Ah, the end of August, my favorite season is finally upon us — Fall. Of course the cool weather, cozy outfits, and pumpkin flavored foods are great, but what I really enjoy is the new fall television, which attempts every year to put up a fight and come out on top of pop culture’s consciousness.
But lately, Network TV (NBC, ABC, CBS) has struggled greatly against streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon) and premiere viewing channels (HBO, Showtime). A couple of gems of previous years have survived on network TV, like NBC’s extremely popular Emmy nominated drama This Is Us, which will return for its third season on September 25. Of course, favorites like Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Riverdale, The Walking Dead, and American Horror Story will all be back (and likely continue to do well). But what about the new stuff? Is there anything on the frontier that can bring people back to network TV?
ABC has a promising new drama (which they clearly based on the success of NBC’s This is Us) called A Million Little Things, which follows a group of friends who grapple with the struggles of their varied lives after one of their close companions dies. ABC is also premiering their Rosanne spin-off, which is the same show as before, except this time Rosanne’s not in it.
NBC is premiering a new Lost-esque drama called Manifest, starring Josh Dallas of Once Upon a Time — except that instead of being missing forever, the plane full of people return after what feels like only a few hours, and turns out to be 5 years. The strange circumstances revolving the crash lead the passengers to believe that something larger is at play.
Manifest on NBC, Sep. 24. 2018. Source: NBC
Amy Poehler is also producing another comedy for NBC about the secret struggles of a hardworking wife and mother called I Feel Bad.
They are also debuting a new spy thriller called The Enemy Within, about an ultra-smart ex CIA agent who turned against the country, and the current FBI agent who needs her help to track down a dangerous criminal.
The CW is rebooting the popular 90s fantasy drama Charmed. Along with Charmed is another fantastical spin-off, Legacies, which follows the children of your favorite characters from The Vampire Diaries.
Charmed (2018). Source: The CW
FOX is premiering another legal drama, this time focusing on the wrongful conviction firm (Proven Innocent).
And finally, an in an interesting and timely move, The Red Line on CBS is a drama following the repercussions of a white cop who mistakenly shoots a black doctor.
The Red Line. Source: CBS
Will any of these shows make the cut and stand out this season? Only time will tell. For now, make some popcorn, curl up with a warm drink, and check out fall’s new premieres!
