Is it just me, or is the fall TV season just a poor lead up to the winter one, when the interesting series launch?
Mob City (TNT) Wednesdays at 9
Hurry up to catch this one before it ends. It seems like TNT doesn’t have a lot of confidence in this little gem by “burning off” two episodes of Mob City every Wednesday night for three weeks when this one will be done quickly. Though in an odd quirk of fate this is exactly what happened to series creator Frank Darabont’s last show too; The Walking Dead. AMC didn’t have much confidence in that show either and only ordered six episodes of The Walking Dead too before committing to any more. And the last time I checked The Walking Dead is doing okay.
The Goldbergs (ABC) Tuesdays at 9
The one new show I watch from this fall is The Goldbergs. It’s not a great show, but it’s good and I get a laugh or two out of each episode which makes this one worth it for me.
Doctor Who Christmas Special (BBC America) 12/25
Christmas Day will see the departure of Matt Smith, current Doctor Who, and the introduction of new Doctor Who Peter Capaldi. The big question is when Smith leaves if a lot of the new fans of the show who watch Doctor Who for Smith will leave too?
Community (NBC) Thursdays starting 1/2
Community creator Dan Harmon returns to the show he created, then was thrown off of, then rehired to for a fifth and final (?) season this January. I’m hugely excited about this one. Now, if only I could forget that non-Harmon fourth season of Community altogether.
Helix (SyFy) Fridays starting 1/10
Ronald D. Moore, the creator of the Battlestar Galactica reboot series, returns to TV with Helix on SyFy. This series looks to be part The Thing mixed with the movie Contagion and some zombies thrown in for good measure But fear not, Moore is good at handling material that seems already done/tired like he did so well with BSG.
True Detective (HBO) Sundays starting 1/12
This series follows two detectives (Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson) as they spend 17 years hunting a serial killer. Which sounds a bit like Zodiac, but if this series can channel even a smidgeon of the greatness of Zodiac it’ll be one to watch.
Sherlock (PBS) Sundays starting 1/19
What started out as a PBS/BBC series aimed at adults quickly found an younger and non-traditional PBS audience making Sherlock as popular and culturally relevant as Doctor Who is with the teen/hipster set. Will this third season of Sherlock be more popular than Downton Abbey, another hit on PBS? I think it might.
House of Cards (Netflix) Available 2/1
When we last left Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) he had destroyed more than a few lives on his attempt at becoming Vice President of the country. There were enough twists and turns in the first season of the series that I’m genuinely unsure as to where the second season of House of Cards is headed.
The Americans (FX) February
I adore this series about Soviet spies in Washington DC that’s set in the early 1980s. It’s the perfect mix of action and a true heart felt story about making relationships and families work. With guns and explosives too.
Hannibal (NBC) “Midseason”
I get the feeling that no one’s watching this show because of it’s title and it seemingly a money-grab at the The Silence of the Lambs movie franchise. Which is a real shame, series creator Brian Fuller and cast are doing some wonderful, weird and interesting things with Hannibal which is unlike anything else on TV right now.
