Bonus! My friend Kayse and I discussed the shows we’re most excited to watch this fall on my podcast. Listen to The Couch podcast episode S2E10 here.
The most exciting time of the TV year is almost upon us! That’s right, new fall shows are coming out this month. Of course, these days new shows are being released every 43 seconds. But the fall is still a time when a big batch of new shows are introduced — and I’m here to help you narrow down your choices.
(Because, obviously, nobody can watch everything. THERE’S JUST TOO MUCH!)
Out of the dozens of shows premiering this fall, I’ve picked out the 19 shows you will probably want to check out. Does that mean you need to watch all 19 of these new shows plus your old shows plus have a life and/or contribute to a society like a real-life grown-up person?
Uh, no.
I’m not going to watch all 19 of these shows. You should not watch all 19 of these shows. But if you are looking for a new show, it’s probably on this list. These are the ones that either I plan to watch myself or that critics are predicting will be popular hits.
Don’t worry. I’ll tell you which I’m actually going to watch. Ready? Here goes…
19 New TV Shows to Watch This Fall
- Mixed-ish (ABC) – Another spinoff of Black-ish, focusing on Rainbow’s childhood. Mark-Paul Gosselar plays her dad. (Sept. 24)
- Emergence (ABC) – Mystery drama about a police chief who finds a girl with no memories. Should pair well with Manifest. Stars Allison Tolman. (Sept. 24)
- Stumptown (ABC) – Gritty drama about female private investigator played by Colbie Smulders. (Sept. 25)
- All Rise (CBS) – Legal show about a black female judge in L.A. Co-star is Wilson Bethel, aka Wade from Hart of Dixie. (Sept. 23)
- Carol’s Second Act (CBS) – Patricia Heaton stars in this sitcom as a middle-aged woman in medical school. (Sept. 26)
- The Unicorn (CBS) – Walton Goggins stars as a widowed dad beginning to date. (Sept. 26)
- Almost Family (FOX) – A young woman finds out her fertility doctor dad has impregnated several of his female patients and meets two of her sisters. Stars Brittany Snow and Emily Osment. (Oct. 2)
- Perfect Harmony (NBC) – Former music professor directs a small-town church choir. Stars Bradley Whitford and Anna Camp. (Sept. 26)
- Sunnyside (NBC) – A young disgraced politician begins helping immigrants become citizens. Stars Kal Penn and reminds me of the short-lived The Mayor. (Sept. 26)
- Nancy Drew (The CW) – This looks and feels like Riverdale. Like a Riverdaled-up Nancy Drew. I’m here for it until I get too scared… (Oct. 9)
- Batwoman (The CW) – Another superhero show, part of the Arrowverse. (Oct. 6)
My take: I’ll definitely be checking out Stumptown and possibly All Rise. If I had to pick one network sitcom to try, it would be Sunnyside. But to be honest, I’ll probably watch Perfect Harmony no matter how good or bad it is, because I just really like Bradley Whitford. And singing shows. Critics are all over The Unicorn, which I do not get at all, but maybe you’ll love it??? And like I said, I’m super excited and super scared of Nancy Drew.
- The Politician (Netflix) – A rich student runs for office in his high school. Starring Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow; created and produced by Ryan Murphy. Looks campy and bonkers. (Sept. 27)
- Living with Yourself (Netflix) – Paul Rudd gets cloned. Comedy. I don’t even know, but Paul Rudd. (Oct. 18)
- Looking for Alaska (Hulu) – Teen drama based on the John Green book. YA angst to the max. (Oct. 18)
- Modern Love (Amazon Prime) – Romcom anthology based on a New York Times column, starring a bunch of famous people. Yes, please. (Oct. 18)
- Undone (Amazon Prime) – Adult animated series about a woman who was in a car accident and is now trying to solve the mystery around her father’s death. Also, time travel. Looks fascinating and is getting BIG love from critics. (Sept. 13)
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+) – Mockumentary about students at the school where HSM was filmed putting on the HSM musical. Looks hilarious and silly. (Nov. 12)
- Dickinson (Apple TV+) – Comedy about Emily Dickinson. Starring Hailee Steinfeld. Featuring modern music. Intriguing… (Nov. 1)
- The Morning Show (Apple TV+) – Drama about a morning talk show, starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. (Nov. 1)
My take: I’m real hopeful Modern Love falls into the PG-13 category of romcoms, because I’m excited to watch it. I wasn’t going to give Undone another thought but heard some critics talk about it and now I’m intrigued and planning to try it! I do not want to subscribe to any new streaming services, but darn it, Disney and Apple both have hooked me with trailers for their new shows. So, FINE, now I want them both.
Don’t forget: Listen to The Couch podcast episode S2E10 to hear me talk about the shows I’m most excited to watch this fall!
