The 5 New and Under-the-Radar Shows You Can’t Miss This October

Fall is upon us. Sure, you could be apple picking, carving pumpkins, and shopping for Halloween costumes. Or you could be watching all the new and returning TV shows coming your way this month. We are a little biased, but we vote for the latter option. 

This month, Paste TV will be covering the return of The Diplomat when its third season begins on October 16 on Netflix. We will also be talking about the second season of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, which is back on October 23 and features guest star Leighton Meister. As well as new comedy Boots (October 9 on Netflix), Lazarus (October 22 on Prime Video), and Down Cemetery Road (October 29 on AppleTV+). 

But nothing is scarier than missing out on some good TV. Well, actually, a lot of things are scarier these days. But we here at Paste TV try to always remain positive. Here are the five new under-the-radar shows you can’t miss this October.

1. The Sisters Grimm

Stars:  Ariel Winter, Leah Newman, Laraine Newman,  Abubakar Salim, Billy Harris and Harry Trevaldwyn 

Premiere Date:  All six episodes premiere on October 3 on AppleTV+

Based on the books by Michael Buckley, this six-episode animated series follows two sisters, Sabrina (Ariel Winter) and Daphne (Leah Newman), who, unbeknownst to them, are descendants of the Brothers Grimm. When their parents mysteriously disappear and they are on their sixth foster home, the sisters are sent from New York City to live with their grandmother, Relda (Laraine Newman), in Ferryport Landing. Relda can’t believe her son never told her granddaughters about the “everafters.”

 “The fairy tale characters you’ve read about are real,” she tells them. The cynical Sabrina doesn’t believe this to be true, but soon the sisters are meeting characters like Prince Charming, the Giant, and Snow White while realizing their grandmother must be telling the truth. 

2. 9-1-1 Nashville

Stars:  Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, LeAnn Rimes,

Hailey Kilgore, Michael Provost, Juani Feliz, and Hunter McVey

Premiere Date:  October 9 at 9 p.m. on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu

The 9-1-1 world has been an extraordinarily successful franchise for executive producer Ryan Murphy. 9-1-1 Lonestar lasted for five seasons, and the mothership series 9-1-1 returns, albeit without Peter Krause, whose Bobby was killed off last season, for its ninth season on October 9th at 8 p.m. on ABC. 

This latest spin-off, set in Nashville, features Chris O’Donnell, who headlined NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 seasons, as Captain Don Hart, head of a Nashville fire station. Jessica Capshaw co-stars as Don’s wife, Blythe, and Kimberly Williams Paisley is 9-1-1 dispatcher Cammie Raleigh. In the pilot, a big family secret is uncovered, but…apparently, it’s not that much of a secret since you will be able to figure out the big reveal by watching the trailer above. 

3. The Last Frontier

Stars:  Jason Clarke, Dominic Cooper, Haley Bennett, Simone Kessell, Dallas Goldtooth, Tait Blum, and Alfre Woodard

Premiere Date:  The first two episodes premiere on October 10 on Apple TV+, followed by a new episode every Friday until the finale on December 5.

U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick’s (Jason Clarke) life is quite nice. He patrols the Alaskan terrain with little excitement. He brings his co-workers donuts and is about to help his wife finally fulfill her life-long dream of owning a bed and breakfast.  But when a plane heading to Washington, D.C. and carrying extremely violent criminals crashes and the prisoner escapes, Frank’s life becomes much more fraught. Keep an ear out for some quite distinctive needle drops as the series opens.  

4. Murdaugh: Death in the Family

Stars:  Jason Clarke, Patricia Arquette, Johnny Berchtold, Will Harrison, Brittany Snow and J. Smith-Cameron  

Premiere Date:  The first three episodes premiere on October 15 on Hulu, followed by a new installment every Wednesday until the season finale on November 19.

You read that right. Jason Clarke has been very busy. Murdaugh: Death in the Family is his second series this month. Here he stars as Alex Murdaugh in this ripped-from-the-headlines story. Alex is a powerful South Carolina lawyer when, in 2019, his son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) crashed the family boat in Beaufort, South Carolina, and killed his friend Mallory Beach. Four years later, Alex is convicted of killing both his son Alex and his wife Maggie (Patricia Arquette). Just your typical, totally healthy, normal family. 

The eight-episode series is based on the Murdaugh Murders Podcast hosted by investigative journalist Mandy Matney. Brittany Snow, last seen in The Hunting Wives, plays Mandy in the series. Succession’s J. Smith-Cameron co-stars as Maggie’s sister Marion. 

5. Boston Blue

Stars:  Donnie Wahlberg, Sonequa Martin-Green, Gloria Reuben, Maggie Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Mika Amonsen, and Ernie Hudson

Premiere Date:  October 17 on CBS at 9 p.m. Streaming the next day on Paramount+

CBS’s long-running (14 seasons!) series Blue Bloods held its last Reagan family dinner back in December 2024. Now Donnie Wahlberg returns to reprise his Danny Reagan in this spin-off series, which finds the NYPD detective heading to Boston to visit his son Sean (Mika Amonsen). Soon, Danny is meeting the Silver family. There is Boston district attorney Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben), Boston PD detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), police superintendent Sarah Silver (Maggie Lawson), and police officer Jonah Silver (Marcus Scribner, all grown up from his days on black-ish). 

And what do you know, the Silver family also has a weekly dinner where everyone (including Ernie Hudson as the patriarch of the group) gathers to discuss the week’s events. But, yes, you read that right: there is absolutely nothing more Boston than a Wahlberg family member, and yes, Donnie is continuing to pretend to be from New York. But Wahlberg, who is also an executive producer on the series, did make sure some of the series actually shoots in his hometown. That means no palm trees will be spotted on these Boston streets. 

Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal®, is a Boston-based freelance writer and a member of the Television Critics Association. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child, and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter (@AmyTVGal).

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists, and features, follow @Paste_TV.