Archive for September 10th, 2015

TV Guide Magazine’s 2015 Fall Preview: Scoop on 38 New Shows

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for TV fans: TV Guide Magazine‘s Fall Preview issue is out, with scoop on 38 new shows. Our editors have selected their Top 10, and here’s what senior critic Matt Roush has to say about them:

The Bastard Executioner (premieres Tuesday, Sept. 15, 10/9c, FX)
Matt’s Take: And you thought Game of Thrones was brutal. (You were expecting puppies and lilacs with this title?) With ruthless feudal barons replacing unscrupulous ranchers, this bloody swing at medieval revenge melodrama has the feel of a grim classic Western. Just a different sort of scalping here.

Blindspot (premieres Monday, Sept. 21, 10/9c, NBC)
Matt’s Take: Got a soft spot for high-concept action heroics? Then Blindspot’s for you—a sleek and exciting showcase for Jaimie Alexander’s elaborately inked ninja, who promises to be the fiercest yet most emotionally vulnerable heroine of the new season.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (premieres Monday, Oct. 12, 8/7c, The CW)
Matt’s Take: Insanely entertaining, though possibly as polarizing as Ally McBeal in her prime, this stylized farce of irrational desire and irrepressible musical-comedy fantasy should make the fearlessly wacky Rachel Bloom a star. What a marvelous companion piece for the equally delightful Jane the Virgin.

Grandfathered (premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29, 8/7c, Fox)
Matt’s Take: What’s more awww-inspiring than a metrosexual narcissist bonding with a baby girl? Grandfathered might be too adorable if not for the tart, sardonic writing. John Stamos undercuts the sentimentality with self-deprecating glamour. Seriously, it’s like a cute-off between him, the baby and sensitive baby daddy Josh Peck.

The Grinder (premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29, 8:30/7:30c, Fox)
Matt’s Take: The season’s most original, and hilarious, sitcom is a splendid vehicle for Rob Lowe to strut and emote with mock drama-king gravitas. But Fred Savage as the frustrated Newhart-like mensch unhappily living in “the Grinder’s” shadow really steals this winningly unorthodox family comedy.

Heroes Reborn (premieres Thursday, Sept. 24, 8/7c, NBC)
Matt’s Take: We’ve only viewed a few scenes, but they’re impressive enough to warrant a return to this world in a darker scenario where the not-always-super heroes must save themselves. If they help raise NBC’s profile on a tough Thursday night, they really will be heroes.

The Man in the High Castle (premieres Friday, Nov. 20, Amazon Instant Video)
Matt’s Take: Fascinating in its attention to altered period detail, unnerving in its depiction of an oppressed America, this could be the year’s most binge-worthy fantasy drama. Though given the fascist circumstances, you may fear learning what comes next.

The Muppets (premieres Tuesday, Sept. 22, 8/7c, ABC)
Matt’s Take: Our love affair with these fuzzy, funky immortals continues, taking on inspired new life with a tongue-in-fist approach that adds a meta layer of showbiz satire to their eternally funny shenanigans. Appealing to all ages, the Muppets are more than ready for primetime.

Quantico (premieres Sunday, Sept. 27, 10/9c, ABC)
Matt’s Take: While you may wonder from which fashion mag the FBI plucked this gaggle of gorgeous recruits, Quantico delivers an instantly addictive crime drama with a killer hook and layers of twisty mystery. It graduates at the top of this fall’s want-to-see-more class.

Supergirl (premieres Monday, Oct. 26, 8:30/7:30c, CBS, then moves to 8/7c starting Nov. 2)
Matt’s Take: Melissa Benoist rises to the heroic occasion, cloaked in an endearing dorkiness and earnest gumption that compares well with Christopher Reeve’s classic interpretation of Kara’s better-known cousin. Blending workplace humor, romance and exhilarating action, this upbeat Supergirl soars.

Pick up this week’s issue for more on these shows—and 28 others!