This time last year, things were looking dire for the Fall TV slate. If you’ll recall, the dual strikes were just coming to an end, kicking productions back into gear after a months-long halt. But, TV doesn’t churn out that fast, and we were left with a comparatively barren list of offerings to lead us through the fall season.
This year, however, is a completely different story. In fact, we could make an entire guide just dedicated to the shows coming out in September, let alone throughout the entire fall season (which runs from September 1st through November 31st). All that to say: buckle up, folks! TV is back, and there’s so damn much of it. We’ve done our best to sort through every upcoming premiere to pick out the most must-watch titles from streaming, cable, and broadcast alike, all in service of filling out your watchlists for the months to come.
From returning favorites to new miniseries and shows vying for your eyeballs to get that coveted second season, here are our picks for what to watch this fall:
Slow Horses
Network: Apple TV+
Premiere: September 4th
Status: Returning
The fourth season of Apple TV+’s (finally properly recognized) Slow Horses adapts Spook Street, the fourth novel in Herron’s series about Slough House, the dumping ground of MI5 that is home to the service’s biggest screw-ups. At the center of the story are River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) and his grandfather, David (Jonathan Pryce), who was once a high-ranking member of the intelligence service but is now living with dementia, which causes him to appear increasingly paranoid. When a car bomb goes off in a crowded shopping center, it naturally puts everyone on edge, but things get worse after it’s discovered the perpetrator was using an MI5-created identity. It eventually comes out that David once crossed paths with the group responsible for the attack, and his ability to identify its leader (played by a deliciously evil Hugo Weaving) puts a target on his back and River in the emotional crosshairs as he tries to protect his grandfather. However, because of David’s failing memory and disoriented state, River is largely on his own. Which is to say, it’s only a matter of time before Jackson Lamb’s (Gary Oldman) slow horses find themselves embroiled in yet another operation far beyond their pay grade and with the potential for far-reaching consequences. —Kaitlin Thomas [Full Review]
There are few things scarier than sociopathic rich people, a fact that the upcoming six-episode Netflix drama The Perfect Couple seems to firmly comprehend. Based on a 2018 novel of the same name, this story follows Amelia (Eve Hewson), a woman marrying into a wealthy Nantucket family helmed by a famous novelist (Nicole Kidman) who disapproves of this pairing. After a body is discovered on the beach, the Winbury clan is pitted against one another, with Amelia in the crossfire. Evil scheming wealthy people is one of those evergreen premises that continues to resonate, and from the trailer, the series seems poised to dive into the dangerous results of their excesses. Add in some exciting names attached, like Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber playing the heads of the family, alongside Susan Bier (Bird Box) being in the director’s chair, and there is reason to be optimistic about this one. —Elijah Gonzalez
How to Die Alone
Network: Hulu
Premiere: September 13th
Status: New Series
From the brilliant mind of Natasha Rothwell (of Insecure fame) comes Hulu’s latest comedy series How to Die Alone. The eight-episode, half-hour series follows Mel (Rothwell), a down on her luck, “broke, fat, Black JFK airport employee” who decides it’s time to make a change after a near-fatal accident. But in order to start truly living, she’ll have to let go of all the things that hold her back, find her wings, and finally “take off.” This series is sure to be perfect for fans of series like Insecure, Shrill, and so many more female-focused, heartfelt comedies, and is absolutely worth watching when it debuts on Hulu this fall. —Anna Govert
Agatha All Along
Network: Disney+
Premiere: September 18th
Status: Limited Series
What was the name of this show again? Agatha: House of Harkness? Agatha: Coven of Chaos? Agatha: Darkhold Diaries? No… it was Agatha All Along, of course! Despite its plethora of name changes, Agatha seems like a rare Marvel Disney+ series to actually have a solid footing in its identity, with a trailer that offers admirable scares and a whole lot of witchy wonders. The series follows WandaVision stand-out Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) as she attempts to escape Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) hex after her apparent demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With the help of fellow witch Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), Joe Locke’s aptly-named “Teen,” and the ever-enjoyable Patti Lupone in an undisclosed role, Agatha must travel the Witches’ Road if she wants to regain the power she once had. —Anna Govert
The Penguin
Network: HBO (Streaming on Max)
Premiere: September 19th
Status: Limited Series
Matt Reeves’ The Batman was an intriguing and visually striking take on Gotham, and thanks to its success, now we have a TV spinoff starring Oswald Cobblepot (i.e., the Penguin) as he climbs the criminal underworld following the events of the movie. In all honestly, on paper, the Penguin is relatively low on my list of favorite Gotham City fiends, but Colin Farrell’s performance under pounds of prosthetics did a good job turning this conceptually ridiculous gangster into a force to be reckoned with. Historically, HBO’s bread and butter has been crime dramas, and this limited series seems like it will be tackling the failed notion of the American Dream while offering up plenty of backstabbing and shootouts along the way. —Elijah Gonzalez
I’m not sure that Grotesquerie’s hallucinatory trailer is indicative of what the show will actually look like, but its strange imagery combined with it being co-created by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, Glee, etc.) has piqued my interest. It centers on Detective Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash-Betts), who teams up with Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond), a local nun, to investigate a series of occult murders. This one’s teaser comes with heaps of religious iconography, neon purple lighting, and creepy fever dream sequences that indicate it may be a good way to kick off the spooky season and channel some of early American Horror Story’s creepy delights in the process.—Elijah Gonzalez
Uzumaki
Network: Adult Swim
Premiere: September 28th
Status: Limited Series
Uzumaki is a four-episode adaptation of Junji Ito’s legendary horror comic of the same name, which has been several years in the making. Set in a messed up little town, we watch as the denizens of this community are plagued by a collective, all-consuming obsession with spirals. While the original comic is arguably Ito’s finest work thanks to how it combines absurdist humor with grotesque body horror, previous adaptations of the author’s output have almost always fallen flat due to the difficulties of translating his intricate linework and stark black-and-white imagery into animation. However, based on the several-minute teaserAdult Swim released last year to promote the show, it seems that acclaimed director Hiroshi Nagahama (Mushishi, Detroit Metal City, The Flowers of Evil) and studio Drive may have finally cracked how to make this work by emulating the look of the manga as closely as possible; it’s simple, all you need to do to adapt Ito is give a talent crew of animators more than five years to produce four episodes! If the full series matches what we’ve seen so far, this will be one that horror sickos won’t want to miss. —Elijah Gonzalez
Heartstopper
Network: Netflix
Premiere: October 3rd
Status: Returning
Boy meets boy, boys fall in love, boys are back for Season 3! In the second of its two-season order following its smash-hit premiere in 2022, Netflix’s most comforting queer series will continue to follow the sickeningly sweet relationship between schoolboys Charlie (Joe Locke, in his second Fall TV season appearance) and Nick (Kit Connor) as they navigate the trials and tribulations of being teenagers. Alongside Nick and Charlie, the evolution of Tao (William Gao) and Elle’s (Yasmin Finney) relationship will continue to be a focal point, as well as the charming romance between Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) and Tara (Corinna Brown). Even though Olivia Colman wasn’t able to reprise her role this year (a genuine blow to fans everywhere), this series remains one of Netflix’s breeziest comfort watches, and a moving and effective LGBTQ+ series in its own right. —Anna Govert
The Legend of Vox Machina
Network: Prime Video
Premiere: October 3rd
Status: Returning
Everyone’s favorite disaster party are back, and, this time, they’re gearing up for more dragon battles and magical warfare. Based on the extensive and beloved campaign from live-play giant Critical Role, Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina follows Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey), Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), Percy (Taliesin Jaffe), Grog (Travis Willingham), Scanlan (Sam Riegel), Pike (Ashley Johnson), and Keyleth (Marisha Ray) as they continue to grow into their roles as protectors of Tal’Dorei. This intrepid band of adventurers continually find themselves facing dragons in larger-than-life fights, but the series’ palpable heart and unflinching humor offer a dynamic twist on the D&D-driven story that was told across numerous streams. If you haven’t yet tapped into TLOVM’s animated delights, now is the time to catch up before the third season begins in October. —Anna Govert
Abbott Elementary
Network: ABC (Streaming on Hulu)
Premiere: October 9th
Status: Returning
ABC’s smash-hit mockumentary just gets better and better every year, and we hope Season 4 of the delightful and hilarious series will be no different. Following her stint at the school district in Season 3, Janine (creator Quinta Brunson) is now back at Abbott full time and ready to take teaching to the next level once again. Joined by the always-delightful gaggle of teachers—Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), Jacob (Chris Perfetti), and Gregory (Tyler James Williams)—alongside, undoubtedly, a number of exciting and cool guest stars and their hilarious principal Ava (Janelle James), Abbott Elementary continues to raise the bar every single season, remaining laugh-out-loud funny and touchingly heartfelt with each episode that airs. And with no strikes to interrupt the season, Abbott should be back on our screens for many more episodes to come. —Anna Govert
Teacup
Network: Peacock
Premiere: October 10th
Status: New Series
With Halloween just around the corner, Peacock’s Teacup makes an excellent case for keeping up with its weekly scares and screams. The series, which comes from executive producer James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) and showrunner Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone), follows a ragtag group in rural Georgia as they fight to survive a dangerous threat that haunts them all. Starring Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale), Scott Speedman (Grey’s Anatomy), and Chaske Spencer (The English), Teacup will premiere with two episodes a week through Halloween, allowing viewers to get their dose of frights as spooky season rages on. —Anna Govert
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Network: Netflix
Premiere: October 10th
Status: New Series
In the latest adaptation of the beloved Tomb Raider videogame franchise, Hayley Atwell takes up the mantle of the legendary raider. This series (billed as an “anime” despite the nearly all-American production team) takes place within the universe of the 2013 videogame trilogy, set after the events of the final installment, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Also starring game carry-over Earl Baylon reprising his role as Lara’s friend and adventuring companion Jonah Maiava, this expansion of the Tomb Raider lore and universe will allow fans both new and old to adventure alongside Lara once again, and for the first time in narrative form since Alicia Vikander’s outing in 2018. While the teaser is light on details (and pointedly avoids offering a sneak peek of Atwell’s voice performance), this series is sure to be both engaging and exciting—and beautifully animated, as well. —Anna Govert
Disclaimer*
Network: Apple TV+
Premiere: October 11th
Status: Limited Series
Sometimes, all you need to build hype for a show are the names of those involved, and that is very much the case for Disclaimer*, a seven-part psychological-thriller miniseries coming to Apple TV+, written and directed by the brilliant filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity, Roma, Y tu mamá también). And if that wasn’t enough, the front-of-camera talent is similarly impressive: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and more. Based on a novel of the same name, the story follows a documentary filmmaker who made a career out of exposing other’s wrongdoings but who is sent a mysterious novel from an anonymous author which reveals her own personal secrets. From this setup and the small snippets in the trailer, it seems this one will dive into the power of stories to shape worldviews and frame the truth. —Elijah Gonzalez
Hysteria!
Network: Peacock
Premiere: October 18th
Status: New Series
Peacock is truly delivering this Halloween season with another—albeit, much campier—horror series to sink our teeth into. In fact, if Teacup is too frightening for your taste, Hysteria!’s campy thrills might be the perfect substitution to usher in those frighteningly fun vibes. Following the disappearance of a beloved quarterback in an idyllic small town during the height of the ‘80’s Satanic Panic, a local metal band decide to capitalize on the, well, hysteria to build their following. But when grisly murders, baffling disappearances, and straight-up spooky shit starts happening, they become the most viable suspects to the normie townspeople. Starring Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, and Bruce Campbell, this series is sure to be a pop-horror mash-up worth binging with a bowl of Halloween candy. —Anna Govert
What We Do in the Shadows
Network: FX (streaming on Hulu)
Premiere: October 21st
Status: Final Season
It is with a heavy heart that I put this series on a Fall TV Preview for the final time. FX’s What We Do in the Shadows has been continuously hilarious and unflinching for its entire run, and this upcoming sixth season will surely be no exception. Following the exploits of three vampire roommates in New York—Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Nandor De Laurentiis (Kayvan Novak)—alongside Nandor’s former familiar-turned-bodyguard Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), What We Do in the Shadows might be one of the best vampire spoofs ever made, and certainly the most must-watch premiere of the fall for anyone looking for more fangs on their screen this spooky season. It’ll be a fond farewell, both to the series as a whole, and to Matt Berry’s incredible line deliveries. —Anna Govert
Like a Dragon: Yakuza
Network: Prime Video
Premiere: October 24th
Status: New Series
The Like a Dragon/Yakuza videogame series has won over a legion of devoted fans for their ability to weave affecting crime melodrama alongside farcical comedy, all of which inevitably builds to the realization that, despite the boatloads of violence and criminal syndicates, this series has a heart of gold. Prime Video is taking a crack at adapting these games, which center on the ex-gangster Kiryu Kazuma, a man who is as good at clobbering people as he is at doing the right thing. While games like The Last of Us are a fairly natural fit for the small screen, considering they very badly want to be viewed in the same light as prestige TV to begin with, Like a Dragon: Yakuza will be a far trickier adaptation. Outside of a videogame, it will probably be difficult to present these serious story beats alongside all the tonal-whiplash-inducing gags without making people’s heads explode. Still, if they can capture even some of what makes this all work, it could be like nothing else on TV. —Elijah Gonzalez
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Network: Paramount+
Premiere: October 24th
Status: Final Season
Star Trek: Lower Decks has beenan absolute delight through its first four seasons, delivering laugh-out-loud moments without ditching the series’ trademark optimism and adventurous streak. For those who haven’t been following, it catalogs the journey of a squad of low-ranking Starfleet officers as they go from a band of screw-ups to a group of up-and-comers with promise. The show has steadily improved with time while consistently demonstrating a fundamental truth about Trek: sometimes, Star Trek is simply about people hanging out in space. The relationships between this lovable crew and the consistently hilarious humor make this one of the best series installments in some time. For all these reasons, it’s all the more baffling that Paramount has decided to cancel it, even though its creators have signaled they were interested in making more, and despite it being a rare modern program that consistently hits a yearly release schedule. Thankfully, at least we’ll get something of an ending with this final season. Say it with me now, “Lower Decks, Lower Decks, Lower Decks!” —Elijah Gonzalez
The Day of the Jackal
Network: Peacock
Premiere: November 7th
Status: New Series
Based on a novel of the same name, which was also adapted into a 1973 film, The Day of the Jackal is an upcoming political thriller from Peacock that stars Eddie Redmayne as a peerless assassin and Lashana Lynch as a British intelligence officer on his tail. Both the book and the movie were critically acclaimed for bringing this high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse to life, and what we’ve seen in the trailer seems similarly taut. Ronan Bennet, who created the TV series Top Boy, serves as the showrunner, and Brian Kirk is acting as director (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire). Between the skilled performers at the center of this story and its acclaimed source material, hopefully, this series will hit the mark. —Elijah Gonzalez
St. Denis Medical
Network: NBC (streaming on Peacock)
Premiere: November 11th
Status: New Series
Fans of the mockumentary rejoice! We’re living through another golden age of this storied comedy subgenre, and NBC’s latest outing is just another seemingly hilarious entry worth checking out this fall. From the creators of Superstore comes St. Denis Medical, a mockumentary series that follows the misadventures of a team of doctors and nurses at the titular hospital as they try to operate a functioning zone of healing. From Abbott Elementary to Mr. Throwback, the future of the mockumentary has been in good hands, but the (hopefully) healing touch of some St. Denis flair will keep this fan-favorite form in tip-top shape. —Anna Govert
Bad Sisters
Network: Apple TV+
Premiere: November 13th
Status: Returning
Apple TV+’s twisted thriller is finally returning, and this time, these ladies are ready for anything. Set two years after the “accidental” death of Grace Garvey’s (Anne-Marie Duff) abusive husband, Eva (Sharon Horgan), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene), Grace, and Becka (Eve Hewson) have moved on with their lives. But when a number of shocking truths come to the surface, the Garvey sisters must band together once more to protect their own and keep their secrets from reaching the light. This series was a murderous delight in its first season, and Season 2 promises even more twists and turns accompanied by incredible performances set across the backdrop of Dublin’s landscapes. —Anna Govert
Silo
Network: Apple TV+
Premiere: November 15th
Status: Returning
Remember how much you loved Fallout from earlier this year? Well, Apple TV+’s sci-fi triumph Silo is like if Fallout took place entirely in the bunker. The last 10,000 people on Earth are holed up underground in, fittingly, a silo designed to protect them from the toxins of the surface. In Season 1, Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette uncovered dark, terrible secrets about the silo’s origin, and in Season 2, she’s determined to keep digging—even when the truth may cost her her life. We named Silo one of the best TV shows of 2023, and it’ll surely be just as compelling when it returns to our screens this fall for a second round. —Anna Govert
Interior Chinatown
Network: Hulu
Premiere: November 19th
Status: New Series
Interior Chinatown is a meta-sounding series coming to Hulu from Charles Yu, who wrote the novel of the same name. It centers on Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang), a character actor who takes on background roles in a police procedural and dreams of something more. However, his life changes when he witnesses a crime that takes him from acting in a supporting role to being at the center of the stage. The series seems to be playing with notions of typecasting around Asian-American actors, and the fact it’s being helmed by the author of the book it’s adapting is quite promising. If all that wasn’t enough, Taika Waititi will direct the pilot. —Elijah Gonzalez
Based on a True Story
Network: Peacock
Premiere: November 21st
Status: Returning
Following that jaw-dropping cliffhanger in the Season 1 finale, Peacock’s true crime send-up Based on a True Story is back for more murderous shenanigans. Following new parents Ava (Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (Chris Messina) as they continue to deal with the fallout of teaming up with a serial killer—the devious Matt (Tom Bateman)—to create a hit true crime podcast, Based on a True Story is brutal and hilarious, holding up a mirror to our true crime-obsessed culture, all while remaining endlessly entertaining. With Ava’s sister now entangled with Matt, a new string of murders happening in their neighborhood, and the lingering guilt of everything that’s come before, Season 2 is sure to break Ava and Nathan down in all the best ways. —Anna Govert
Arcane
Network: Netflix
Premiere: November
Status: Final Season
The first season of Arcane was one of the biggest TV surprises of 2021. Between its compelling characters and one-of-a-kind visuals from French animation studio Fortiche, this animated adaptation appealed to far more than just League of Legends fans. For those who didn’t catch the initial run or play the uber-popular, lifeforce-stealing MOBA game, Arcane follows Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), two orphans living in the under city of a fantasy/steampunk world, as they’re pulled into crime wars and political struggles over controversial technologies. The second season will deal with the aftermath of Jinx’s actions, as she finally crosses fists with her sister Vi. While I was initially surprised to hear that the series will be ending this season, co-creator Christian Linke said in an interview they had planned for the story to conclude here from the start, and that they and Fortiche are planning to collaborate on more League of Legends spinoffs down the line. Hopefully, there’s enough space to wrap this story up with the punch it deserves. —Elijah Gonzalez
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Network: Max
Premiere: November
Status: Returning
Despite the impending departure of Leighton (Reneé Rapp) from the central quad of lovable disasters, The Sex Lives of College Girls marches on. Not much is known yet about the upcoming third season, but with so much at stake following that drama-filled Season 2 finale (and, of course, the upcoming loss of such a prominent figure in the series), it’s sure to be a transitional period for one of Max’s funniest shows. But, if the series’ consistent excellence is anything to go by, Season 3 will take these changes in stride, allowing Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Bela (Amrit Kaur), and Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) to continue their bonkers and sweet collegiate journey with whip-smart flair. —Anna Govert
Dune: Prophecy
Network: HBO (streaming on Max)
Premiere: November
Status: New Series
It seems Dune-mania may continue to sweep the nation with Dune: Prophecy, a six-episode HBO prequel set 10,000 years before the movies, which will focus on the foundation of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. While I know the later Dune books written by Frank Herbert’s son Brian are much more controversial among fans of the series (and this show seems to be drawing at least partially on one of these later novels, Sisterhood of Dune), it’s hard not to get at least a little excited about a spinoff set in this sprawling world, especially considering that TV seems like a natural fit for the series’ intricate, involved politics. Between the striking imagery of Denis Villeneuve’s films and the seminal influence of Frank Herbert’s novels, Dune: Prophecy has a lot to live up to, but the potential is certainly there. —Elijah Gonzalez
The Franchise
Network: HBO (streaming on Max)
Premiere: Fall
Status: New Series
While we don’t have a great deal to go on about The Franchise, we do know that it’s a new HBO series created by Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Death of Stalin), Sam Mendes (1917, Skyfall), and Jon Brown (Succession), which to say the least, is a promising trio. It’s a comedy series about people working on a disastrous production of a franchise superhero movie, and considering how thoroughly superhero flicks have come to dominate pop culture, this setup seems ripe for lambasting. The cast includes Billy Magnussen, Jessica Hynes, Himesh Patel, and more. —Elijah Gonzalez
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