DiNozzo Goes West: NCIS’s Michael Weatherly Crosses Over to Los Angeles

It’s 8:35am in Los Angeles and Michael Weatherly is on the road in hot pursuit of a small sedan. The actor’s nearly 2-year-old son, Liam, has lost a toy car in the backseat, and Daddy has dutifully pulled over to find it—getting to preschool by nine, be damned! And now Liam has accidentally hit himself in the face. “Hold a diaper on it,” Weatherly advises, eliciting a fit of giggles from the toddler. “This is the full Michael Weatherly experience,” one of TV’s highest-paid stars jokes, “Now let’s talk about my experience guest starring on NCIS: Los Angeles.”

OK, let’s. Since 2003, Weatherly has played Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent Anthony DiNozzo, a bighearted ladies’ man, brass-balled quipster and excellent dresser, on four different shows. It all began with the two-part episode of CBS’s JAG that spun off into NCIS (TV’s top-rated drama series for the last six years). In 2014, he briefly appeared on the second installment of the franchise’s newest offshoot, NCIS: New Orleans (almost entirely in a hazmat suit). Yet, it’s taken seven seasons for him to cross over to NCIS: Los Angeles. “We’ve been trying for years to find a way to get DiNozzo on the show that’s not just a cameo,” NCIS: L.A. executive producer Shane Brennan says. “We wanted Tony to really be part of the story.”

They finally figured it out. On the October 19 episode of NCIS: L.A. (10/9c, CBS), Tony hits up the West Coast bureau for help in finding an escaped money launderer (comedian Bobby Lee) running amok in the city. And, lucky for him, special agents Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam (LL Cool J) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah); LAPD detective Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen); tech geeks Eric (Barrett Foa) and Nell (Renée Felice Smith); and their bosses, Hetty (Linda Hunt) and Granger (Miguel Ferrer), are up for it. But Tony spends more time working with new lovers—and audience favorites—Kensi and Deeks than with anyone else.

Should Densi fans feel threatened? “DiNozzo obviously flirts with Kensi,” explains Olsen. “But he’s also kind of flirting and being competitive with Deeks, who reciprocates that flirtation and competitiveness. It’s a bizarre yet classic love triangle that’s wonderfully appropriate because Michael Weatherly is my man crush.” Speaking of man crushes, “Whether working with Michael or just hanging out with him, it’s always a great experience,” gushes LL Cool J. “He’s a funny, talented guy. That’s the homie!”

And he hasn’t even seen him with a baby. Back in the car, Liam’s toy turns up wedged between the boy and his seat—leaving Weatherly, 47, free to chat about the episode (titled “Blame It on Rio”), his time on set and what’s in store for Tony.

What’s your favorite crossover episode to date?
Dare I say that my favorite crossover episode hasn’t aired yet, and it’s called “Blame It on Rio”? [Laughs] Seriously, my favorite isn’t technically a crossover. Tom Selleck once played a very Magnum-like private detective on a few episodes of The Rockford Files. He magically knows where everything is and would just get lucky as a detective all the time. Jim Rockford [James Garner] just hated him because he was so perfect.

Do you like shooting crossovers?
They’re a peak experience for someone like me. For 13 years, besides a tiny part here and there, I’ve just been playing DiNozzo. So having other experiences with the character is super important to me. Plus, I love to see how DiNozzo travels, how he’ll be in different settings. On NCIS, he can only do so much.

What was it like to be on another set?
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going into NCIS: Los Angeles because I wasn’t sure how DiNozzo would be received—not just by the team, but by the audience. Would he mesh with them? Look, I’m the same age as LL Cool J and I think we were the oldest guys on set next to Miguel Ferrer! But that’s the funny thing. Rather than having to play a faux youth like on NCIS, I was playing a little creaky on NCIS: L.A. And I enjoyed that Eric and Daniela were all really athletic and beautiful around me. [Laughs] It was just really refreshing. I felt like “Oh, s–t, am I aging out of the game?” Which I realized is totally a DiNozzo paranoia.

What was one of your favorite things about filming the episode?
I got to work with Eric and Daniela, two people I’ve really only seen on the red carpet or watched on TV. I just had so much fun with them. They are so loose. They gel really wonderfully as a cast, and the environment is fun. Would I ever return to visit them again? Absolutely.

What’s the biggest difference between the two sets?
They’re in L.A. shooting L.A., while we’re in L.A. shooting D.C. We always have to hide the palm trees, and they are always looking to put the palm trees in the shot. I definitely had a very good time shooting L.A. for L.A.

Doesn’t DiNozzo stick out?
Oh, yeah. I’m still dressed the way DiNozzo dresses when he’s in D.C. A coat and tie—DiNozzo is a little faux GQ—seems a little more normal to East Coasters. In Los Angeles, he looks totally out of place. No one is wearing a collar on NCIS: L.A. They’re all in T-shirts or muscle shirts. [Laughs] It’s really fun to see him as a fish out of water—but one who’s swimming with very like-minded people.

It’s a bit surprising, actually, that he would let the L.A. team take the reins on the case.
Dennis Smith, who directed the episode and has done 60 episodes of NCIS, always reminds me that DiNozzo has to be two things simultaneously. On the one hand, he’s always thinking outside the box and being hilarious…to himself. But he’s also a great agent. Part of that is understanding that the other agents know the terrain. DiNozzo works smarter, not harder.

Have you ever thought about making a DiNozzo-centered spinoff?
Yes. I’ve thought about it, because it seems only natural considering the growth of the character. That could be a possible scenario in the distant future.

According to executive producer Gary Glasberg, Tony is going to have a really emotional year.
There’s somebody returning from his past. And this person is a lightning rod for DiNozzo. Their return activates a very big change in him.

Could it be Jeanne Benoit (Scottie Thompson)? Or Ziva (Cote de Pablo)?
I don’t know if he’s ready for Ziva! This person is an agent of change, but not an agent. And the truth of the matter is that the show was devised so that all these characters are married to their job. DiNozzo has struggled over the years to try to mature and share his life with somebody else. And now his life is shifting because Jeanne is back. It’s really a case of: Has the plant gotten too big for the pot? Is it time to repot DiNozzo? That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to go to NCIS: L.A.

Wait, does this “change” mean we can look forward to some baby DiNozzos?
[Laughs] Look, we tease a lot of things, but I can say with a hundred percent certainty that some minds are going to be blown by what happens, and it’s going to affect some of the fundamental aspects of the show. That’s going to be fascinating to watch. This isn’t some fake press release advertising “a year of change.” This is truly going to be a challenge for the audience. But right now I can’t find my son’s other shoe!

John Stamos Inherits a New Full House With Fox’s Grandfathered

It’s party time on the set of Grandfathered, but the kids aren’t all right. Dozens of pint-size extras are supposed to crowd the dance floor of Jimmy’s, a swanky, upscale Los Angeles restaurant owned by perpetual bachelor Jimmy Martino (John Stamos) as he throws an impromptu birthday bash for his 2-year-old granddaughter, Edie (played by twins Layla and Emelia Golfieri). Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora takes the stage to provide the soundtrack for the celebration, and everything seems to be going off without a hitch until the children scatter at the sight of Stamos attempting to push his way through the tiny dance mob.

“I’m trying to go through them, but they run when they see me,” Stamos explains to creator and executive producer Daniel Chun (The Office). As the cameramen reset, Stamos corrals the kids in the middle of the room, kneels down and flashes his blinding white smile. “Guys, nobody is attacking me,” the actor directs them in a friendly, singsong voice. “You’ve got to karate chop me!”

The children take his advice to heart, and on the next take, they swarm the leading man, hitting and kicking him as he delivers his lines. Suddenly, one overzealous boy latches himself onto Stamos’s upper thigh, which elicits a quick-thinking moment of improv from the actor. “Hey, watch the cannolis!” Stamos says with a laugh.

It’s been 20 years since Stamos last made family-friendly television magic as the Elvis-obsessed, leather-clad Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on ABC’s long-running Full House. This fall, the 52-year-old is hoping to re-create that success with Grandfathered, which finds his perennially single character learning he not only has a grown son named Gerald (Drake & Josh’s Josh Peck) but also a granddaughter in little Edie. “This is literally the show I’ve been waiting 10 years for,” says Stamos, who also serves as executive producer. “It’s a continuation of what I think I’ve done well on TV: a show that has heart, is about family and has relatable themes.”

Stamos began his television career in 1982 as troubled musician Blackie Parrish on the ABC soap General Hospital before landing his Full House gig in 1987. After eight seasons on the show that jump-started the TGIF brand, he made the leap to Broadway with runs in revivals of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Cabaret before returning to the small screen in 2005 for a series-regular role on the final four seasons of NBC’s ER. “He’s been so famous for so long that he should be a jerk, an animal or a monster,” says Criminal Minds vet Paget Brewster, who plays Jimmy’s ex-girlfriend and Gerald’s mom, Sara. “I was not signing on to do a show with a creep, so I asked everyone I knew who knew him, and they all said, ‘That guy is solid.’”

“John is definitely a kid at heart,” adds Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Dana Walden. “He has a lot of chemistry with the [twins] on Grandfathered and the relationship that’s developing feels very authentic. His kindness can charm a baby.”

Well, not always. Even though Stamos is No. 1 on the call sheet, it’s apparent his toddler costars rule the Grandfathered set. The Golfieri twins have two miniature director’s chairs of their own behind the monitors, and the transportation vans that shuttle the actors back and forth from the stage to their trailers are outfitted with two cushy car seats. And when the cameras roll, the old entertainment-industry adage warning against working with children and animals has never seemed more relevant. Stamos notes that the twins did a lot of “crying and screaming” during the filming of the pilot, especially in an important scene in which Edie plants a kiss on Jimmy after a tough night of babysitting. “[Producers] were like, ‘We’re just going to change it to where Edie is crying.’” explains Stamos, who worked with the Olsen twins when they were tots on Full House. “And I said, ‘No, no, no. The kiss makes it. I’m not going to finish the show until we have this shot. We finally got it in the second-to-last take because they slowly got used to me, but it was a brief moment, because she screamed her head off right after. It might have been my breath, I’m not sure.”

Luckily, the twins are not Stamos’s only scene partners. Grandfathered focuses heavily on the father-son relationship between Jimmy and Gerald. Over the course of the first season, Jimmy will take his socially awkward son under his wing to try to up his game with the ladies, particularly former fling and Edie’s mom, Vanessa (Christina Milian), who sees Gerald as just a friend now. “He’s allowing Gerald to come out of his shell more and not be so awkward or afraid of the world,” Peck says. “And Jimmy’s starting to appreciate the idea that he has perhaps missed a big part of what life’s about, which is family, kids and the joy that comes with them.”

Much like Jimmy, Stamos admits he’s still searching for a deep, meaningful connection with a significant other. “Something is missing in his life that could be a parallel with mine,” says the actor, who was married to Rebecca Romijn for seven years until their divorce in 2004. “When I was a kid, I made a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish, and I’ve crossed off every one of them 10 times except for having a family. So to explore what that’s all about on TV and see if it works—if it does work—I’ll do it in real life.”

He’ll have more than enough to draw on, because when it comes to TV families, Stamos is currently hitting the jackpot twice over. While Grandfathered readies its debut season, Stamos is also hard at work on the Full House reboot for Netflix, titled Fuller House, which is slated to premiere in spring 2016. “There were so many years where I really didn’t want to say those two words,” Stamos admits. “Not that I didn’t love it, but I had to get away from it.” It’s clear how much he’s come around on the idea now, though: He’s executive producing the new series and will appear in at least two episodes as Uncle Jesse.

Stamos, who partnered with original Full House creator Jeff Franklin for the reboot, says the new series just “fell into place” over the last year, with the main storyline centered around original daughters D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin). “The first taping was explosive—people just loved it,” Stamos says. “I had saved my old wardrobe, so I wore all the leather jackets. It was a bit of a trip.”

Stamos also enlisted his Full House cast mate Bob Saget for a cameo appearance in the Grandfathered pilot—as a frustrated diner at Jimmy’s restaurant. Other guest stars in the premiere include former NFL star Deion Sanders, comic legend Don Rickles and rapper Lil Wayne, whom Stamos lovingly dubs “the holy trinity” for posing together in Jimmy’s epic selfie. Throw in a musical homage from Stamos’s other pals the Beach Boys and the Grandfathered pilot boasts a varied cross section of Stamos’s real-life influences and friends. “Years ago, you wanted to stay away from everything that was relatable to you, but now it doesn’t matter,” he says. “There’s no pedestal anymore. You can’t take yourself too seriously, and that’s what this character is. I’m a bit of a fool, so I just play to that.”

Grandfathered premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29, 8/7c, Fox.

Returning Favorites: How to Get Away With Murder Plots a Twisty Second Season

Something’s out of order on the Hollywood set of How to Get Away With Murder. High-powered attorney Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is sitting not at the defense table but in the witness box of a packed courtroom. While she appears characteristically polished in a forest-green sheath, it quickly becomes clear she’s uncomfortable in her new role. Especially since she’s there to provide evidence against ex-cop Nate Lahey (Billy Brown), her sometime lover. The very one she’s done everything possible to frame for the murder of her husband.

“Argumentative!” she objects after one of the prosecutor’s questions. Reminded by the judge that’s not her call to make today, Annalise silently fumes, until the DA dares to suggest she conspired with Nate. “I did not swear on this court’s Bible,” Annalise explodes, “so that I might be burned at the stake!”

Still, there’s no doubt the fearsome, rule-bending attorney and law professor is playing with fire when Murder returns for Season 2—and its leading lady couldn’t be more stoked. “Annalise always keeps you guessing,” Davis says during a break in filming. “As soon as you feel you’ve arrived at who she is, something else happens that surprises you.”

Consider that a warning: A bombshell revelation about Annalise’s past in the season premiere will undoubtedly whip Twitter into hashtag overdrive.

Of course, #OMG twists are the reason ABC’s drama became a killer hit last fall. Created by Pete Nowalk and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, Murder piled up the dead bodies while piling on the morally murky characters, including Annalise; her loyal associates, Frank (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie (Liza Weil); and a quintet of cutthroat law-school students—Wes (Alfred Enoch), Connor (Jack Falahee), Michaela (Aja Naomi King), Laurel (Karla Souza) and Asher (Matt McGorry)—who intern at her Philadelphia firm. In its first season, the series averaged 14.9 million weekly viewers (including DVR playback), earned Davis countless critical kudos and ultimately proved to be a hold-on-for-dear-life addition to Rhimes’s ShondaLand theme park, which includes fellow Thursday-night roller-coaster rides Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. “I don’t know how to stop people from getting whiplash,” Rhimes says of her hit TGIT lineup. “But I know Pete’s a little genius, and I’m not surprised [by the show’s success] because I’m very good at picking people who can make good shows.”

Murder’s bloody-good February finale resolved the season-long mystery of who killed Lila Stangard, the pregnant sorority-girl mistress of Annalise’s duplicitous late hubby, Sam (Tom Verica). “I was excited it was Frank,” Weber says of his smooth fixer, who committed the crime at the behest of Sam to repay a still-undisclosed debt. “I played him in a way that didn’t make it hard to believe [he did it], yet Frank wasn’t at any time a prime suspect—at least not in that murder.”

The jury’s still out on who’s responsible for the shocking season-ending fatality—Wes’s girlfriend, Rebecca (Katie Findlay), who was found by Frank and Annalise in the Keating basement—though that won’t be the case for long. The killer’s identity will be revealed in the premiere, which picks up a few days after those events. “It just didn’t feel like a mystery I knew how to drag out,” Nowalk
explains of his decision to swiftly resolve the riddle.

It’s taking substantially longer for the cast to recover from losing one of their own, especially Enoch, who was Findlay’s on-screen beau. “It’s strange,” the actor says quietly. “Ideally, it wouldn’t have happened. You lose the opportunity to work with a friend.”

In fact, Rebecca wasn’t always doomed. Nowalk realized over last year’s Christmas break that a major character needed to die to propel the show forward into Season 2, though he first flirted with the idea of offing a prominent male character. “What made me decide on Rebecca was how unjust it was,” Nowalk says. “Most people thought she was bad, then just as you’re finding out she’s not, she’s dead. That felt so heartbreaking.”

It wasn’t the producer’s only difficult call. An alternate ending was filmed, partly to guard against potential leaks and partly because Nowalk is a perfectionist who likes to have options in the editing room. (Not even the cast was sure of the finale’s final shot until the episode aired.) “That’s just Pete’s nature,” Weber says of Nowalk, a Rhimes protégé who previously penned episodes of Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy. “He can’t stop writing. If he’d had two more weeks, there would’ve been four more alternate endings.”

Nowalk calls the upcoming reveal of Rebecca’s killer “a character moment,” not unlike when the formerly wide-eyed Wes was unmasked as the one who whacked Sam in order to save his girlfriend, which led Connor, Laurel and Michaela to help cover it up. “I don’t think in terms of ‘We need a bigger, bolder twist here,’” Nowalk insists. “It’s more, ‘What feels real for the character in this moment?’”

Expect to learn much more about what makes each player tick in this criminally high-stakes game. The so-called “Keating Five” seemingly believe Annalise’s lie that Rebecca is merely missing, though mistrust among the group soon grows. And Bonnie and Frank’s backstories will be unveiled. “Why do they feel so beholden to Annalise?” Nowalk says. “That’s very rich, complicated territory.”

It’s fertile ground that Weil, who likens the characters to one very dysfunctional family, is thrilled to be exploring. “Bonnie’s dynamic with Annalise is maternal: a primal, raw loyalty that knows no bounds,” she says. “And Bonnie and Frank have this sibling-esque relationship, with the sweet and sour of that. There’s jealousy and all kinds of twisty, messy things.”

No one, though, continues to prove messier than Murder’s mercurial mother figure. “There’s never been a leading lady like me on television, ever,” says 50-year-old Davis proudly. “I challenge anyone to name one woman of color my age, my hue, who’s allowed to be sexual, strong, vulnerable, human—all at once.”

Last season, Davis performed one of TV’s more memorable scenes when she wordlessly removed her wig and makeup, symbolically ridding Annalise of the armor she wears for the outside world. Sitting on a bench outside the courtroom set, the actress remains passionate about keeping it real. “I’m trying to create a human being within the structure of this pop fiction,” she says. “I’m trying to do things that are grounded in reality, and this season we’re going more in that direction.”

From the start, Davis has collaborated closely with Nowalk. Last season’s episode “Mama’s Here Now,” which revealed Annalise’s past sexual abuse, came from Davis’s own suggestion. And while TV Guide Magazine was on set, the actress was bursting with excitement about another idea she couldn’t wait to pitch Nowalk. “I just emailed him,” she said, her iPhone in her lap, “and he’s coming here now.”

The showrunner has an open dialogue with much of the cast. Last year, he shared his thoughts on crafting an HIV storyline involving Falahee’s character, Connor, and his boyfriend, Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), who received a positive diagnosis in the finale. While Falahee was all for it, “Some people are like, ‘Really? The gay has to have HIV?’” says Nowalk, who is openly gay. “But I say, ‘No one’s telling the story on TV of a couple where one’s positive and one’s negative, and that’s a relationship that’s happening all over the world. Let’s tell it.’”

Another story Nowalk is eager to tell: Nate’s fate. Facing trial for Sam’s murder, he’ll receive help via a lawyer from Annalise’s past. “What that person does for Nate,” Nowalk hints, “is a big part of our premiere.”

Look for Wes to expect his ethically challenged professor to deliver on her promise to locate the “missing” Rebecca (who will appear in the premiere via flashbacks). “What happens when he discovers he’s been betrayed?” Enoch teases. “That’s a time bomb waiting to go off.”

So is what occurred after Nate’s prosecutor showed up at Asher’s door, pressuring the student for info that could bring down Annalise. Says McGorry, “Asher has some secrets of his own that we’re delving into.”

Meanwhile, the students are also wrestling with the identity of the mysterious “Eggs 911,” whom Rebecca texted for help shortly before her death.

X-Men star Famke Janssen will appear in two episodes as Eve, a death-row attorney who tangles with Annalise. “I’m a fan of the show, and, frankly,” Janssen says, “even I was shocked by what happens!”

Finally, look for Annalise to try to land new clients—two siblings who are accused of killing their wealthy parents—in a high-profile case that opens up an explosive new Murder mystery that may be the most dangerous yet. “When I read the premiere,” King reveals, “the first thing I said to myself was, ‘Oh, so we’re gonna end after Season 2? Because how can we survive this?’”

Davis claims to have no idea. “There are some things Pete won’t tell me because he thinks I have a big mouth,” she says with a laugh. “That’s one of them. You just gotta fasten up and go along for this crazy ride.”

How to Get Away With Murder returns Thursday, Sept. 24, 10/9c, ABC.

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!