bones” and its supernatural historical drama “Sleepy Hollow.”
Imagine if the Colonial Army in the Revolutionary War discovered that some of the British forces were zombies. Would Washington still have crossed the Delaware?
Fans of the “dead” will want to tune in to the Oct. 12 return of AMC’s “Fargo,” which tends to rack up a healthy body count, and ABC’s Oct. 27 “Wicked City,” billed as a love story between two serial killers.
Much of the splatter is goodnatured in Fox’s new “Scream Queens,” which debuts Sept. 22.
And even a show about ballet, Starz’ “Flesh and Bone,” promises to turn very dark when it launches Nov. 8.
“Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter is back Sept. 15 with FX’s “The Bastard Executioner,” which seems to practice population control medieval style.
On Oct. 7 FX also brings back “American Horror Story,” which regularly kills off a good part of the cast.
On a more metaphoric level, CBS will mark the death of the long-running “CSI” with a two-hour movie on Sept. 27.
That’s being billed as a celebration, which will also be the case early next year when PBS’s beloved “Downton Abbey” wraps up its six-year run.
But not everything on TV this fall relies on termination.
On Sept. 8, CBS gets its first new late-night host in 22 years as Stephen Colbert takes over the old David Letterman spot. Then, on Sept. 28, Trevor Noah steps into Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show” on Comedy Central.
Neil Patrick Harris revives the old-style variety show on NBC, starting Sept. 14, “Supergirl” flies on CBS starting Oct. 26, and National Geographic premieres a miniseries on the Pilgrims, “Saints and Strangers,” around Thanksgiving.
By the way, half the travelers on the Mayflower died the first winter.
Here’s a rundown of other highlights coming in the next few months.
AUG. 22
BLUNT TALK (STARZ)
Patrick Stewart in a dry and engaging comedy about a talk show host who keeps tripping over his personal faults.
AUG. 23
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
Kim Dickens and Cliff Curtis are coping with family challenges in L.A. when they and their neighbors begin to slowly realize a “virus” is wiping out civilization.
AUG. 25
PUBLIC MORALS (TNT)
Among the first of TNT’s new “edgier” dramas, this one examines the morality squad in the NYPD in the early 1960s.
AUG. 26
KATRINA: 10 YEARS LATER (BET)
Ten years after the waters swallowed New Orleans, one of several TV
retrospectives on what happened and whether we learned anything.
AUG. 28
NARCOS (NETFLIX)
Somber series about the cops who tried to catch the late Colombian druglord Pablo Escobar.
AUG. 31
AWKWARD (MTV)
The fifth and final season of Jenna’s journey through high school. A few exaggerations along the way, but a lot of uncomfortable truths.
SEPT. 4
HAND OF GOD (AMAZON)
Ron Perlman and Dana Delany in a chilling drama about mortality, divinity and madness.
SEPT. 14
WALT DISNEY (PBS)
Four-hour doc on the man who created Mickey Mouse and Disneyland.
SEPT. 15 NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: BEST TIME EVER (NBC)
The kid always wanted to do a variety show. We’ll see if he can dust the magic off.
THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER (FX)
A dense tale of vengeance and redemption amid a rebellion in 14th century Wales.
SEPT. 19
DOCTOR WHO (BBC AMERICA)
The good doctor returns, as always. SEPT. 20
EMMY AWARDS (FOX)
Will Jon Hamm finally win one? How about “Empire”? How about Amy Schumer?
SEPT. 21
BLINDSPOT (NBC) Woman wakes up in a bag in Times Square, wearing only tattoos and not remembering who she is. Didn’t Mayor Giuliani get people like that out of Times
Square?
SEPT. 22
LIMITLESS (CBS)
Another movie reborn on TV.
SCREAM QUEENS (FOX)
Ryan Murphy explores the special dynamic between sororities and serial killers.
LATINOS & VIETNAM (PBS)
Strong documentary about the ways in which the war impacted one growing community.
SEPT. 23
ROSEWOOD (FOX)
Morris Chestnut as a Miami pathologist who partners up with a cop as tough, damaged and funny as he is.
EMPIRE (FOX)
Last season’s most popular new drama returns, with Lucious Lyon wearing orange.
SEPT. 24
HEROES REBORN (NBC)
Giving a cult fave show another shot.
SEPT. 25
MARGARET CHO (SHOWTIME)
Standup comedy special for the funny woman.
SEPT. 27
CSI: THE MOVIE (CBS)
Much of the show’s cast returns for a two-hour sendoff to one of TV’s most popular and influential shows.
BLOOD + OIL (ABC)
Don Johnson leads an ensemble cast in a sprawling soap about a deadly power game set in the boomtown oil fields of North Dakota.
SEPT. 28
THE DAILY SHOW
(COMEDY CENTRAL)
Trevor Noah tackles the thankless task of following Jon Stewart.
SEPT. 29
THE GRINDER (FOX)
Rob Lowe in a comedy about an actor who played a lawyer on TV and returns home to Boise to play one for real.
SEPT. 30
CODE BLACK (CBS)
Designed to join the next generation of
CBS medical procedurals.
CHICAGO PD (NBC)
Third in Dick Wolf’s Chicago trilogy.
OCT. 2 JACKSONS: THE NEXT GENERATION (LIFETIME)
Tito Jackson’s family in a reality series. Finally.
OCT. 4
HOMELAND (SHOWTIME)
Another reset for the acclaimed series. Carrie Mathison is now in Germany, working for private enterprise. OCT. 9
DEATH BY GOSSIP (ID) Who better than Wendy Williams to try to live up to
that title?
OCT. 11 THE WALKING DEAD (AMC) As if any fan of the show needed to be told when it’s coming back.
OCT. 12
FARGO (FX)
Creator Noah Hawley has a lot to live up to after last season, but with Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst as the leads, it’s looking promising.
OCT. 13
MANHATTAN (WGN AMERICA)
Season 2 for quality drama about the secret project where the atomic bomb was created.
OCT. 16
THE KNICK (CINEMAX)
Season 2 of Clive Owen drama about medicine in New York in the early 20th century.
OCT. 19
CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND (CW)
Successful but neurotic New York lawyer moves to California in pursuit of boyfriend who got away.
OCT. 26
SUPERGIRL (CBS)
Melissa Benoist shines as the reborn Girl of Steel.
OCT. 27 WICKED CITY (ABC)
Serial killer in 1980s California finds sociopathic girl to fall in love with. There really is someone for everyone.
OCT. 31 ASH VS. EVIL DEAD (STARZ)
Horror sitcom that everyone swears will not just be a lifeless copy of the “Evil Dead” film franchise.
NOV. 5
ANGEL FROM HELL (CBS)
Jane Lynch returns as an angel with questionable motivation.
NOV. 8
FLESH & BONE (STARZ)
Ballerina escapes Pittsburgh for New York, gets catapulted to stardom. The rest of what happens is a lot darker.
NOV. 15
INTO THE BADLANDS (AMC)
One brave martial arts expert takes on the feudal land barons.
DEC. 7
NEW YORKER CARTOONISTS
(HBO)
A look at some of the mag’s funniest cartoons ever.