In this latest golden age of television it's hard to pick what to watch with so many options at your fingertips. Rolling the dice on a new show can be a gamble — but after taking a look at what's new this fall, there are a couple of shows that seem like a safe bet. Here are some new shows to add into your rotation for the fall.
The Orville (FOX)
From the mind of Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) comes this offbeat Star Trek send-up. The Orville follows the adventures of a rag-tag crew as they make their way across the galaxy, performing tasks like the USS Enterprise but with far less formality. A fun, fresh comedy that might give the original Trek's culty cred a run for its money.
Marvel’s The Defenders (Netflix)
Jessica Jones, Danny Rand/Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Matt Murdock/Daredevil team up to form The Defenders. Each hero has his or her own respective show (now streaming on Netflix), so this joint effort is drumming up a lot of buzz. Catch up on their backstories — or discover the characters for the first time. Either way, expect a lot of action.
The Mindy Project (Hulu)
While not a new show, this season is the swan song for The Mindy Project. After surviving cancellation on Fox, Mindy Kaling brought her bright, witty comedy about a OBGYN living in New York to Hulu. This fall, season 6, will be the show’s last — so if you haven’t seen it yet catch up now!
Young Sheldon (CBS)
Any fan of the CBS juggernaut The Big Bang Theory might be familiar with Young Sheldon — the new installment chronicling Sheldon Cooper's life before he ran into Leonard and the gang. I was skeptical about this one — but the casting is perfect and it looks to be a big hit for CBS.
Ghosted (FOX)
Adam Scott (Parks and Rec) and Craig Robinson (The Office) team up to investigate the paranormal in this new Fox comedy. If the description seems too out there, do yourself a favor and watch the trailer online. Scott and Robinson’s comedic timing is priceless and this will be one to watch in the fall.
Law and Order True Crime: Menendez Murders (NBC)
Taking a cue from the hugely popular OJ series FX debuted last year, NBC and Dick Wolf created another dramatized retelling of true events. With Edie Falco (The Sopranos) at the helm as the defense attorney for the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents in cold blood, this show promises to pack a punch while being — truly — “ripped from the headlines”.
The Resident (Fox)
The first truly promising medical drama since Grey’s Anatomy. The Resident follows Matt Czuchry (The Good Wife/Gilmore Girls), who plays a maverick resident working at a hospital while simultaneously teaching medical interns. Also starring Emily Van Camp, this new show has a shot at filling the gap ER left behind.
Champions (FOX)
This comedy from Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) is about a guy named Vince who owns a gym and is comfortable with his slacker-bro life when his high-school girlfriend (Kaling) drops a teenage son in his life. Anders Holm (Workaholics) and Andy Favreau star in what's sure to be a fast success for FOX.
The Gifted (FOX/Marvel)
Fans of the X-Men universe or the NBC show Heroes, make sure to put The Gifted on your schedule. With mutants discovering their powers in high school, The Gifted presents as what would happen to the X-Men without Professor X’s School. Fantastic special effects and sure to make any X-Men fan happy, The Gifted looks incredible.
Will and Grace (NBC)
Will, Grace, Jack and Karen are back with one of the most highly anticipated shows of the fall. Will and Grace became a household name back when it was Must See TV in the late '90s, and will have a built-in fanbase when it returns to Thursday night.
This article appears in Aug 17-24, 2017.