ScreenCrush’s Fall TV Preview – Over 30 Premieres to Keep You Binging All Season
Just when you thought the end of Game of Thrones Season 7 might give you a break from must-see shows, in swoops fall TV with dozens upon dozens of new and returning TV series. It’s enough to drive your DVR to self-immolation.
But because we love you, we’ve put together an in-depth look at over 30 major must-see premieres kicking off as early as September 5 (earlier if you’re willing to brave Inhumans in IMAX), so grab some Eggos and get ready to Flash through the American Horror Story that is Fall TV 2017!
American Horror Story: Cult (Season 7)
Tuesday, September 5 on FX
Never you mind the secrecy shenanigans of last year’s Roanoke, as American Horror Story: Cult is perfectly up front about its political commentary and beekeeping clowns. The FX drama’s seventh season picks up in the aftermath of the 2016 election, and will follow the psychological horror that arises from cults of personality; eschewing supernatural elements for the first time in franchise history.
Newcomers for Season 7 include Lena Dunham, Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd, Allison Pill, Colton Haynes, Billy Eichner and Popular alum Leslie Grossman. Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters will once again take lead roles, in addition to returning stars Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Mare Winningham, Cheyenne Jackson and Adina Porter.
BoJack Horseman, Season 4
Friday, September 8 on Netflix
The third season of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman skewed notably darker than previous years The first trailer for Season 4 got rid of the title character entirely, teasing the BoJack’s absence while Diane (Alison Brie) aids Mr. Peanut Butter in running for governor of California. We’re certain the down-and-out Horsin’ Around star will return eventually, what with his maybe-kinda-sorta daughter seeking him out, but will we find the character in any better spirits than when we left? In the meantime, look for Princess Caroyln (Amy Sedaris) to ponder motherhood, while Todd (Aaron Paul) explores his evolving sexual identity, and may or may not wear a new hat.
The Deuce
Sunday, September 10 on HBO
Stifle your snickers at dueling James Francos and their goofy mustaches; The Deuce might just live up to high bar of The Wire set by creator David Simon. The new series takes in the ’70s New York City porn and prostitution scene, with a cast that turns more than tricks. Franco plays twin porn kings Vincent and Frankie Martino, with Maggie Gyllenhaal playing Eileen “Candy” Merrell, a Times Square hooker with entrepreneurial aspirations. Also starring are The Leftovers alum Emily Meade, Anwan Glover, Lawrence Gilliard Jr, Michael Rispoli, Chris Bauer, David Krumholtz, Ralph Macchio, Zoe Kazan, Garry Pastore and more. Fan-favorite Michelle MacLaren also directed the pilot episode, while Franco himself helmed three of the eight episodes. What can’t that guy do?
The Orville
Sunday, September 10 on FOX
Impressively, Family Guy boss Seth MacFarlane will actually beat Star Trek’s TV return to the punch with his own sci-fi future, The Orville. The new spin on classic Trek is less Galaxy Quest than the trailers would lead you to believe, but definitely has some fun with its Next Generation influence. The pilot episode is directed by Jon Favreau and features MacFarlane and Adrianne Palicki as leads, along with stars Scott Grimes, Penny Johnson, Peter Macon, Mark Jackson, J. Lee, Halston Sage, and Norm Macdonald voicing the gelatinous “Yaphit.” Yes, you read that correctly.
Outlander, Season 3
Sunday, September 10 on Starz
Your “Droughtlander” is nearly at an end, and not a moment too soon. Claire and Jamie had been separated for some 20-plus years by the end of Outlander Season 2, while the third season will plumb Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager to explore not only Claire’s life with Brianna and Frank in modern (ish) day, but also Jamie’s survival at the Battle of Culloden. We’re getting Scot and bothered just thinking about it, to say nothing of the infamous print-shop scene promised in recent trailers, or that Season 4 is already in the works in Cape Town, South Africa.
Top of the Lake: China Girl
Sunday, September 10 on SundanceTV
It’s been four years, and we still can’t get Elisabeth Moss’ haunting Robin Griffin out of our minds. Thankfully, SundanceTV will feed our fixation with a three-day airing of all six Top of the Lake: China Girl episodes, as Robin moves to Sydney and investigates the mystery of an girl stuffed in a suitcase that washes up on the beach. Along for the ride this time are Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie and Nicole Kidman, as well as Girl With the Dragon Tattoo alum David Dencik, Beautiful Creatures star Alice Englert and The Daughter’s Ewen Leslie.
South Park, Season 21 / Broad City, Season 4
Wednesday, September 13 on Comedy Central
For whatever reason, both South Park Season 21 and Broad City Season 4 shuffled off their original August perch for a September premiere, but the extra time will bring the added benefit of an eight-day marathon catching up on the animated satire’s 250+ episodes. And while we don’t yet know what the September 13 premiere will cover, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have expressed a desire to get back to basics with less emphasis on political commentary. Meanwhile for Broad City, the fourth season will include guest stars Steve Buscemi, RuPaul, Wanda Sykes, SNL alum Jane Curtin, and Shania Twain. If that don’t impress you much, what will?
Vice Principals, Season 2
Sunday, September 17 on HBO
We never knew what quite to expect from Danny McBride and Walton Goggins as HBO’s dueling Vice Principals, but attempted assassination and True Detective-style murder-mystery certainly weren’t high on that list. The second (and alas, final) season will pick up with the hunt for Neal Gamby’s would-be assassin, while new stars include Dale Dickey as new vice principal of discipline, Fisher Stevens as “a scholarly rival to Gamby for Amanda’s attentions” and Scott Caan (Hawaii 5-0) as a teambuilding trainer. Will Russell and Gamby end the series as chummily as last we saw them, or as bitter as they began?
Gotham, Season 4
Thursday, September 21 on FOX
Why yes, Batman continues to begin, and this time he’s even got a goofy-looking costume to do it in. The fourth season of FOX’s batty prequel will pick up with Bruce now officially beating up criminals in his spare time, while Gordon and the GCPD deal with a resurgent Penguin, and more than a few shocking returns. We also know Teen Wolf alum Crystal Reed will take the role of Sofia Falcone, the intelligent and calculating daughter of a crime boss, while Season 4 will feature the return of Scarecrow after setting up the character in Season 1. Alexander Siddig’s Ra’s al Ghul will have a larger presence on the series going forward, as will Butch Gilzean after the reveal that his real name was actually “Cyrus Gold” (aka Solomon Grundy). What other Jokers might show up this time?
Transparent, Season 4
Friday, September 22 on Amazon
If life is a journey, Transparent’s Maura Pfefferman is about to hit a wall: The Western Wall, as Season 4 of the Jill Soloway Amazon drama takes a trip to Israel after the big family cruise of Season 3’s finale. Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass will also return as fellow Pfeffermans Ali, Sarah and Josh, while Judith Light‘s Shelly will continue to live her best life; ideally with more Alanis Morissette covers. We’ll also see a bit more of Alexandra Billings’ Davina this year, while the recent trailer revealed Arrested Development star Alia Shawkat among guest stars for the season.
Star Trek: Discovery
Sunday, September 24 on CBS / All-Access
It sure took its sweet time getting here, but Star Trek will finally return to TV on CBS’ All-Access streaming service. By the looks of it, the new series skews more Abrams than Roddenberry, but the emphasis on serialized storytelling in a pre-Kirk era admittedly has us intrigued. Discovery features Walking Dead alum Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham, along with Rainn Wilson as Harry Mudd, Jason Isaacs as Captain Lorca, James Frain as Spock’s father Sarek, Doug Jones as an alien science officer, Adam Rapp as the TV franchise’s first openly-gay character and multiple Klingon roles. And while the series may have lost showrunner Bryan Fuller, Trek favorites Nicholas Meyer, Rod Roddenberry, Kirsten Beyer and Joe Menosky are all on board to pick up the slack.
This Is Us, Season 2
Tuesday, September 26 on NBC
We’re going to try to make it through this season without crying, but the generational family drama that exploded off NBC in its first year is back to tug at what’s left of your heartstrings. The September 26 This Is Us Season 2 premiere will pick up with the kids’ 37th birthdays, and apparently provide “a big giant piece of the puzzle” with regard to Jack (Milo Ventimiglia)’s death. In addition to Sylvester Stallone playing himself as co-lead of a war movie Kevin (Justin Hartley) is working on, Season 2 guest stars also include That ‘70s Show mom Debra Jo Rupp and Wonder Years dad Dan Lauria.
Will & Grace, Season 9
Thursday, September 28 on NBC
The revival factory keeps on churning them out, but the return of NBC’s Will & Grace admittedly stands on solid ground after the “Vote Honey” short that inspired the show’s new episodes. Stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes are all back, with creators Max Mutchnik and David Kohan joining series director James Burrows. Don’t you worry about that pesky finale, however, as the new episodes are confirmed to ignore Season 8’s bleak vision of the title characters’ futures, while NBC has already shown enough confidence to up the episode order and lock down a second season. How many revivals can say that?
Marvel’s The Inhumans
Friday, September 29 on ABC
Nothing about Marvel’s The Inhumans’ trailers has grabbed TV fans the way The Defenders or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has, but the first live-action take on the MCU’s Royal Family will nonetheless go big with an IMAX premiere as early as September 1. A longer version of the IMAX event will premiere on ABC September 29, so we’re not entirely certain which way Marvel wants us to lean, but at least there’s a giant teleporting puppy, right?
In addition to Anson Mount as King Black Bolt, Marvel’s ABC Inhumans features Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon as his brother Maximus, Serinda Swan as Queen Medusa, and Ken Leung as advisor Karnak. Further cast includes Isabelle Cornish as Medusa’s sister Crystal, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Mike Moh as Triton, Sonya Balmores as Auran, and Ellen Woglom and LOST alum Henry Ian Cusick in human roles. Meanwhile, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will return for Season 5 in the same Friday slot, once The Inhumans concludes its run.
SNL, Season 43
Saturday, September 30 on NBC
SNL did its best to stay current with this summer’s Weekend Update, but broadcast TV’s most potent source of political comedy is back for Season 43 after a breakout year of Emmy-nominated guest turns and viral impressions. Baby Goose himself, Ryan Gosling, will host the September 30 premiere with musical guest Jay-Z, and star Alec Baldwin has already pledged to return as Donald Trump. Ol’ Spicey got the boot before Melissa McCarthy could reprise her impression, but what other major political figures might Season 43 bring? And what new cast members might fill the void of Sasheer Zamata, Vanessa Bayer and Bobby Moynihan?
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 9
Sunday, October 1, on HBO
Legacyquels are a dime a dozen these days, but the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm feels (you knew we would say it) prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good. Larry David returns from a six-year absence to take us back into his fictional world, and all the neuroses laid bare within. Season 9 will feature among the returning cast Cheryl Hines as Cheryl, Jeff Garlin as Jeff, Susie Essman as Susie and J.B. Smoove as Leon, along with prior guests Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. New stars include Elizabeth Banks, Ed Begley, Jr., Portlandia lead Carrie Brownstein, Bryan Cranston, Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham, Jimmy Kimmel, Parks favorite Nick Offerman, SNL alum Nasim Pedrad, and Elizabeth Perkins. If Smoove has anything to say about it, this won’t be the last we see of Larry, either.
The Gifted
Monday, October 2 on FOX
FOX and Marvel’s The Gifted isn’t the first time we’ve seen live-action mutants on TV, but the new X-drama from franchise director Bryan Singer brings us closer to a television X-Men world than ever before, with a family on the run with an underground network of mutants. Don’t expect any major cameos just yet (other than Stan the Man), though the cast includes True Blood alum Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker and Gotham alum Natalie Alyn Lind, along with Emma Dumont as Lorna Dane/Polaris, Coby Bell, Sean Teale as Eclipse, Jamie Chung as Marvel mutant Blink and Switched at Birth star Blair Redford as a Native American mutant leader.
Supergirl, Season 3
Monday, October 9 on The CW
Having successfully landed her second season on The CW, Supergirl is taking things up, up and away for a third. This time around will see the Girl of Steel going up against Odette Annable as “World-Killer” big-bad Reign, while Katie McGrath’s Lena Luthor has been elevated to series regular and Floriana Lima’s Maggie Sawyer has been downgraded to recurring. Calista Flockhart will return briefly, while new additions include S.H.I.E.L.D. favorite Adrian Pasdar as Morgan Edge, former Martian Manhunter voice Carl Lumbly as J’onn J’onnz’s father, Yael Grobglas as DC villain Psi, and Emma Tremblay as Supergirl super-fan Ruby. (Oh, and don’t you worry about Maggie Sawyer getting a deadly sendoff.)
The Flash, Season 4
Tuesday, October 10 on The CW
Barry Allen finally got his due for screwing up the timeline with a trip to speed force prison, but will The Flash rehabilitate itself in Season 4? Once the Scarlet Speedster is up and running again, he’ll square off with The 100 alum Neil Sandilands as new big bad Clifford “The Thinker” DeVoe, along with Danny Trejo as Earth-19 bounty hunter and Gypsy (Jessica Camacho)’s father “Breacher,” Kim Engelbrecht as “The Mechanic,” and Hartley Sawyer as Elongated Man. Britne Oldford’s Peek-a-Boo will be back for October premiere “The Flash Reborn,” with Battlestar favorite Katee Sackhoff putting in a later guest appearance, while poor Season 3 star Tom Felton has stepped down as series regular. Plus, did someone say new suit?
Legends of Tomorrow, Season 3
Tuesday, October 10 on The CW
Who’d have thought Legends of Tomorrow would go from DC dumping-ground to one of the Arrowverse’s most delightful romps? That trend looks to continue in Season 3, as the time-traveling team looks to combat “anachronisms” created by all their temporal shenanigans. This time around, we know that the David Sobolov-voiced Grodd will appear in some capacity, along with returning Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk and Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart. Elsewhere, Tala Ashe will take the series regular role of 2042 computer wiz Zari Adrianna Tomaz, a renamed incarnation of DC’s Isis. Maisie Richardson-Sellers’ Vixen is also confirmed to return, while Billy Zane will appear in a titanic role as P.T. Barnum.
Riverdale, Season 2
Wednesday, October 11 on The CW
I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to return to Riverdale’s sexed-up, Twin Peaks-style take on Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and all the rest. And while Season 2 probably won’t give us the Supergirl cameo teased over social media, we do know that super-baddie Brit Morgan will recur as “Snake Charmer” and Southside Serpents attorney Penny Peabody, while Mark Consuelos takes the role of Veronica’s father. We’ll also find out exactly what happened to Archie’s dad after the finale, and maybe even meet Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Or some zombies, perhaps?
Mr. Robot, Season 3
Wednesday, October 11 on USA
Hello, friend. The world may seem like a dark place right now, but at least all our financial data hasn’t been hacked to oblivion while Christian Slater stealthily ruins your entire life. Such is the case for Mr. Robot, which kicks off Season 3 with Elliot recovering from a gunshot, while the downfall of Evil Corp has created a deadly revolution in the streets of New York City. This year will see Bobby Cannavale take the series regular role of Irving, “a laconic, no-nonsense used car salesman,” while B.D. Wong has also been promoted to series regular in his role as the mysterious “Whiterose.” Time will tell if the third year of USA’s hacker drama can bounce back from the crowd-sourced reveals of Season 2, but we’ve definitely missed the monotone madness and lower-third framing of Rami Malek’s antisocial hacker-god.
Arrow, Season 6
Thursday, October 12 on The CW
We’re finally free of the five-season flashbacks that defined Arrow, but there’s a more pressing matter at hand: Who the heck blew up on “Lian Yu”? The sixth season is still playing coy for now, though we know Season 6 has confirmed Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez and Juliana Harkavy will return as series regulars. Stephen Amell revealed Manu Bennett will make several return appearances as Slade Wilson this year, while new big bads include LOST alum Michael Emerson and 12 Monkeys star Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz, a spin on DC’s Richard Dragon.
Star Wars Rebels, Season 4
Monday, October 16 on Disney XD
It all comes down to this. The fourth and final season of Disney’s Star Wars Rebels will conclude the adventures of The Ghost crew (well, most of them), bringing us one final showdown with Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn. At the very least, Star Wars Rebels Season 4 will feature the Star Wars: Rogue One returns of Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera and Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, with Katee Sackhoff reprising her Clone Wars role of Bo Katan, and Warwick Davis voicing Thrawn’s bodyguard, Rukh. Other reports have even suggested that OG Star Wars alum Ian McDiarmid might reprise his role as Emperor Palpatine, but don’t expect to revisit the events of Rogue One from inside the cockpit.
Plus … did someone say wolf Ahsoka? No. No they didn’t.
The Walking Dead, Season 8
Sunday, October 22 on AMC
Fear The Walking Dead will help keep zombies in focus with Season 3’s September 10 return, but it’s the main event that has fans champing at the bit. There’s no batty mysteries this time, just straight-up “All Out War” and a 100th episode premiere that sees Rick and his new allies taking the fight to Negan. Not only that, but the October 22 return will provide some context to the mysterious “Old Man Rick” stinger glimpsed in the trailer, while Steven Ogg, Katelyn Nacon, and Pollyanna McIntosh have been elevated to series regulars in their roles as Negan’s man Simon, Alexandria survivor Enid, and garbage leader Jadis. The new season is also said to spend less time on character-centric episodes. Will they re-energize The Walking Dead for another 100 episodes?
Stranger Things 2
Friday, October 27 on Netflix
There’s nothing strange about Netflix wanting to keep that Stranger Things gravy train rolling with a second season, and if the first trailer is any indication, we’re in for one heck of a thriller. The hotly-anticpated return to Hawkins, Indiana will pick up in 1984 with Will Byers’ connection to the Upside Down dragging the whole town into another round of sci-fi scares, not to mention all the ‘80s pop culture you can handle. Joining the cast this year are Sadie Sink and Power Rangers star Dacre Montgomery in regular roles, along with Brett Gelman, Goonies alum Sean Astin, Aliens baddie Paul Reiser and actress Linnea Berthelsen. You’d better believe this year’s gonna be turned up to Eleven.
Marvel’s Runaways
Tuesday, November 21 on Hulu
Hulu’s Runaways will give us our first taste of a trio of Marvel shows with younger heroes in November. (The others are Cloak and Dagger and New Warriors.) Based on the comic by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, Runaways features Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder, Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru, Virginia Gardner as Karolina Dean, Ariela Barer as Gert Yorkes, Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein and Allegra Acosta as Molly Hernandez. Additionally, Buffy favorite James Marsters will join several 24 and Alias alum as their Pride-ful parents, while Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will helm the series overall.
She’s Gotta Have It
Thursday, November 23 on Netflix
More and more revered directors are dipping a toe in the Netflix waters, but the streaming service will really give you something to be thankful for this year as Spike Lee re-imagines his She’s Gotta Have It as a ten-episode series. The new version (directed entirely by Lee) will feature Shots Fired star DeWanda Wise in the role of Nola Darling (originally played by Tracy Camilla Johns), while Hamilton star Anthony Ramos plays Lee’s own Mars Blackmon. Divergent star Cleo Anthony will play Greer Childs, while Lyriq Bent will play Jamie Overstreet.
Vikings, Season 5
Wednesday, November 29 on History
History’s Vikings have covered a great deal of ground in the last few years, but the Norse drama will venture into entirely new territory this year, both literally and figuratively. Not only will Season 5 mark the first without Travis Fimmel’s Ragnar at the center, but new locales will take us as far as Morocco. Season 5 will kick off with Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen) taking command of the Great Heathen Army, while Ragnar’s sons plot vengeance for their father’s serpentine demise, and Lagertha holds her own as Queen of Kattegat. We’ll also find a new lead of sorts in Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Bishop Heahmund, and meet several unfamiliar faces to carry the series into its next few years.
The Punisher
November on Netflix
For the first time, there are three Marvel Netflix series in a single year, with The Punisher spinning off Daredevil and following up from this summer’s blockbuster Defenders. We don’t yet know exactly when Frank Castle’s solo adventures will premiere (directors have suggested November as the most likely bow), though we do know the show will place heavy emphasis on Frank’s military background. In addition to star Jon Bernthal, the series will feature Westworld alum Ben Barnes as Frank’s Special Forces friend (and future Jigsaw) Billy Russo, Girls star Ebon Moss-Bachrach as “Micro” and Deborah Ann Woll reprising her role as Karen Page.