Fall marks the return of primetime TV, but there’s also a lot to look forward to on cable, premium and streaming platforms. New series and seasons are rolling out across our screens in the coming weeks. Here are a few worth checking out.
Star Trek: Discovery (Series Premiere, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24, CBS) – Set roughly 10 years before the events of the original 1960s series, Discovery explores the cold war between the Klingons and the United Federation of Planets, while following the crew of the USS Discovery. The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham, first officer of the USS Shenzhou and, later, the USS Discovery. Burnham was raised as a Vulcan by Sarek (Spock’s dad), becoming the first human to attend the Vulcan Learning Center and Vulcan Science Academy. This is the first new Star Trek series since 2001’s Enterprise.
The Opposition with Jordan Klepper (Series Premiere, 11:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Comedy Central) – Now this is fake news! Much like Stephen Colbert’s satirical faux-conservative answer to Fox News, this Daily Show correspondent will take on the alt-right news, spoofing fringe media such as Infowars. Conspiracy theorists, unite!
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season Premiere, 10 p.m. Oct. 1, HBO) – Television’s favorite social assassin returns after a six-year hiatus and, boy, do we need Larry David now more than ever. With him comes the whole Curb gang: Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, JB Smoove and Cheryl Hines (plus many more), alongside special guests like Bryan Cranston, Nick Offerman and Judge Judy herself, Judith Sheindlin. Interestingly enough, the show plays an unexpected role in upcoming crime documentary Long Shot (Premiere, Sept. 29, Netflix). When a Los Angeles man is arrested for a murder he did not commit, his alibi is tied to the filming of a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode.
Mr. Robot (Season Premiere, 10 p.m. Oct. 11, USA) – This compelling hacker drama last left off with Elliot (Rami Malek) getting shot, Darlene (Carly Chaikin) getting caught by the FBI and Angela (Portia Doubleday) appearing complicit in their takedown. Joining the stellar cast of this hacker drama are Bobby Cannavale as Irving, a no-nonsense used car salesman (clearly there’s more to his story) and Rizwan Manji as FBI agent Dom’s (Grace Gummer) new partner Norm. If the last two seasons are any indication, expect plenty of Fight Club-style twists — nothing is ever as it seems.
The Walking Dead (Season Premiere, 9 p.m. Oct. 22, AMC) – Season 8 opens with the popular zombie series’ 100th episode. The show has a lot to prove after a disjointed and disappointing previous season. While Dead teases “All Out War” this season, a reference from the comics, it should take a page from Game of Thrones’ book — speed up the pace and reunite separated characters.
Stranger Things (Season Premiere, Oct. 27, Netflix) – Break out the Eggos! After a runaway-hit first season, this creepy nostalgic thriller is back for a second round. Will (Noah Schnapp) is back home; Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) defeated the Demogorgon and everyone is eager to restore normalcy in Hawkins, Ind. Joyce (Winona Ryder) starts dating a former classmate (Sean Astin) to provide some stability, while Hopper (David Harbour) fights to protect everyone by keeping last year’s supernatural events under wraps. Two new kids come to town — one a welcome addition to the boys’ crew, while the other has villain potential. And speaking of villains, the Upside Down this time appears to have a bigger and badder monster.
The Girlfriend Experience (Season Premiere, 9 p.m. Nov. 5, Starz) – Based on the titular 2009 film by Steven Soderbergh, this drama explores the sometimes glamorous, sometimes dangerous, always complicated world of high-end escort services. Riley Keough shined in last year’s debut, but this season follows new storylines and characters. In Washington, D.C., Erica (Anna Friel), a Republican super PAC finance director, teams up with escort provider Anna (Louisa Krause) to take down a dark fundraiser and access his secret donor network. Meanwhile in New Mexico, former sex worker Bria (Carmen Ejogo) enters witness protection to get out of an abusive relationship.
CONTACT JAC KERN: @jackern
This article appears in Sep 13-20, 2017.
