What to Expect on TV in October

How great is it that fall TV is here, right? Okay sure the fall TV season won’t start in earnest until next week, but there is SO much to look forward to over the next two weeks as well as throughout October.

That being said, let’s take a look at what all October has in store for us.

On October 2, the new NBC drama Ironside will debut at 10 PM. In this reboot version, the story is set in the gritty world of the NYPD where no one is tougher than Det. Robert Ironside (Blair Underwood). He’s a fearless cop who won’t stop until the guilty are brought to justice. He and his trusted, handpicked team of specialists, including Virgil (Pablo Schreiber), Holly (Spencer Grammer) and Teddy (Neal Bledsoe) as well as his former partner Gary (Brent Sexton) and boss Det. Ed Rollins (Kenneth Choi), will do whatever it takes to solve New York’s most difficult and notorious crimes.

For those fans of Arrow who want to revisit the debut season of the DC Comics hero, a one-hour special entitled “Arrow: Year One” will air on The CW at 8 PM.

The Vampire Diaries will air its season premiere on The CW on October 3 at 8 PM followed by the debut of its spin-off series The Originals at 9 PM. This spin-off centers on the Mikaelson siblings, otherwise known as the world’s original vampires: Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt). Werewolf Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) is pregnant with Klaus’ child; and now Klaus must take down his protégé, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), who is now in charge of New Orleans, in order to re-take his city, as he originally built New Orleans.

That same night, the recap special “Scandal: The Secret Is Out” will lead off the night on ABC followed by the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy at 9 PM and the season premiere of Scandal at 10 PM.

The first of four all new Hallmark Channel movies will air on October 5 at 9 PM. The Mystery Cruise is based on the book “The Santa Cruise” by New York Times best-selling authors, Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, this back door pilot centers on best friends and impending partners, Alvirah Meehan (Gail O’Grady), a lottery winner turned amateur sleuth and Regan Reilly (Michelle Harrison) a private investigator. After the two heroines rescue the diamond-collared pooch of a wealthy socialite, they set off with their spouses to join Regan’s mom, Nora Reilly (Colleen Winton), a world famous mystery writer, on a luxurious three-day cruise around the San Juan Island off the coast of Washington, the setting for a mystery game created to promote the release of Nora’s latest book.

On October 6, Drop Dead Diva will be back with the final five episodes of its current, resurrected season on Lifetime at 9 PM followed by the new drama Witches of East End will debut at 10 PM. This new series is inspired by the Melissa de la Cruz best-selling novel, the series centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: free-spirited artist Joanna (Julia Ormond) and her two grown daughters, wild-child bartender Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and shy librarian Ingrid (Rachel Boston), both of whom are unaware that they are gifted (and cursed) with a magical birthright: they are witches.

The CW shows Hart of Dixie and Beauty And the Beast will return with their season premieres at 8 and 9 PM respectively on October 7.

Then on October 8, The Originals will move to its regular time slot on The CW on Tuesday nights at 8 PM followed by the season premiere of Supernatural on its new night at 9 PM.

The season premiere of Arrow will air on October 9 at 8 PM followed by the debut of the new series The Tomorrow People at 9 PM. This new series is about the next evolutionary leap of mankind, a generation of humans born with paranormal abilities known as the Tomorrow People. Stephen Jameson (Robbie Amell) stands at the crossroads between the world we know and the shifting world of the future. Up until a year ago, Stephen was a “normal” teenager until he began hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep, never knowing where he might wake up. Now, Stephen’s issues have gone far beyond the usual teenage angst, and he is beginning to question his sanity. In desperation, Stephen decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People – John, Cara and Russell – a genetically advanced race with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation and telepathic communication.

On October 10, the new ABC spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will debut at 8 PM. In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice (Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole. An invisible cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar and playing-cards that talk are just some of the fantastic things she’s seen during this impossible adventure. Surely this troubled girl must be insane, and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything. Alice seems ready to put it all behind her, especially the painful memory of the genie she fell in love with and lost forever, the handsome and mysterious Cyrus (Peter Gadiot). But deep down Alice knows this world is real, and just in the nick of time the sardonic Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the irrepressible White Rabbit (John Lithgow) arrive to save her from a doomed fate. Together the trio will take a tumble down the rabbit hole to this Wonderland where nothing is impossible.

The second Hallmark Channel movie – Signed, Sealed & Delivered – will debut on October 12 at 9 PM. This film tells the inspiring story of a group of postal detectives whose mission is to deliver letters and packages from the past, which arrive miraculously when they are needed most. The cast includes Eric Mabius, Kristin Booth, Daphne Zuniga, Crystal Lowe and Geoff Gustafson.

On October 17, White Collar will air its season premiere on the USA Network at 9 PM followed by the return of the final six episodes of Covert Affairs at 10 PM.

That same night, the new CW drama Reign will debut at 9 PM. Hidden between the lines of the history books is the story of Mary Stuart (Adelaide Kane), the young woman the world would come to know as Mary, Queen of Scots. Queen of Scotland since she was six days old, the teenage Mary is already a headstrong monarch at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power. Arriving in France with four close friends as her ladies-in-waiting, Mary has been sent to secure Scotland’s strategic alliance by formalizing her arranged engagement to the French king’s dashing son, Prince Francis (Toby Regbo). But the match isn’t signed and sealed, it depends more on politics, religion and secret agendas than affairs of the heart. The cast includes Alan Van Sprang, Anna Popplewell, Caitlin Stasey, Celina Sinden, Jenessa Grant, Megan Follows and Torrance Coombs.

On October 19, the third Hallmark Channel movie When Calls the Heart will debut at 9 PM. Based on the book series by Janette Oke, the movie tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (newcomer Poppy Drayton), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom post in a small prairie town in the Western Frontier in Canada led by two strong coal miner widows, Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin) and Frances Tunnecliffe (Jean Smart). The cast also includes Daniel Sharman, Stephen Amell and Maggie Grace. NOTE: This movie has been picked up to series by the Hallmark Channel and will have its TV series debut sometime in 2014 with Erin Krakow (Army Wives) taking over the lead role and Daniel Lissing (Last Resort) joining the cast.

The Starz 5-part movie Dancing on the Edge will debut on October 19 at 10 PM after the season finale of The White Queen. Inspired by true accounts of the phenomenal Duke Ellington Band mingling with the future Duke of Windsor Edward VIII in Europe, the mini-series takes place in London during the early 1930s, illustrating the journey of a group of Black jazz musicians – the Louis Lester Band – as they steadily rise to stardom. The cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years of a Slave), Matthew Goode (Brideshead Revisited), Jacqueline Bisset, John Goodman (Roseanne), Janet Montgomery (Human Target), Jenna-Louise Coleman (Doctor Who), Anthony Head (Buffy) and Angel Coulby (Merlin).

On October 22, the Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars will air at 8 PM on ABC Family followed by the debut of the new spin-off series Ravenswood at 9 PM. On Ravenswood, after opting to stay in Ravenswood to help out new pal Miranda (Nicole Gale Anderson from Beauty And the Beast), Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) begins to rethink his decision, especially after he meets Miranda’s cold and unwelcoming uncle Raymond (Steven Cabral). Caleb also has some unpleasant interactions with local resident Luke (Brett Dier), who is struggling to deal with a recent family tragedy and its ensuing scandal, which has also swept up his twin sister Olivia (Merritt Patterson). Unnerved by what they witnessed the night of a party, and besieged by strange and supernatural occurrences, Caleb and Miranda begin to investigate this bizarre town. Their first ally is Ravenswood teen Remy (Britne Oldford), who has a keen insight to the town’s peculiar history and has started connecting some troublesome dots. These five teens have no idea how connected their lives are and the plans that Ravenswood has in store for them.

The Hallmark Channel Friday night movie The Hunters will debut on October 25 at 8 PM. This is a modern-day-fairy-tale-adventure adaptation of the Joshua Williamson comic book “Mirror Mirror” (based on the magical mirror from “Snow White”) that will focus on Carter and Jordyn Flynn (Dan Payne and Michelle Forbes), who aren’t the average mom and dad. For them, a typical workday can take place anywhere in the world, raiding ornate museums and evading pursuing authorities as Hunters, protectors of powerful fairy tale artifacts that are anything but make believe. While they take their jobs seriously, they’re just as concerned about the welfare of their two sons, 21-year old Paxton (Robbie Amell) and 16-year old Tripp (Keenan Tracey), who are unaware of their parents’ true line of work. When Carter and Jordyn disappear after being intercepted by the mysterious Mai during one of their missions, the boys learn the truth about their parents and their lineage from the Flynns’ young assistant Dylan (Alexa Vega). They turn to old family friend Mason (Victor Garber) for help but they soon discover that the deceitful Mason is after what the Flynns were trying to protect – an enchanted mirror that has the ability to grant any wish.

That same night, Grimm will air its season premiere on NBC at 9 PM followed by the debut of the new series Dracula at 10 PM. This version of the story is set in late 19th century and the mysterious Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has arrived in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. He’s especially interested in the new technology of electricity, which promises to brighten the night – useful for someone who avoids the sun. But he has another reason for his travels: He hopes to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Everything seems to be going according to plan until he becomes infatuated with a woman who appears to be a reincarnation of his dead wife (Jessica de Gouw).

The final of the four all new Hallmark Channel movies The Good Witch’s Destiny (the sixth movie in the franchise) will debut on October 26 at 9 PM. All Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) wants for her birthday is for her family and friends to be together. While her husband Jake (Chris Potter) suggests an intimate dinner at a fancy restaurant in their hometown of Middleton, Cassie would rather have a party at The Grey House, with all her loved ones in attendance. And since Jake’s kids, Brandon (Matthew Knight) and Lori (Hannah Endicott-Douglas), are growing up with lives of their own, it might be their last chance to unite as a family for a long time. Meanwhile, Grandpa George’s (Peter MacNeill) new wife Gwen (Libby Lennie) discovers that her prodigal son Drew (Robin Dunne) has returned to Middleton after a five-year absence with plans to get married. When a business deal turns bad, however, it jeopardizes Drew’s impending nuptials and sets him on edge.

What shows or made-for-TV movies are you looking forward to seeing throughout October? Please share your thoughts below.