Fall TV Preview
September 25, 2014
The best time of the year in television is upon us – Fall Premier Season. TV’s least forgiving, most interesting month has kicked off. There are dozens of shows premiering in these few short weeks, and no one has enough time to watch them all. Here is the definitive list of new and returning shows you need to be watching this fall.
Three New Shows to Watch:
How to Get Away With Murder – ABC, Thursday, September 25, 10:00 p.m.
Shonda Rhimes’ third show on ABC (following Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal) follows criminal defense professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) as she involves her class in a murder plot. Knowing Rhimes, the show is going to be dramatic, soapy, and completely insane, but also impossible to look away from. Anyone can find a facet of Get Away to enjoy, including Harry Potter actor Alfred Enoch (he played Dean in all eight movies) as Wes Gibbins, a student of Keating’s. Viola Davis’ performance as a troubled professor should be enough to keep viewers around from Scandal, another Rhimes tour de force.
Marry Me – NBC, Tuesday, October 14, 9:00 p.m.
Comics Casey Wilson and Ken Marino, each uniquely offbeat, have finally found a vehicle for their brand of humor in Marry Me, a romantic-ish sitcom. Annie (Wilson) and Jake (Marino) fell in love six years ago, but right before Jake is about to propose, they fight about not being able to commit. Now the two are waiting to get married until they feel the time is right. I’m not excited about the plot as much as the actors. Rounding out the cast are Josh Gemberling (Broad City) and Tim Meadows (Mean Girls). If nothing else, at least this show will be fun.
Mulaney – FOX, Sunday, October 5, 9:30 p.m.
On Mulaney, comedian John Mulaney plays a different comedian named John Mulaney who lands a job writing for game show legend Lou Cannon (Martin Short). Already drawing comparisons to Seinfeld, Mulaney’s eponymous show should garner the attention its very funny main star. Mulaney has a legacy to live up to, but Mulaney (the man, not the show) has already proved his comedy chops as a writer on Saturday Night Live and with a special on Netflix, New in Town. Rounding out the cast are the always-funny Nasim Pedrad as Jane and Seaton Smith as Motif. Mulaney has a legend to live up to, but his own brand of humor should make this show a success.
Three Returning Shows to Watch:
Spoilers Ahead!
American Horror Story: Freak Show – FX, Wednesday, October 8, 10:00 p.m.
The most absurd project on TV is finally returning this fall, and you need to be watching. Where else could you find the smallest woman in the world, a killer clown named Twisty, a three-breasted woman, and Emma Roberts all on the same show? And that’s just this season! Freak Show is the latest iteration of American Horror Story, an experience you either love or haven’t seen yet. Previous seasons Murder House, Asylum, and Coven were all amazing achievements, constantly pushing the limits of television storytelling. FX is already releasing genuinely terrifying teasers for Freak Show. Watch this season for incredible, insane entertainment you literally cannot get anywhere else.
The Mindy Project – FOX, Tuesday, September 16, 9:30 p.m.
Do you remember Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor on The Office? Kaling’s brilliant, underappreciated sitcom The Mindy Project is returning this fall . She plays a doctor at her own firm in New York City. Chaos ensues. The best part of the show is the cast, with Kaling leading a talented troupe of actors including Chris Messina, Ike Barinholtz, Xosha Roquemore, and Josh Peck in a recurring cameo. Last season, Mindy and Danny (Chris Messina), a doctor at the clinic, finally went for it and became a couple, so this season, expect relationship comedy done in the best, most Kaling-esque way. Mindy is easily one of the funniest, most original sitcoms on network TV.
New Girl – FOX, Tuesday, September 16, 9:00 p.m.
Zooey Deschanel’s best work to date is returning this week. The show, despite its premise (a girl moves into an apartment with three guys, they learn lessons about each other), has evolved into something more than a friendship comedy. Jess (Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) ended their relationship last season because of their differences. Schmidt (Max Greenfield) still has feelings for CeCe (Hannah Simone), who is dating someone else. Winston (Lamorne Morris) and Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.) are there too. New Girl is the most endearing show to premiere this fall. Don’t miss out on the quirky fun.
