By Sept. 21, the fall television seasonisalreadymoving into high gear and viewers once again face a familiar problem: There is far more to watch than there is time to watch it.
The traditional television season may no longer run neatly from September through May but the fall lineup remains one of the busiest periods of the year. Broadcast networks are rolling out new dramas and comedies whileNetflix,AppleTV, Prime Video, HBO and other streaming services compete for viewers with expensive original productions and recognizable stars.
For anyone who has ever promised themselves they would watch “just one episode” beforebed,thedangeris obvious.Beforelong,theclock isapproachingmidnightand, as the song lyric goes, “and last night, you were in my room/Andnowmybedsheets smell like you.”
In the world of television, the equivalent might be waking up to discover an entire season has disappeared into the night. With dozens of new and returning programs arriving between September and December, five new series stand out for viewers looking for something different.
NBC’s “Line of Fire” arrives Sept. 21 with a 10-episode crime drama built around a family whose members work in different branches of federal law enforcement. Peter Krause stars as Secret Service agent Mike Hollingsworth, while Hope Davis plays U.S. Marshal Jane Hollingsworth.
Their children are also involved in federal law enforcement, including the FBI, Secret Service and Justice Department. The family’s professional lives collide when they become targets of a deadly conspiracy.
Theseriescombinescrime, family drama, action and suspense, giving viewers a reason to return from one episode to the next. NBC is airing the show weekly Monday nightsat10p.m.Eastern, with episodes moving to Peacock the following day.
What makes “Line of Fire” interesting is the built-in conflict. These aren't simply investigators chasing criminals; they are members of the same family whose careers may put them on different sides of the same dangerous situation.
If serious drama is not your idea of fall entertainment, Apple TV is bringing Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson back together in “Brothers,” a comedy premiering Sept. 23. The two actors play fictionalized versions of themselves, drawing on their real-life friendship while taking it in a completely fictional direction.
The story begins when Harrelson’s character moves to McConaughey’s Texas ranch following the collapse of his daughter’s wedding. Then comes the big family secret: They may actually be brothers.
The eight-episode series begins with two episodes before moving to a weekly release schedule. For viewers in Texas and the Texoma region,theAustinsettingand McConaughey’s larger-thanlife personaaddanotherlayer to the comedy.
The series also turns the pair's decades-long friendship into part of the premise, giving the actors plenty of room to play off one another. “Brothers” is essentially a television experiment built around what happens when two real-life friends exaggerate their public personas andthrowthemselvesintoan absurd family mystery.
Nostalgia gets its own seat at the table with Netflix’s “A Different World,” which premieres Sept. 24. Nearly four decades after the original series debuted, the new show returns viewers to Hillman College, the fictional historically Black college that became the setting for the original “A Different World.”
The new series follows Deborah Wayne, the daughter of original characters Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Rather than simply recreating the original sitcom, the new story places a new generation of students at the center while bringing back familiar faces, including Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy.
The new series is designed to address contemporary college life, including identity, social media pressure, campus safety and the struggle to establish an identity separate from one's family. That combination of old and new could make the show particularly appealing to two generations of viewers. Parents who remember Hillman College can return to a familiarworld,whileyounger viewers get a new cast and new story.
For viewers looking for something more dramatic, Netflix's “East of Eden” brings one of America's bestknown novels to television. The seven-episode limited series premieres Oct. 1 and is adapted by Zoe Kazan from John Steinbeck's classic novel.
Florence Pugh stars as Cathy Ames, with Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist portrayingAdamandCharles Trask. The story follows a family across generations as relationships, ambition and personal choices create a widening conflict between two brothers.
The attraction here is not simply the famous source material. Kazan has written and executive produced all seven episodes, while the production features a cast that includes Pugh, Abbott, Faist, Ciarán Hinds and Martha Plimpton. For viewers who prefer a substantial drama rather than another weekly procedural, “East of Eden” could provide one of the season's biggest literary adaptations.
Horror fans will have their own reason to stay glued to the television when Prime Video brings “Carrie” to the screen Oct. 7. The series is based on Stephen King's first published novel and comes from filmmaker Mike Flanagan, whose television work has included several horror adaptations.
Unlike a traditional movie remake, the television format gives“Carrie”roomtoexpand the story and characters beyond the familiar events audiences already know. The new production arrives with a story that has remained culturally recognizable for decades.
For audiences who know the original “Carrie,” the question will be how much new material the series can bring to a story that has already been adapted several times.
The larger fall television picture shows just how different the industry has become. Instead of waiting for September to deliver an entire season of network premieres, viewers now have new programming arriving almost every week across broadcast television and streaming services.
Thatmeansthefiveshows above offer five different reasons to turn on the television: a law-enforcement thriller with “Line of Fire,” celebrity-driven comedy with “Brothers,” nostalgia and college life with “A Different World,” literary drama with “East of Eden” and horror with “Carrie.” The real challenge for viewers this fall maynotbefindingsomething to watch. It may be finding enough time to watch it all, and knowing when to finally turn the television off.