“Brooklyn Nine-Nine “
Cast: Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz
Synopsis: Jake Peralta, an immature but talented NYPD detective in Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct, comes into immediate conflict with his new commanding officer, the serious and stern Captain Ray Holt.
What You Need to Know: It’s easy to overlook a series such as Fox’s consistently remarkable “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” a rather standard-looking sitcom on paper compared to the more experimental comedies (dramedies*) to come out in recent years. Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll see yet another Michael Schur and Dan Goor series that plays with convention while simultaneously defying certain expectations. Season four was its best yet, offering up both consistently hilarious episodes along with serialized storylines and heartfelt moments, along with the wonderfully-executed episode “Moo Moo,” which tackles racial profiling and police brutality without ever sacrificing the tone of the show. With an all-star cast in their arsenal and off-the-charts chemistry within that cast, they’ll always have a watchable show on their hands. What makes it so consistently exciting (and a show that’s a pleasure to watch on a week to week basis) is how they continue to out-do themselves when other sitcoms would’ve taken a dive in quality by now.
Premiere Date: September 26th on Fox
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Cast: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, JB Smoove
Synopsis: Everyone’s favorite sourpuss Larry David returns for more self-deprecating, improv-friendly altercations and grievances with friends, family, strangers and celebrities.
What You Need to Know: In 2017, Larry David’s grouchy, idiocratic worldview is not only deeply appreciated; it’s deeply needed. With the world currently in shambles, we’re ready to watch David argue, complain and aggrevate anyone and everyone about any little thing that happens to bug or needle him. True, it has been over half a decade since season 8 aired, but David’s hilarious HBO sitcom only gets more robust, unflinching, biting, and painfully funny with each year. We have no doubt that season 9 will be pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Premiere Date: October 1st on HBO
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Cast: Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez III, Donna Lynne Champlin
Synopsis: A young woman abandons a choice job at a law firm and her life in New York in an attempt to find happiness in the unlikely locale of West Covina, California.
What You Need to Know: A sentence that gets thrown out a lot often when describing a wonderful, mind-bending new television show is that “there’s nothing else like it on TV”. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the musical/comedy/drama/romance is a series that fits the bill more so than most. It burst vibrantly onto the scene with season one which took a hard to root for but redeemable character all the same in Rebecca Bunch and anchored her lively and manic personality into a small town that could do with a bit of livening up. Her romance with her old flame Josh was always doomed, but seeing just how Rebecca self-sabotaged it was both incredibly engaging and cringe-inducing television. Season three we’ll see her starting out with more of a vendetta against Josh who, which will give more credence to her belief that she’s possibly the villain of her own story. Rich material to dive into and with songs continually being catchy as hell and the performances top notch, there’s nowhere to go but up, at least for the views.
Premiere Date: October 13th on The CW
“Jane the Virgin”
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Justin Baldoni, Andrea Navedo, Jaime Camil, Yael Grobglas
Synopsis: After the death of her husband, Jane’s love life is again in turmoil in this endearing gem.
What You Need to Know: Over three seasons, Jennie Snyder Urman’s show has grown and matured well beyond its initial premise: a virgin who gets accidentally artificially inseminated. Jane (Rodriguez) is (gasp!) no longer a virgin, but the telenovela-inspired series still remains the same at its core. Though Jane’s romances have been a key part of the show, they’re never the sole focus. Instead, “Jane the Virgin” explores its heroine’s roles as a mother, daughter, granddaughter and writer. Fans may gasp over the soap-worthy twists, but what elevates the show is how grounded it is. These relationships and characters feel real, investing us in every kiss, pregnancy, death and reunion. Last year’s finale teased that there may still be a connection between Jane and her son’s father, Rafael (Baldoni), but it also introduced her first boyfriend Adam (Tyler Posey), so the fourth season promises to keep its small but loyal fanbase hooked despite a move to Friday night and a shortened season.
Premiere Date: October 13 on The CW
“Riverdale”
Cast: KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, Camila Mendes
Synopsis: A subversive take on Archie and his friends, exploring small town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.
What You Need to Know: Somewhere along the lines of the melodrama absurdity of season one, The CW’s “Riverdale” became something likened to “must watch TV”. No, we’re not saying it’s great television, but there’s an instant addictive quality to it that makes us want to consume more of it at a rapid rate. Pulpy, overtly stylish and being both ambitious in visuals while safe in character plotting, the show managed to both capture the general audience of the network while also reaching out beyond to the naysayers who held their nose too high above a network that loves it’s superhero adaptations and vampire romps. Season two has already been pegged as being “darker” fare and with season one ending on such a violence cliff-hanger, we’d be hard pressed to assume otherwise. Archie and co., have a lot of growing up to do, we can only hope that with the character maturation comes further fun and engaging television.
Premiere Date: October 11th on The CW