What We Think Will Be Great
Bless the Harts
(Fox; 9/29)
In the spirit of Bob’s
Burgers and King of the Hill, this animated sitcom is about a poor North Carolina family whose love for one another helps them weather a brutal American economy. Kristen Wiig stars as the heroine, a single mother and waitress; Maya Rudolph plays her lottery-obsessed mother. Created by former
Saturday Night Live writer Emily Spivey (who created the short-lived but very likable parenting
sitcom Up All Night, starring Rudolph, Will Arnett, and Christina Applegate).
Almost Family
(Fox; 10/2)
Adapted from the Australian comedy series
Sisters, the plot of this comedy-drama is sparked by the revelation that a fertility doctor (Timothy Hutton) fathered 100 children by various patients without their knowledge or consent. Brittany Snow, Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Emily Osment play half-sisters getting to know each other; the format of the series allows for 97 more halfsiblings to appear, not coincidentally matching the minimum number of episodes required to land a decent syndication deal. Executive-produced by Jason Katims (Relativity), this is a series TV fans will want to watch if only to have an opinion on it; when critics pointed out during a summer press-preview event that the doctor’s actions constitute a form of rape, the panel seemed blindsided.
Batwoman
(CW; 10/6)
Seemingly set in the aftermath of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Rises, this series from Caroline Dries and Greg Berlanti takes place in a Gotham City abandoned by Batman and in danger of being overrun by dark forces. Enter Kate Kane (Ruby Rose), a.k.a. Batwoman, a street fighter and vigilante who also happens to be an out lesbian. The latter detail is particularly bold given the way non-straight characters have been marginalized in movies and TV shows cashing in on superhero mania. Batwoman was introduced in the 2018 “Elseworlds” crossover episode of the CW’s DC Comics–based programs, so future crossovers are guaranteed.
Mr. Robot
(USA; 10/6)
This apocalyptic hacker drama and social satire from Sam Esmail (Home
coming) was always up front about acknowledging its film-history references, in particular those to New York– based thrillers with a strong dose of paranoia. The fourth and final season, which returns Oscar-winning star Rami Malek to his signature role as Elliot Alderson, cranks the show’s meta tendencies up a notch, setting this final leg of episodes at Christmastime in the tradition of Gotham-based classics like Three Days of the Condor
and The French Connection.
Esmail has referred to the entire 13-episode package, shot during the summer and faked being set in winter, as “a Christmas episode.” The bill for tinsel, ornaments,
and light strands must have been enormous.
Nancy Drew
(The CW; 10/9)
Kennedy McMann stars as the “girl detective” whose adventures fueled a decadeslong series of mystery books, ghostwritten by a variety of authors under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Although the intrepid teenage sleuth hasn’t been seen on American television in 40 years (where she shared a time slot with the Hardy Boys), the timing of her return couldn’t be more perfect between the return of the Drew-like Veronica
Mars and regular name-checks on such varied current series as Riverdale, Brooklyn 99, and Stranger Things. The executive producers include Josh Schwartz (The O.C.) and Stephanie Savage (Gossip
Girl), a positive sign.
For Life
(ABC; fall)
Produced by Without a
Trace creator Hank Steinberg and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, this legal drama about a convict who becomes a lawyer behind bars was inspired by a true story. Combining journalistic grit with the structural pleasures of a network series, the show follows the hero’s ongoing struggle to overturn his own unjust conviction with more self-contained stories about his representation of other inmates. 50 Cent’s G-Unit was also responsible for the long-running
Starz series Power, which likewise took a sincere interest in crime, prison, and rehabilitation.