Welcome to the first Monday morning newsletter of my blog! This week and every week I will be taking a look at TV news, mini-reviews of new shows and shows I'm watching and other fun things! The length and content will vary by week. I hope you enjoy! This week, I have My Top 10 Most Anticipated Shows of the Fall, a mini-review of Apple TV+'s The Changeling, a fresh look at one of TV's all time classics and more!
MY TOP 10 MOST ANTICIPATED SHOWS OF THE FALL
It is a pretty bleak fall for TV with the dual strikes of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA continuing. While the summer may have been pretty normal, audiences will be feeling the effects this fall with little semblance of a broadcast season, less releases on premium channels and streaming services, and some planned high profile shows pushed back.
That being said, there are still some shows to get excited about. Below I've listed my most anticipated fall shows of 2023. Let's hope the studios come to their senses and give the writers and actors a fair deal soon so the drought can ease up in 2024.
10. The Irrational (September 25, NBC) & Found (October 3, NBC)
I decided to lump these two network shows together. Neither one seems like more than a run of the mill network procedural but in a fall where those will be few and far-between, maybe they'll be the comfort food shows we need. I always like to have a few of them on my watchlist.
9. Julia (November 16, Max)
I enjoyed the first season of Julia but it sort of got lost for me amongst shows I liked more. But with less competition, I could see the second season of the Julia Child bio show, starring Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce, being a favorite this time around.
8. The Morning Show (September 13, Apple TV+)
I loved the first season of The Morning Show despite what some critics said (I awarded it Outstanding Drama Series in my first Benjamonster Awards in 2020). Then I hated the second season. I can't think of a show in recent memory that fell apart that much for me. But here we are with a third season, and I'm still hoping it'll get back to the first season strengths. Adding Jon Hamm to the cast can't hurt.
7. Frasier (October 12, Paramount+)
Frasier is the high profile revival of the fall with Kelsey Grammar returning to his iconic character. Some original stars will join Grammar at least for an episode like Peri Gilpin, Jane Leeves and the great Bebe Neuwirth. But the lack of John Mahoney (who died in 2018) and David Hyde Pierce (who declined to appear) have me apprehensive. Can it be Frasier without Niles and Martin?
6. The Crown (TBD, Netflix)
The sixth and final season of The Crown has not been dated yet so it might get pushed back if the strikes continue. But even after an uneven fifth season, I am very excited to see how this epic drama wraps things up and covers some of the very important moments from the final years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
5. The Fall of the House of Usher (October 12, Netflix)
I've been mixed on Mike Flanagan's spooky October offerings over the years. But his final Netflix show before he moves to Amazon sounds very interesting. Based on Edgar Allen Poe works, I'm hoping it's closest to my favorite Flanagan show - The Haunting of Bly Manor.
4. A Murder at the End of the World (November 14, FX)
This series was originally dated for August but then pushed back. It's a little hard to get a feel of the vibe of this show even with the trailer that recently dropped, but it really sounds interesting. It seems like it could have a bit of a Knives Out feel to it though I think it's a little (a lot?) stranger. I'm very curious about this one.
3. Lessons in Chemistry (October 13, Apple TV+)
I love a great stylish period drama and this one seems to be right up my alley. Based on a popular novel, the series centers on a female chemist, played by Brie Larson, who uses a cooking show to educate the housewives of America. I could see this being a favorite of mine this fall.
2. All the Light We Cannot See (November 2, Netflix)
Speaking of stylish period dramas, this show appears to be bigger in scope and was dated forever ago so Netflix is clearly anticipating it to be big for them. Set in Europe before and during World War II, the series stars Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie and has the potential to be the most gorgeous and epic show of the fall.
1. Fargo (November 21, FX)
After its disappointing fourth edition, Fargo returns after a three year break. The new edition stars Jon Hamm, Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason-Leigh among others and is set in Minnesota and North Dakota. There's not a ton known about this new season yet but I'm willing to believe Season 4 was an aberration and that cast and setting will make it a must-see!
CH-CH-CH-"CHANGELING"
I checked out Apple TV+'s new horror series The Changeling, which premiered with its first three episodes this past Friday. I like that Apple typically starts with three episodes of a new show but in this case, each episode felt very much like it was a different show. The first episode was all about mood-setting with time jumps and eerie, unexplained situations. The second episode was a sad and scary commentary on new parenting and postpartum depression. The third episode barely felt like anything happened but I guess it sort of landed on being a bit of a quest for LaKeith Stanfield's character. I find the show interesting but a little too unfocused for my taste. Despite some strong performances (especially Clark Backo but also Stanfield at times), I think I'm going to check out on this one. I just can't see myself caring enough to do five more episodes especially when the first three felt like a slog at times. There's a good show in there but after three episodes, I don't trust those involved to find it.
I STILL LOVE "LUCY"
This summer brought the perfect storm of less new scripted stuff I was interested in along with caring for a new baby at home so I got back into I Love Lucy via the non-stop Lucy channel on Pluto TV. It was an easy show to drop in and out of when a baby was crying or I had to step out of the room because I've seen every episode tons of times in my life. Some background: I have been a massive Lucy fan since first watching it on Nick at Nite as a kid back in the mid-90s and watched it pretty religiously for a long time. But truthfully, I haven't watched many of the episodes in a long time. It's probably been a decade or more since I've seen many of them. After watching many episodes over the past couple months, I was struck by just how well the show holds up. I feel like everyone acknowledges I Love Lucy as a classic because of how it pioneered the multi-camera sitcom, reruns & so much more. But I'm not sure everyone still gives it its due for the writing, acting and humor that still works 70+ years later. Of course there are some dated things that people like to harp on but by and large, the show holds up in a way many shows that premiered decades later don't. The humor doesn't feel quaint or "good for the 50s." It is straight up funny still today and can hang with any comedy that has aired since the 1950s. I also noticed how integral Desi Arnaz is to the show. Of course Lucy and Vivian Vance are the best comedians in the show but Desi is the ideal straight man and foil to Lucy. Not even accounting for his many off-screen contributions, his on-screen contributions are noticeable when you watch the far inferior later shows that Lucille Ball did.
SCRIPTED SHOWS PREMIERING THIS WEEK:
This week brings the third season of The Morning Show on Apple TV+ on Wednesday. I already shared my thoughts above on that one. On the same day, Hulu drops all ten episodes of The Other Black Girl, the latest show from Onyx Collective. It has a strong cast but the Onyx shows haven't really cut through yet. Friday has the premiere of British thriller Wilderness on Prime Video while Saturday has the premiere of the final batch of episodes of CBS cast-off All Rise on OWN.
RANDOM THOUGHT TO END TODAY:
I watched Hard Knocks for the first time ever this summer. As a Packers fan, I was curious to see Aaron Rodgers in his new digs. But the thing that I took away the most from the show was... I couldn't believe how many Broadway shows the New York Jets see. That blew my mind. That and the magician.
Have a great week!
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