Between cable offerings and streaming services, great TV options roll out year-round. But fall remains the prime time to catch new shows and returning favorites. Here are a few I’m looking forward to.
Ozark (Season 2 premiere Aug. 31, Netflix) – Though technically airing during the summer, this compelling drama is fit to kick off the fall television season. Netflix’s most-watched show of 2017 was like Breaking Bad with the pedal on the gas — it didn’t take long for this family man and financial advisor (Jason Bateman, who I love seeing in a grittier role) to dive into the criminal world, bringing his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks. Fresh off five Emmy nominations, the money-laundering Byrde family returns with plans to bring a casino to their sleepy Midwestern town.
Kidding (Series premiere 10 p.m. Sept. 9, Showtime; online preview Aug. 31) – Jim Carrey stars as Jeff Pickles, a beloved Mr. Rogers-type children’s TV host who experiences an existential breakdown when his personal life — far removed from the happy and innocent world he works in — begins to implode. Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Kidding is sure to deliver surreal, gut-wrenching emotion, and could serve as a major comeback for Carrey.
American Horror Story: Apocalypse (Season 8 premiere 10 p.m. Sept. 12, FX) – A crossover of Season 1’s Murder House and Season 3’s Coven, Apocalypse reunites the growing AHS gang yet again — even Jessica Lange returns! And so do I, reluctantly, to this rapidly declining anthology. Could this eighth installment recapture the magic of the earlier seasons, or is this just a cheap grab for fans? Either way, I’ll be tuning in to find out. Bonus: O.G. stars Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters (the series’ best performers) will make their directorial debuts in two respective episodes.
Maniac (Series premiere Sept. 21, Netflix) – Jonah Hill and Emma Stone reunite in a dark comedy that’s a far departure from their Superbad roots. From Cary Fukunaga (True Detective Season 1, Beasts of No Nation) comes this trippy miniseries following the participants of a mysterious drug trial where doctors promise to solve all their varying problems without side effects. Looks like a mind-bending visual delight, with Legion vibes.
The Walking Dead (Season 9 premiere 9 p.m. Oct. 7, AMC) – It’s the beginning of the end for Rick Grimes — and that’s no spoiler. Star (and crux of the series) Andrew Lincoln announced months ago that he’d be departing in the first half of this season. It could be the beginning of the end for this zombie juggernaut, too: Lauren Cohan is also on her way out. What will TWD be without Rick, Maggie, Carl and Morgan? Hopefully they’ll at least go out with a bang.
The Romanoffs (Series premiere Oct. 12, Amazon) – Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) explores the legendary Romanov family through various characters across continents who believe they are descendants of the Russian royals. Expect many familiar faces in this anthology from Mad Men, including John Slattery, Christina Hendricks and Jay R. Ferguson — and seemingly every other actor under the sun, from Aaron Eckhart to Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn to Amanda Peet and Ron Livingston to Diane Lane.
Escape at Dannemora (Series premiere 10 p.m. Nov. 18, Showtime) – Remember the bizarre prison break story from 2015, where two inmates escaped an upstate New York penitentiary? Ben Stiller, stepping into the role of director, gives this headline-making manhunt the dramatic TV treatment with this limited series. A rock-solid trio leads the cast: Patricia Arquette, Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano.
Honorable Mentions:
• Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans MC (Series premiere 10 p.m. Sept. 4, FX) takes the biker gang drama to the California-Mexico border.
• Manifest (Series premiere 10 p.m. Sept. 24, NBC) channels Lost, following the passengers on a turbulent but short flight who land to discover they’ve all been missing and presumed dead for more than five years.
• ABC looks to capture the success of This Is Us (Season 3 premiere 9 p.m. Sept. 25, NBC) with touchy-feely sobfest A Million Little Things (Series premiere 10 p.m. Sept. 26)
• A Roseanne-less Roseanne is now titled The Conners (Series premiere 8 p.m. Oct. 16, ABC).
• A Kevin Spacey-less House of Cards (Season 6 premiere Nov. 2, Netflix) wraps up the series with Claire (Robin Wright) at the helm.
Contact Jac Kern: @jackern
This article appears in Aug 29 – Sep 5, 2018.
