by Matthew Thompson
Last week I talked a bit about the new shows I will be checking out this Fall. This week is all about the returning TV shows I’ll be tuning into in the next few months. Once again I’ve picked out the ones I’m most excited to see for the first section. Then I will run down everything else I’ll be watching briefly afterwards. Each list is in the order they will premiere this season. This is also just Fall stuff, so nothing that is coming back next year some time. Here it goes.
The Good Wife (Sept. 21st, CBS)
I just got caught up with this about a week ago and it is now the show I’m most excited to watch on TV this Fall. I imagine a little part of it is being able to watch week to week. Some people prefer to binge stuff, but part of the appeal of TV for me are the weekly discussions and thinking on what happened and what will happen between episodes. So that will be a plus. But I’m mostly just excited because of the show itself. In typical Good Wife fashion they left some balls up in the air as last season ended, so I’m very interested to see what decisions Alicia and Diane make and how it will shape the year to come. I also just think this is the best show airing this Fall which is reason enough for my anticipation of its sixth season.
Sleepy Hollow (Sept. 22nd, FOX)
My opinion has been all over the place on Sleepy Hollow. On paper, it didn’t do much for me. Then I found the first trailer surprisingly intriguing. Then I found the pilot episode a little more ridiculous than I wanted it to be with its ancient witch covens and crazy demons. But I kept watching and soon learned to embrace all the silliness which allowed me to add a quality new show to my line-up. The twists came fast and furious at the end of the show’s freshman season and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out. John Noble, one of my favorite actors, was a big part of why Season 1 ended so strong and his addition to the regular cast is another reason I look forward to Season 2.
Person of Interest (Sept. 23rd, CBS)
I enjoyed the first two seasons of Person of Interest, but its third season really shot it into the top-tier of television dramas for me. It displayed the perfect blend of procedural and serialized elements that I covet from case of the week-based shows. It also made the most of Taraji P. Henson’s exit from the show which created some great material and they still managed to recover well from the loss of her presence within the narrative. And like the previous two shows on this list, where they left things leaves a lot of intrigue for the new season. I hope they use it to shake things up for a good while before returning to the typical setup/status quo. I feel like there is some potential with what was hinted at last year.
Parenthood (Sept. 25th, NBC)
Parenthood was kind of a mess last year. Certainly not as good as the other four shows in this top section. I could detail the many wrong turns it took in Season 5, but I won’t. What I’m hoping is that Katims and company get things back on track for this final season. Even when its messy, I love hanging out with the Bravermans each week and I know I will miss them when it is all over. Family drama is rarely as good or as real (however uncomfortable that might make it at times) as Parenthood. I hope they can go out on a good note at the end here.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Sept. 28th, FOX)
Most of my favorite comedies of recent years have either gone off the air or have sort of fallen into a “this is really solid but rarely spectacular” groove. Because of that Brooklyn Nine-Nine swooped in at just the right moment with what I think was one of the best first seasons ever for a sitcom to give me something I was in need of, a new favorite comedy. I was really impressed by how much I loved the whole cast of characters. They made great use of guest stars (like Dean Winters as “The Vulture”) and flashbacks (anything with Holt from the ’70s is pure gold). And most importantly it made me laugh… a lot. I can’t wait to see what the detectives of New York’s 99th Precinct get up to this season.
More stuff I’ll be watching:
The League: This one is already going. Great start to the season and one of my favorite comedies still airing.
Modern Family: I still enjoy this show even though it feels like it is on cruise control.
Revenge: This has never been able to match the greatness of its first season, but I still enjoy it more than most people. I feel that last season’s final twist could potentially wreck everything going forward though. I hope I’m wrong.
The Vampire Diaries: I loved Season 2 and 3, but it has become a bit of a slog in the past two seasons. Alaric is back though. So that is a plus. I just wish I enjoyed this as much as I used to.
The Legend of Korra: Apparently this is coming back this Fall?! Season 3 was great, so I’m excited to see where they go next.
The Originals: This was actually pretty good in Season 1. Maybe they can build on that and give me what I’m not getting from its parent show anymore.
Arrow: This show is just a whole lot of fun. Looking forward to it.
The Walking Dead: I have spent most of this show’s life complaining, but the end of last season was great television. I hope it was a sign of things to come.
About a Boy: Loved the first season of this. A great new comedy to check out if you haven’t yet. Has both laughs and heart.
The 100: Kind of an up and down first season, but the very end has me intrigued. Not a lot of good sci-fi shows on TV either, so it is nice to have another one in my line-up.
I also still watch these shows in some cases with little enthusiasm: Sons of Anarchy, Haven, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Homeland, The Fall.
That will do it for my Fall TV Preview of sorts. Let me know what you’ll be watching this Fall in the comments below or on Twitter. Look for more TV coverage like Power Rankings and Pilot Report Cards throughout the Fall. Thanks for reading!
The Triple Option 
Out of your top ones, Brooklyn is the only one that would make my list. I need more Boyle in my life more than anything. Thinking season 2 is going to take it up a notch as well, Korra I’m also excited for as well, especially since I didn’t want to have to wait a while after that downer finale season 3 had. Need to catch up on Arrow also, but every time I watch that, I feel like watching animated DC shows instead. Maybe I just need to see more of Deathstroke to really get into it.
Disappointing that New Girl dropped from one of your favorite comedies to lower than Modern Family also. Haven’t even watched since Schmidt turned from the good kind of douchebag to the bad kind.
Modern Family and New Girl are about the same. Not sure what possessed me to put them in different sections but I did. I think at some point I just quit and put the rest in the bottom section… haha.
Deathstroke is really cool in Arrow eventually, but as you mentioned he is cool in everything.
Sons of Anarchy!
I’m curious how this show will finish up. I hope Gemma gets what she deserves!
Dude im telling you!
Not sure if Season 1 of Sleepy Hollow is out on video yet but I hope to catch up on it in time for the new season. Nice to know John Noble becomes a regular, such a great actor … speaking of Fringe I’m a bit disappointed that Anna Torv’s new HBO pilot didn’t get picked up. I really enjoyed the first episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine, the one potential concern is that Sambergs man-child humour might get tiresome but I’ll have to watch more before I pass judgement.
I checked and apparently the Sleepy Hollow S1 set came out today! Hopefully you can catch up. I too was disappointed that Anna Torv’s pilot not being picked up. I’d love to see her on TV again. She’s great.
Samberg is probably the least funny person in the B99 cast, but I think they dial back on him a little as it goes on. So hopefully that won’t be too much of a problem.
I’m probably most excited for Person of Interest, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the shows on your list as well. I’ve been forced to significantly cut down on my TV-watching–I dropped Vampire Diaries and Revenge, for example, and it sounds like that was a good idea–but there are still some great shows out there.
Also, it seems like everything is ending this year or next year, doesn’t it? For me, over 10 shows I watch(ed) fit that bill. Parenthood will be one of them, and we’ll also be saying goodbye to Boardwalk, Justified, Mad Men, Parks and Rec, Sons, etc. (and The Good Wife probably won’t go past a shortened seventh season). I wonder what the future will bring.
And oh, Homeland. I can’t quit it, even if it’s fallen so, so far from its first season. The Walking Dead I have absolutely zero enthusiasm for as well, but I’ll still watch it; I anticipate it going 500 seasons, considering it’s the only thing that’s keeping AMC afloat.
I wish I could drop shows better. I can do it early if I’m not digging it, but if I’m like 3-4 seasons in, it is tough for me. For Homeland I do have some hope though with the Brodys gone. Hopefully it can be better.
It feels like the last year has been a transition for me in TV. Some of my all-time favorites have ended (Fringe, 30 Rock, Happy Endings, Southland, Breaking Bad) and as you mentioned there is a lot coming to end soon. There are definitely some newer shows I really dig, but it will be interesting to see what else begins to help fill those voids of shows gone by.
Thanks for the commenting! Curious to see what you will be covering weekly on your blog this Fall.