You know it’s fall when the heat begins to subside, the leaves begin to change and fantastic television shows return to distract you from actually going outside and enjoying the weather. Yes, Netflix can get you through a summer full of Bachelor Pad, but if you’re anything like me you are itching to hit Hulu for some of your favorite shows. I am happy to tell you not to fear — TV is here!
September marks the return of your old favorites, including The Voice (Monday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. on NBC), Bones (Monday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. on Fox), How I Met Your Mother (Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. on CBS) and Revenge (Sunday, Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. on ABC).
Some oldies that have gone sour are returning as well: Glee (Thursday, Sept. 13 at 9 p.m. on Fox), whose cast is now split between the glee club in high school and recent graduate Rachel’s (Lea Michele) big move to New York. There’s also The Office (Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. on NBC), whose attempts to fill the huge void left by Steve Carell led to some major casting mistakes last season. Thankfully, its upcoming ninth season will be its last. Grey’s Anatomy (Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.) also returns for a ninth season, despite being well past its prime based on its ridiculous season finale episode featuring a Lost-esque plane crash.
Fortunately, many promising new series will bolster the prime-time schedule. The fall lineup is packed with sitcoms, in no small part because of NBC’s new comedy initiative, which the struggling Peacock Network hopes will rocket them back to the top of the ratings. NBC gave Matthew Perry’s dramedy Go On (Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 9 p.m.) a solid push during the summer Olympics and even aired a preview of its first episode after a night of Olympics coverage. Critical reception has been mixed, but I think the series, which stars Perry as a sarcastic, emotionally stunted sportcaster who recently lost his wife, seems worth the DVR.
The New Normal (Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 p.m. on NBC) airs directly after Go On. The show follows a gay couple, Bryan and David (played by Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha, respectively) trying to have a baby through a surrogate mother. The show’s creator is Glee’s Ryan Murphy. The New Normal and Go On will likely have to carry NBC’s ratings, as the network’s post-apocalyptic epic Revolution (Monday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m.) has received mixed reviews so far despite considerable hype.
On Fox, The Mindy Project (Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 p.m.) holds promise for fans of snappy romantic comedies. The title character (played by creator Mindy Kaling, best known for starring in and writing for The Office) is a doctor in her thirties who is a hopeless romantic looking for love in all the wrong — and potentially hilarious — ways.
ABC’s buzz-worthy premieres include Last Resort (Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.), a military action show, and 666 Park Avenue (Sunday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m.), a horror series centered on a haunted Manhattan apartment.
Meanwhile, number-one network CBS is debuting some new shows with old ideas, including Partners (Monday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m.), a comedy based heavily on a 1995 Fox series about two partners in a law firm and their “bromance.” On a slightly more original note, the network is also airing Vegas (Tuesday, Sept 25 at 10 p.m.), which is a cop-and-mob drama starring Dennis Quaid in his network television debut.
This fall season offers a fair share of gems to drive us to the brink of television utopia. Sit back, pop some popcorn and forget you have homework for an hour or two. It’s that time of year.
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