TV season of the strike
New characters, familiar faces head to small screen along with imported shows and competition series as production of popular programs remains on hold
Sorry “Abbott Elementary” and “Grey’s Anatomy” fans — there won’t be new episodes airing anytime soon. Some viewers may be unaware, but striking screenwriters and actors have brought production to a screeching halt, including on many popular shows like “Law & Order” and “1923.” So fans will have to wait to find out if Janine and Gregory can really be just friends on “Abbott” or if Kim Raver’s Dr. Teddy Altman survives after collapsing on “Grey’s.” But there’s plenty of new characters and familiar faces heading to screens via already completed shows that are ready to air.
Some creative programming — including shows imported from other countries, competition series and the broadcast arrival of the Paramount Network hit “Yellowstone” — round-out gaps in the TV schedule.
Here’s a sampling of notable shows debuting in the strike-challenged season ahead.
New shows adapted from books
Books remain popular inspiration for Hollywood. “The Other Black Girl,” based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, follows Nella, (Sinclair Daniel), a Black editorial assistant in publishing who is thrilled by her company’s new hire of another Black woman, Hazel (played by Ashleigh Murray). Nella’s hope for an ally and confidante is repeatedly squashed, leaving her to wonder if the two are in competition. “The Other Black Girl” is a genre-blending mix of social satire, commentary and creepiness streaming now on Hulu.
Jesse L. Martin returns to NBC in “The Irrational,” playing a behavioral science expert with a keen understanding of what makes people tick. This skill makes him an in-demand problem solver and translator-of-sorts for government agencies and big corporations. The show is based on Dan Ariely’s book, “Predictably Irrational” and premieres Sept. 25. Episodes will also stream on Peacock.
In “Wilderness,” Jenna Coleman (“Doctor Who” and “Victoria”) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (“Mr. Malcom’s List,” “Surface”) are Liv and Will, a young couple whose marriage is on the rocks. They plan a vacation to set things right but what Will doesn’t know is that Liv has cooked up an itinerary he wasn’t prepared for. The thriller is adapted from a book of the same name by B.E. Jones, with Ashley Benson and Eric Balfour also starring. “Wilderness” is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Brie Larson brings the Bonnie Garmus novel “Lessons in Chemistry” to life for Apple TV+. It’s about Elizabeth, a female scientist in the 1960s who works in a chemical lab, is smarter than most but is only permitted to do menial work by sexist colleagues. A romance with a fellow chemist named Calvin (Lewis Pullman), who sees Elizabeth as an equal, sets in motion her winding, fascinating and empowering road to a fulfilling life and career. The show debuts Oct. 13.
The heartbreaking-yet-hopeful WWII novel “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr has been turned into a four-episode series directed by Shawn
Levy for Netflix. It follows the story of Marie (played by newcomer Aria Mia Loberti) as a blind, young woman in hiding in German-occupied France and a Nazi solder named Werner (Louis Hoffman). He’s an orphan who was drafted against his will, and the show explores how their lives intersect. The limited series also starring Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie debuts Nov. 2.
Spinoffs, prequels and sequels
Hollywood loves a safe bet, and a number of new shows debuting this fall feature some not-so-new characters or tie-ins to films and other series that have proved popular.
“The Walking Dead” served as a mainstream introduction to several talented actors: Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Jon Bernthal and yes, Norman Reedus. Reedus’ character Daryl Dixon also emerged as a heartthrob. He now fronts his own spinoff, “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” taking place in France after the events of the original show. Daryl may be in a new country, but walkers are still out there, and they’ve evolved. The show airs Sundays on AMC and streams on AMC+.
The massively popular “John Wick” movie franchise starring Keanu Reeves is getting a three-part prequel series called “The Continental: From the World of John Wick” on Peacock. It stars Mel Gibson and Colin Woodell as a younger version of Ian McShane’s character from the movies. “The Continental” debuts Sept. 22.
Young adult superheroes need education too, and that’s the backdrop of the new Amazon Prime Video series “Gen V,” a spinoff of “The Boys.” Superheroes-in-training are enrolled at Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, where they fraternize in between high-stakes competitions of strength and ability. Like “The Boys,” the show takes an irreverent approach to its supes. The first three episodes drop
Sept. 29.
Kelsey Grammer is back as his most well-known character, Dr. Frasier Crane, in a sequel for Paramount+. In this “Frasier,” the character returns to Boston to embark on a new phase of his life. The 10-episode comedy debuts Oct. 12, and the first two episodes will air later that month on CBS.
An eight-episode anime series inspired by the 2010 movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is coming Nov. 17 to Netflix. “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ” will feature the voices of the film cast, including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson and Anna Kendrick.
Signs of strikes
There are also programs coming to TV this fall that are obvious time-fillers to help round out prime-time schedules.
CBS made some interesting decisions to complete their puzzle. Kevin Costner’s “Yellowstone,” which airs on Paramount Network, is getting a broadcast run on CBS, now airing Sundays. Longtime reality competition staples “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” return
Sept. 27 to CBS but with longer, 90-minute episodes, filling up a night’s three-hour prime-time block.
“NCIS: Sydney” will begin airing Nov. 13 on CBS.
It’s the first international edition of the franchise that originated in the United States. They’ve also imported international shows to air in the States. “Ghosts UK,” the original version of “Ghosts” that inspired the Rose McIver-led U.S. remake, will debut Nov. 16.
Fox has leaned in heavily to competition shows. “The Masked Singer” is back for season 10, and they’ve tapped David Spade to host a new game show called “Snake
Oil.” It joins other game shows, including “Celebrity Name That Tune,” “I Can See Your Voice” and “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”
The CW — once known for superheroes, sci-fi and beautiful people coming-of-age — is also now tapping into international options. Lea Thompson’s “Spencer Sisters” and “Sullivan’s Crossing,” starring Chad Michael Murray and Scott Patterson — both Canadian-made shows — debut Oct. 4. The network has also scheduled three Canadian comedies for Monday nights. The German eco-thriller “The Swarm,” about a predatory life force in our oceans, is now airing.
Since ABC doesn’t have the aforementioned favorites
“Abbott Elementary” or
“Grey’s Anatomy” on its lineup, it’s touting nonscripted options like “Dancing with the Stars” (returning to broadcast after a run on
Disney+), “The Golden
Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise.”