Are You Ready for Fall TV?

Every year TV viewers have a lot to look forward to where fall TV is concerned. This year, like all others, there will be plenty of new shows vying for attention; and, of course, there will be just as many returning shows hoping their fans will come back to them after the long summer break.

For avid viewers, like those of us here at NiceGirlsTV, we each have long lists of the shows we are waiting in anticipation to see for the first time as well as longing to get back to the shows we’ve been watching for years.

Being the drama queen that I am; well at least in terms of being a big fan of dramatic programming, I have compiled the following lists of the new shows I’m anxious to see as well as a list of my returning favorites.

First, let’s take a look at the new dramas I want to see this fall, and the ones I hope will perform well enough throughout the 2015-2016 TV season:

Blindspot – This is the new Jason Bourne-esque drama that will debut on NBC on September 21, starring Thor actress Jaimie Alexander [she’s Lady Sif for those of you who are not well-versed in the Marvel Universe or for the avid viewer she was Jessi on Kyle XY] and Strike Back actor Sullivan Stapleton.

This is the show that has been capturing people’s attention because Alexander’s character is seen in the trailers inside a zipped bag in Times Square, covered head to toe with mysterious, intricate tattoos. The problem is, though, is that she has no memory of who she is or how she got there.

I had the opportunity to see the pilot episode during Comic Con, and while it was an intriguing episode with plenty of twists and turns, I have to wonder how the show will be able to hold up over a season.

Minority Report – This is the small screen adaptation of the box office film set in a future where a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past race to stop crimes before they happen. The show will also debut on September 21 over on FOX.

While Tom Cruise starred in the Cineplex version, actress Meagan Good (from the short-lived series Deception) and relative newcomer Stark Sands (from the box office film Inside Llewyn Davis) star in the lead roles.

I have yet to see the debut episode, but I will finally get the opportunity thanks to the Paley Center for Media next week.

Heroes Reborn and The Player – Both of these shows will debut on September 24 on NBC; and unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past 10 years, you are aware that Heroes Reborn is the reboot of the once series Heroes. This version is set in a world where everyone now knows about people with extraordinary abilities, and those imbued with those powers are either being hunted or are in hiding.

With a number of actors from the original series reprising their iconic roles as well as Chuck star Zachary Levi in one of the new lead roles, I am very anxious to see this 13-episode event series. I just hope that all the great hype built up around this show – thank you Comic Con for that by the way – pays off.

As for The Player, box office star Wesley Snipes makes his transition to the small screen with Strike Back actor Philip Winchester in tow, starring as a former military operative turned security expert who is drawn into a high-stakes game where an organization of wealthy individuals gamble on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable from playing out.

I had the chance to see not only the lead actors on the Comic Con stage back in July, talking about their new show, but also the pilot episode; and was impressed with what I saw. There is plenty of action and a few surprising twists that I think will have viewers coming back for more.

Quantico – This new ABC drama will be taking over the 10 PM timeslot on Sunday night’s from the now defunct Revenge, debuting on September 27. It will focus on a diverse group of recruits arriving at the FBI Quantico Base for training; but one of them is suspected of masterminding the biggest attack on New York City since 9/11.

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra will definitely turn heads, making people tune in to see her in action and comedy fans will get to see actor Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town) in first dramatic role in years.

This is another pilot that I have not seen yet, but I am optimistic that it will hold its own against its timeslot completion.

Supergirl – Lastly, there is the DC Comics small screen adaptation that is being overseen by powerhouse producer Greg Berlanti (the guy behind Arrow and The Flash) and starring Glee actress Melissa Benoist, which will debut on CBS on October 26.

This isn’t the first time a female superhero has been featured as the lead in a TV show, but it certainly is the first one in a very long time; and with a great cast including actresses Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal and Brothers & Sisters) and Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy) as well as actors Mehcad Brooks (Necessary Roughness and True Blood) and David Harewood (Homeland), it should be a hit.

My only concern is that I saw the pilot episode at Comic Con and it wasn’t as great as I had anticipated. That’s not to say that it is a bad pilot, but it was definitely a bit lighter than I thought it would be (given the level of dark that permeates every season of Arrow) and I am truly hoping that the rest of the season will be much better than the debut episode.

As for the returning shows, I am anxious for the return of the following:

Castle on September 21
Scandal on September 24
Once Upon a Time on September 27
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on September 29
The Blacklist on October 1
The Flash on October 6
Arrow and Supernatural on October 7
Jane the Virgin on October 12
Grimm on October 30

What new shows are looking forward to seeing this fall and which returning favorites are you anxious to see back on the small screen? Please share.