The laboratories of innovation are churning away in the world of TV. Competition from cable, pay cable and – most recently and importantly – Internet streaming has led to the formerly unheard-of sight of network TV launching a comic-book superhero show (“Supergirl” on CBS), a horror-comedy (“Scream Queens” on Fox) and a Philip K. Dick adaptation (“Minority Report” on Fox). I still think today’s elite shows fall short of the best from 10 or 15 years ago, but the potential for good TV has never been higher. But which shows will emerge as this year’s best? Here are some contenders (all times Eastern):
1-2. Two Philip K. Dick adaptations: “The Man in the High Castle” (the first episode is available now, and it returns Nov. 20 on Amazon Instant Video) and “Minority Report” (9 p.m. Mondays, starts Sept. 21 on Fox, pictured) – Prior to this year, the obscure 1999 Canadian series “Total Recall 2070” was the only PKD TV adaptation (although I consider “Dollhouse” and “Almost Human” to be honorary PKD shows). Now we suddenly have two more. With Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files,” “Night Stalker”) overseeing its atmospheric tableau and Alexa Davalos (“Angel’s” Gwen) among the stars, “High Castle” appeals to me more. At first glance, it’s an alternate history story set in the wake of the US defeat in WWII, which led to the Japanese and Germans splitting up the former USA. But a sci-fi element enters as Juliana (Davalos) acquires evidence that there’s another reality where the US won (the real world in the 1960s).
But since it’s on traditional TV, I’ll probably watch “Minority Report” first. I assumed it would be yet another tale cautioning against the idea of catching “criminals” before they commit an act – that’s an important message, but one that’s already been covered by the short story and Spielberg movie. As it turns out, though, this show is set after the events of the movie and pre-crime arrests have been outlawed (making this a rare dystopian government that displays some common sense). Still, a detective and a procog (someone who can see future crimes in his mind’s eye) pursue pre-crime cases on the sly, making him kind of like “Millennium’s” Frank Black.
3. “Scream Queens” (9 p.m. Tuesdays, starts at 8 p.m. Sept. 22 on Fox) – The dramedy stylings of Ryan Murphy (“Glee,” “American Horror Story”) aren’t totally my cup of tea. But I dug this summer’s “Scream” on MTV, and I’m up for another slasher murder mystery if it doesn’t become too silly. It’s hard to argue with the cast, which includes Jamie Lee Curtis as a college dean, Emma Roberts as a mean-girl sorority sister, Abigail Breslin as one of the hangers-on and “Glee’s” Lea Michele as one of the nerdy pledges. Plus, it’s one thing for cable to do a horror-comedy (Starz has “Ash vs. Evil Dead” this season), but this is an unusual choice for a network; how far will it push the envelope?
4. “Supergirl” (8 p.m. Mondays, starts at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 26 on CBS) – Despite numerous fits and starts, “Wonder Woman” never got off the ground in recent years as a TV series, and now Superman’s cousin has beat her to the small screen as the first mainstream female superhero comic-book adaptation since the original “Wonder Woman.” (The “mainstream” qualifier is necessarily, because one could certainly argue that “iZombie’s” Liv – from Vertigo Comics — is a superhero, for example.) This is just a straight-up adaptation of the comic into a modern TV series, but previews suggest that it does its job well, with “Glee” veteran Melissa Benoist in the title role. My friend Steve, who follows the bizarre machinations of DC Comics continuity, tells me “Supergirl” shares a world with “Arrow” and “The Flash,” but not with “Gotham” or “Smallville.” But in “Supergirl,” people generally know about Superman, so she won’t have to spend a lot of time explaining or hiding her powers.
5. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (8 p.m. Mondays, starts Oct. 12 on The CW) – Watching the previews, one could see this turning into an atrocious or fun TV series. The critics who have seen full episodes tell us it falls into the latter category. Created by and starring Rachel Bloom, “Crazy” promises edgy comedy (it was originally planned for Showtime) and musical numbers, plus the pathos of a young woman stalking her ex. (Hmm, I wonder if the tone would be the same if the genders were reversed? Maybe the show will have something to say about the double standard at some point.)
6. “Wicked City” (10 p.m. Tuesdays, starts Oct. 27 on ABC) – What will be this year’s hot mystery show? Maybe not “Wicked City,” because it tells us right up front that Kent (Ed Westwick from “Gossip Girl”) is the killer. So it’s just about cops and journalists pursuing the case. In its favor, it’s set in the 1980s – I love a good period piece – and Erika Christensen (“Parenthood”) and Jeremy Sisto (“Law & Order,” “The Returned”) are among the cast.
7. “Blindspot” (10 p.m. Mondays, starts Sept. 21 on NBC) – I think NBC dropped the ball by giving us too much information up front about how the tattooed neck-to-toe Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) is a human message board for an FBI agent to solve and how Jane is a super-agent herself. It might’ve worked better if “naked, fully tattooed amnesiac wakes up in Times Square” was all we knew, like how M. Night Shyamalan movies used to tease audiences. As it stands, “Blindspot” looks a lot like “Prison Break,” except in that case Wentworth Miller was using the tattoos as notes to himself. Here, Jane, her colleagues and the audience must decipher the clues.
Also keep an eye on seven more shows: “Quantico,” “Flesh and Bone” and “The Grinder” are among Entertainment Weekly’s best bets, and TV Guide gives an editor’s choice to “Grandfathered,” “The Muppets,” “Bastard Executioner” and “Heroes Reborn.”
What new fall shows are you most looking forward to?
I’ll be back soon with a look at returning favorites.