In one moment, you’re in the safety net of pre-awards season buzz — talking about the shocking “Fleabag” wins at this year’s Emmys and waiting for whatever new binge series was going to come along next. The next, it’s October and the television landscape is abuzz with possibilities, as a plethora of new shows arrives ranging from strictly fantasy and science fiction to intimate character studies.
With a wealth of titles both old and new and some of which we didn’t even have time to highlight (such as “Big Mouth,” “The Kominsky Method” and more) it will be a battle for time as each show that’s released – especially on streaming services – tries to pull you in to discover your latest obsession.
“Sorry For Your Loss”
What You Need to Know: Having had to carry the weight of being a, of all things, Facebook Watch original series, plenty of people (this writer included) initially brushed this one off. It was our loss, however, because not only is “Sorry For Your Loss” a tender and poignant tale of grief and all of the intricacies that go with it, but it’s also a tremendous showcase for actress Elizabeth Olsen. Her best role since her breakout turn in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Olsen delivers a wounded and raw performance as a woman trying to get her life back together. While it still strikes us as odd that Facebook Watch is even a thing (do they have any other shows on the service?) if we’re in the age of companies battling it out to try and ride the wave of streaming popularity, then at least we can be happy that someone took interest in a show as refreshingly insightful as this.
Release Date: Season 2 premieres October 1 on Facebook Watch
“Raising Dion”
What You Need To Know: Executive produced by “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan, the series centers on a widowed single mom who discovers her son has superhuman powers and is determined to keep him safe. Based on the short film of the same name from filmmaker Dennis Liu, the show is in line with Netflix’s commitment to diverse representation in film and television since the comic is written by and centers on People of Color. That aside, the series is described as a sci-fi family drama that will reflect the real-world challenges of a single-parent household, with the magical element of Dion’s emerging superpowers. The series is slated to star Alisha Wainwright as Dion’s mother, Ja’Siah Young as Dion, and apparently, Michael B. Jordan himself pops up in a supporting role.
Release Date: Season 1 premieres October 4 on Netflix.
“Peaky Blinders”
What You Need to Know: “Peaky Blinders” is one of the shows that everyone and their mothers have recommended to me that I still have yet to watch and now going into its fifth season, seemings like an increasingly unlikely binge. That being said, everything about the series, starring the always excellent Cillian Murphy, is just intriguing enough to bring in new viewers and thrill old fans who await a new season each year. Created by Steven Knight (who wrote the Tom Hardy starring “Locke”,) the series tackles a familiar narrative with the gangster story but delivers on that premise with exciting new ways to enliven an old topic. Reportedly a terrific show that’s doomed to be undervalued due to other current, flashier, series, season five returns with our leading character entering a new world of mystique and manipulation as begins his role as a Member of Parliament.
Release Date: Season 5 premieres on October 4 on Netflix.
“Star Wars Resistance”
What You Need to Know: While it’s the upcoming movie and final chapter in the latest trilogy ‘The Rise of Skywalker‘ that’s buzzing about the loudest in the minds of fans, the “Star Wars” franchise has been delivering excellent work for over a decade now. Their latest animated output, “Star Wars Resistance” which airs on the Disney Channel, didn’t get quite the same amount of notice as their predecessors, despite seemingly aligning itself with much of the current timeline happening in the films. Ending only after its second season, maybe this is a sign of franchise fatigue, a show that never quite found its footing or showrunners who know when to end a story naturally rather than dragging it out. Regardless, for any “Star Wars” fans who need something to tide them over for the next few months before madness strikes again, “Resistance” is a nice reminder of just why you love the series so much.
Release Date: Season 2 premieres on October 6 on the Disney Channel.
“Mr. Robot”
What You Need to Know: Despite becoming increasingly, nauseatingly convoluted over time, Sam Esmail’s “Mr. Robot” remains, at least, of the most visually arresting works of art currently on television. Nearly two years since its third season, the fourth and final outing wraps up the apocalyptic story about one once cyber hacker and his friends and family that surrounds him and the world that’s tumbling down at his feet. Esmail, for all of the faults in pacing and narratives, has remained a director with an eye for the unusual, be it for tricky but beautiful shots, off-center establishing shots or deliberately frames scenes used to disorient the viewer, making “Mr. Robot” one of the more engaging shows to watch live today. Also, for fans of Rami Malek, maybe his performance here as Eliot (always superb) is just good enough that we can all erase the images of him in “Bohemian Rhapsody” from our memories.
Release Date: Season 4 premieres on October 6 on USA Network.