Fall TV Finally

As we all know, the strikes by the Writer’s Guild and the Screen Actors Guild that happened last year were long and effected the start of the 2023-2024 TV season; in fact, the strikes pretty much brought the industry to a halt. Compound those strikes with the COVID-19 pandemic that curtained everything for about two years, it’s been a very rough and bleak time for the entertainment industry.

But that all changed in the middle of last month when a number of the returning dramas from the fall TV line-up, primarily the Chicago One and Law and Order franchises, returned with their new seasons on NBC as well as some programming on the newly dubbed CW (nee The CW). That roll-out continues in earnest over the course of the next two weeks as many other dramas on the major networks, primarily ABC and CBS, will make their returns to the primetime line-up.

While there are normally more than a dozen new dramas airing each TV season on the major networks, this time around there are barely a handful of them; and some of the fall dramas won’t be returning for the start of their new seasons until March. Of course, given the late start of the 2023-2024 TV season, all of the dramas are airing a truncated season with about half the usual amount of episodes set to air before the TV season comes to an end in May.

For those still interested in linear TV, the following are the dramas that will be rolling out over the next month or so:

For CBS:

The new drama Tracker aired on Sunday night right after the Super Bowl and will continue to air on Sunday nights, and the new seasons of NCIS, now in its 21st season, and NCIS: Hawai’i, which started its third season, both aired last night. There will be a special tribute episode next Monday on NCIS, saluting the late David McCallum, who starred as beloved medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard. It should also be noted that this special tribute episode was also co-written by long-time cast member Brian Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer.

The FBI franchise of shows will premiere tonight while So Help Me Todd will premiere this Thursday followed by the premieres of the final seasons of S.W.A.T. and Blue Bloods and a new season of the top-rated new series from last year Fire Country. The week will end on Sunday with the premieres of The Equalizer and CSI: Vegas along with a new episode of Tracker.

The other new drama that will debut in February – February 29 to be exact – is Elsbeth, starring True Blood and The Good Fight alum Carrie Preston. In fact this series is a spin-off of the latter.

For ABC:

The network’s big night will be next Tuesday with the premieres of Will Trent and The Rookie as well as the start of the final season of The Good Doctor and then fans will have to wait until March 14 for the roll-out of the relocated (from FOX to ABC) 9-1-1, a new season of Grey’s Anatomy and the beginning of the end for Station 19.

For FOX:

Next month, on March 5, new seasons of The Cleaning Lady and Alert: Missing Persons Unit will premiere.

For CW:

With the change of ownership at The CW, now just known as CW, the fall line-up looks very different from years past with most of the primetime line-up consisting of comedies, sports and reality. In fact, there is only one new drama on the network – Wild Cards – which debuted on January 17 along with the second season premiere of the Canadian transplant series Family Law. The network is also airing episodes of the one-season-only, Hallmark Channel series Ride.

Are you still a fan of linear TV or did you cut the cord and go to streaming only? Are you looking forward to any of the fall TV season? Please share your thoughts below.