Fall TV Preview (Part 1)

Unlike last year where everything was ground to a halt in the world of production (and, of course, everywhere else), this year’s fall TV season is filled with new dramas, a number of drama reboots and a couple of spin-offs.

Let’s get into all the new dramas that are in store for viewers this fall on the major and cable networks as well as some from the streaming world. [Thanks to the folks at TV Guide Magazine for much of these details.]

REBOOTS

Reboots seem to be the name of the game anymore, and this TV season isn’t any different with there being a lucky number 7 of them.

They will appear in alphabetical order:

4400 (The CW, October 25 at 9 PM)

The 4400 aired on the USA Network from 2004 to 2007, and now The CW is bringing back the story of 4,400 people, who have vanished throughout the last century, only to be brought back – somehow – on the same night in 2021. This time the stories will be told from the Black perspective with the lead characters being ‘50s civil rights figure Claudette (Jaye Ladymore from Chicago P.D. and Empire) and ‘90s reverend Isaiah Johnston (Derrick A. King from Call Your Mother) as well as parole officer Keisha (Ireon Roach from the latest version of Candyman) and social worker Jharrel (Joseph David-Jones from Arrow and Nashville).

CSI: Vegas (CBS, October 6 at 10 PM)

An attack on their old workplace finds forensic entomologist Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and his forensic scientist Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) back on the case, working alongside boss Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome from Barry and NCIS), who is a geneticist; senior investigator Josh Folsom (Matt Lauria from Kingdom and Friday Night Lights); Level 2 CSI Allie Rajan (Mandeep Dhillon from 24: Live Another Day and Bulletproof); and head medical examiner Hugo (Mel Rodriguez from The Last Man on Earth). Previous team members David Hodges (Wallace Langham) and Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) will also show up.

Dexter: New Blood (Showtime, November 7 at 9 PM)

This 10-episode revival will find serial killer Dexter Morgan living in idyllic Iron Lake, New York under the new name of Jim Lindsay, but this “truckstop town” has a few too many missing women. Viewers will see a couple familiar faces also return: Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter’s late sister Deb and John Lithgow as the long-deceased Trinity Killer. Clancy Brown will also appear as the imposing character Kurt Caldwell.

Dune (HBO Max, October 22)
[The movie will debut simultaneously in theatres as well]

The 1965 sci-fi saga by Frank Herbert has been adapted to the big screen (again!) by director Denis Villeneuve. The short-version of this epic tale is about the son of a noble family, who is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy. The ensemble cast includes Timothee Chalamet in the lead role of Paul Atreides, Oscar Isaac as Paul’s father Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgard, Leto’s rival Baron Harkonnen, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica (Paul’s mother), Jason Momoa as warrior Duncan, Josh Brolin as warrior Gurney, Javier Bardem as chieftain Stilgar and Zendaya as Chani.

Highway to Heaven (Lifetime, November 6 at 8 PM)
[These will be movies rather than a weekly series]

Taking over the mantle of angel on Earth, Jill Scott will portray compassionate angel Angela Stewart, who is sent down to help the fractured relationship between a grieving father and son. She will find a friend in junior high school principal Bruce Banks (Barry Watson from 7th Heaven), who finds it hard to believe that she’s an angel.

The Many Saints of Newark (HBO Max, October 1)
[This is a movie not a traditional weekly series]

The prequel to the long-running HBO drama The Sopranos takes a look at a young Anthony Soprano (played by Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late James Gandolfini), who is mentored by his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola from Selma and American Hustle) [who will be the father of the ill-fated Christopher Moltisanti. Vera Farmiga will play Tony’s mother Livia and Corey Stoll as mob boss Uncle Junior.

The Wonder Years (ABC, September 22 at 8:30 PM)

Dule Hill (The West Wing and Psych) is the patriarch of the Williams family in this reboot of the 1988-1993 family series. This version will be set in 1968 Alabama, focusing on 12-year-old Dean Williams (Elisha “EJ” Williams) [who will be voiced by Don Cheadle as the adult Dean], as he deals with little league problems and asking his crush to go steady. Saycon Sengbloh (Delilah and the box office movie Respect) will play matriarch Lillian.

SPIN-OFFS

Each TV season wouldn’t be complete (for good or bad) without a spin-off of a popular or long-running franchise. This year we have two dramas with new spin-offs.

They will appear in alphabetical order:

FBI: International (CBS, September 21 at 10 PM)

This FBI franchise series will focus on a specific international unit of the government agency located in Budapest, but with a mobile Fly Team that goes to a new country almost every week, where they will work with local law enforcement on cases ranging from child kidnapping, corporate theft, espionage, organized crime, overseas murders and arms trafficking. The team will be led by Special Agent Scott Forrester (Luke Kleintank from The Man in the High Castle) along with team members Special Agent Jamie Kellett (Heida Reed from Poldark), Special Agent Cameron Vo (Vinessa Vidotto from Hacks and Lucifer), Special Agent Andre Raines (Carter Redwood from the mini-series The Long Road Home) and Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger (Germany actress Christiane Paul from Counterpart).

NCIS: Hawai’i  (CBS, September 20 at 10 PM)

For the first time in the franchise’s history, this new spin-off will center around a female Agent in Charge. Her name is Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey from The Bold and the Beautiful and Dads), and she is in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor. Her team will consist of Noah Mills (The Brave and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alex Tarrant (800 Words), Tori Anderson (Blindspot and No Tomorrow), Yasmine Al-Bustami (The Originals) and Jason Antoon (Claws). Marvel’s Agent of SHIELD alum Enver Gjokaj will also recur.

Please come back next week as we take a look at the new dramas that will be debuting in the fall.