Photo by Erik Dungan from FreeImages
I almost didn’t make this post about what I’m planning to watch this TV season. Mostly because I couldn’t find a source I trusted for premiere dates, scheduling and comprehensiveness after I realized so many of the returning shows on the TV Guide roundup had blurbs that were just not at all accurate. And also, from what I did find, there just wasn’t a whole lot of new stuff that I was that interested. Or there was Prodigal Son, which I won’t watch because Fox has broken my heart my too many times and the cast isn’t quite Must-See enough for me to do that again.
But TV Guide has updated, the Fall TV season writ large kicks off today, and here’s what’s on my schedule (all times central). What are you watching?
MONDAY
7 p.m. – 9-1-1: I’ve just become really fond of everyone on this first responders/emergency dispatch show. It’s a good, character driven show sandwiched between often outlandish, exciting emergencies. What’s not to like? Season 3 premieres today on FOX. (And apparently in January, 9-1-1 is getting a spinoff set in Texas starring Rob Lowe and Liv Tyler. *Sigh* Rob Lowe might be enough to make me risk a new-season Fox a show.)
TUESDAY
7 p.m. – The Conners: Back for its second Roseanne-less season, I imagine The Conners won’t drag Becky’s pregnancy through the whole season, so we can probably expect a baby. And it looks like DJ might have more to do with his wife being redeployed. And we’ll just have to see what kind of hackles get raised over the immigration status of Becky’s baby daddy. Also Dan might start to move on with Katy Sagal’s character, which okay. The Conners premieres Tuesday on ABC.
7 p.m. – The Flash: Nora’s finally gone, and I guess Team Flash is going to be way sadder about that than I am. (I’m not at all sad about it.) Also, time to see how Cisco’s decision to give up his powers affects things. The Flash returns Oct. 8 on The CW.
8 p.m. – Arrow: I…was not overly thrilled with the repercussions of last season (there’ll be a post later) and I’m not all that excited so far for this, Arrow’s last. It premieres Oct. 15, a week after The Flash, on The CW.
8 p.m – Mixed-ish: My schedule was too full to pick up Black-ish and Grown-ish when they premiered, but my show-list is shrinking, I dig the nostalgia factor of this prequel series, and can Mark-Paul Gosselaar get another show that lasts, please? If this goes well, I’ll probably add the parent and sibling show to my catch-up list. Mixed-ish debuts on Tuesday on ABC.
8 p.m. – This Is Us: I love this sappy, weepy family show with its flashbacks and flashforwards throughout the generations. Everyone is great on it, though three seasons in, I’m starting to find all the twists and teases a little tiring. Season 4 premieres Tuesday on NBC.
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. – The Masked Singer: I’m probably not going to watch, watch this reality competition show. Like, it’s not something I’m going to come home from work and pull up at midnight on Hulu each week, but I think my TV can pick up Fox on its own, so since this airs on my day off and a lot of people seem to like it, it might be something I throw on while trying to unpack my apartment.
8 p.m. – Modern Family: I said goodbye to The Middle the year before last, it’s same-vein replacement The Kids Are Alright last year, and this year is Modern Family’s last, and I’m not ready. I mean, it totally seems like a victory lap season and it’s clearly time for it to be shuffling off, but that doesn’t make it easier. I expect Haley, Dylan and their babies will play a huge role this year. The 11th and finale season premieres Wednesday on ABC.
9 p.m. – Stumptown: There’s a part of me that kind of feels like Castle’s descent into awfulness killed the (probably) quirky crime show genre for me, but How I Met Your Mother and MCU alum Cobie Smulders and Tag and Spider-Verse’s Jake Johnson (sorry, I never watched New Girl) are pulling me into this one. It premieres Wednesday on ABC.
THURSDAY
7 p.m. – Supernatural: Time for the fallout of God’s temper tantrum. I haven’t looked to see if this a special premiere time before it settles elsewhere, but with a 7 p.m. start time, it probably won’t be that gruesome. This legacy show promises some big returns this year and kicks off its 15th and final season Oct. 10 on The CW.
8:30 p.m. – Perfect Harmony: I’m giving this one an episode or two because my West Wing love runs deep in large part because of Bradley Whitford, but I’m just not sure I care that much about his washed-up whatever he was bringing new life to a choir. It premieres Thursday on NBC.
8 p.m. – A Million Little Things: Another one of those shows that wants to make you cry all the time and does a pretty good job of it. It’s a little broader than This Is Us and the bits between all the day to day drama are more like mysteries (so far) than gotcha twists. It’s got a great cast and Jason Ritter is joining this season, for some reason! Season two premieres Thursday on ABC.
SUNDAY
7 p.m. – Batwoman: I really liked Kate Kane’s introduction in the Arrowverse last year, and even though I do not want to look at that ugly red wig all season, I’m here for a little more Gotham. Batwoman kicks off this season of the Arrowverse Oct. 6 on The CW. (I really hope CW-verse isn’t what they’re going to go with after Arrow. Beeboverse or bust!)
MID-SEASON SHOWS
Thirteen shows start my fall network schedule. I’m pretty sure they won’t all be there at the end (and not just because Arrow’s run is short). I’m also looking forward to the return later this season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Manifest, Agents of SHIELD and Will & Grace. SHIELD and Will & Grace are also in their last years, so I predict a really paltry slate for me in 2020.
I’m not finished with last season’s MacGyver yet, and I suspect for spoilery reasons I won’t be finishing past a point not far from where I’m at it or picking it up when it comes back midseason. I’m also not done with The Orville season 2, but season 3 isn’t dropping until late 2020 (on Hulu instead of Fox), so I’ve got time.
MISCELLANEOUS
This is going to be the year I give Star Trek Discovery another chance. I bailed after 4 episodes in season one, but everything I see and hear about seasons two and three sounds good, and people say season one got better, so we’ll see. Really, it’s all just in anticipation for Picard later in the season.
I also want to start some other streaming shows that I missed the bandwagon for, most notably Catch-22 on Hulu and The Boys on Amazon. And I missed the last 5 episodes of Gotham, so I’m really excited for that to finally appear on Netflix.
And who knows, maybe this will be the year I finish Once Upon A Time, Star Trek DS9, Star Trek Voyager and get past season one of ER.
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