The days of waiting by the mailbox for the Fall TV Preview edition of Entertainment Weekly are over, as the magazine has ceased print publication. But while the seasonal excitement has waned, maybe TV is better overall.
Streamers have the more vibrant new shows, but at least a couple network offerings look decent, too. Not surprisingly, the nostalgia is strong with both streamers and networks this fall: “Cobra Kai” is back, as is “Quantum Leap” (with a new cast). And one of the new sitcoms (“Reboot”) is about bringing back an old sitcom.
It’s not in print form, but you can bookmark RFMC’s handy guide to the Fall TV season. New shows are in bold, and six newcomers (plus “Cobra Kai”) are pulled out for spotlight treatment. (All times are Eastern.)
SEPTEMBER
Thursday, Sept. 1
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” streaming, Amazon Prime (later episodes to be released Fridays starting Sept. 9) — The legendary book and film franchise gets a TV prequel.
“Off the Hook,” streaming, Netflix – In this comedy, two roommates abandon the internet for a month.
“Pantheon,” streaming, AMC+ — This animated sci-fi series finds relatives talking across time in similar fashion to “Frequency.”
“Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles,” streaming, Netflix
“The Secrets She Keeps,” streaming, Sundance Now
“It Couldn’t Happen Here,” 10 p.m., Sundance/AMC+
Friday, Sept. 2
SEPT. 2 SPOTLIGHT
“Devil in Ohio,” streaming, Netflix – Emily Deschanel (“Bones”) stars in this “Servant”-like story wherein she takes in a young woman (Madeleine Arthur) who has escaped from a religious cult. Daria Polatin wrote the novel the show is based on, and she runs the series, which has that appealingly grim vibe of the great slow-burn mysteries of recent years.
“Fakes,” streaming, Netflix – In this dark comedy, two teens go into the fake ID biz.
“Life by Ella,” streaming, Apple TV+ — This dramedy follows a middle-schooler who has a positive outlook.
“You’re Nothing Special,” streaming, Netflix – A girl acquires witchlike powers in this Spanish import.
Saturday, Sept. 3
“Little Women,” streaming, Netflix – In this Asian import that has nothing to do with Louisa May Alcott, three sisters get embroiled in a sweeping mystery plot.
Sunday, Sept. 4
“Rick and Morty,” 11 p.m., Adult Swim
Monday, Sept. 5
“Recipes for Love and Murder,” streaming, Acorn TV – A mystery combines with the sleuth’s love of food.
“American Dad,” 10 p.m., TBS
Tuesday, Sept. 6
“Queen Sugar,” 8 p.m., OWN
Wednesday, Sept. 7
“Tell Me Lies,” streaming, Hulu – A young woman is obsessed with her first love, but the honeymoon period doesn’t last long. The “You” vibes are strong.
Thursday, Sept. 8
“Cars on the Road,” streaming, Disney+ — The animated film series drives onto the small screen.
“Entrapped,” streaming, Netflix – This Icelandic murder mystery is a follow-up to “Trapped.”
“The Good Fight,” streaming, Paramount+
“Last Light,” streaming, Peacock – “Lost’s” Matthew Fox stars as a family man in this dystopian miniseries.
Friday, Sept. 9
“Central Park,” streaming, Apple TV+
SEPT. 9 SPOTLIGHT
“Cobra Kai,” streaming, Netflix – Season 5 gets further into “Karate Kid Part III” territory as we learn more about Sensei Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith); plus, Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) returns to the fold. This modern-day series drenched with Eighties touchstones has kicked butt for four seasons, and it’s not likely to pull its punches now.
“Narco-Saints,” streaming, Netflix – The South Korean government tracks a drug lord in this drama based on a true story.
Sunday, Sept. 11
“Monarch,” after NFL game, Fox (moves to regular timeslot at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20) — Calling to mind “Nashville,” this drama explores a family country-music dynasty. Among the cast are Susan Sarandon, Anna Friel and Trace Adkins.
“The Serpent Queen,” 8 p.m., Starz – This eight-part historical drama chronicles Catherine de Medici (Samantha Morton).
“American Gigolo,” 9 p.m., Showtime – “The Punisher’s” Jon Bernthal emerges from a wrongful prison stint into a changed L.A. sex industry.
Monday, Sept. 12
“War of the Worlds,” 9 p.m., Epix (moves to regular timeslot at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18)
Wednesday, Sept. 14
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” streaming, Hulu
“Heartbreak High,” streaming, Netflix – The 1990s Australian teen drama gets a continuation.
Thursday, Sept. 15
“The Light in the Hall,” streaming, Sundance Now – This English-subtitled Welsh drama probes a cold-case murder.
“Vampire Academy,” streaming, Peacock – This lavish drama chronicles a royal society of bloodsuckers.
“Atlanta,” 10 p.m., FX
Friday, Sept. 16
“The Brave Ones,” streaming, Netflix – A young woman is reincarnated as a vengeful goddess.
“Fate: The Winx Saga,” streaming, Netflix
“Santo,” streaming, Netflix – Two officers pursue a mysterious drug dealer in Italy.
“Los Espookys,” 11 p.m., HBO
Monday, Sept. 19
“Backstrom,” streaming, Acorn TV
“9-1-1,” 8 p.m., Fox
“The Neighborhood,” 8 p.m., CBS
“Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m., CBS
“The Cleaning Lady,” 9 p.m., Fox
“NCIS,” 9 p.m., CBS
“NCIS: Hawai’i,” 10 p.m., CBS
SEPT. 19 SPOTLIGHT
“Quantum Leap,” 10 p.m., NBC – Raymond Lee will attempt to fill the big shoes of Scott Bakula in this continuation of the 1989-93 sci-fi classic. Appropriately, his first leap takes him back to the Eighties. “Ghostbusters’ ” Ernie Hudson is among the supporting cast. Even if this version is terrible, it does make me want to revisit the O.G. series.
Tuesday, Sept. 20
“Reboot,” streaming, Hulu – This comedy goes behind the scenes of the troubled relaunch of a popular sitcom. So it’s like “BH 90210” or the “Seinfeld” reunion season of “Curb,” but with less of an immediate hook. The cast includes Judy Greer, Paul Reiser, Johnny Knoxville, Keegan-Michael Key and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s” Rachel Bloom.
“FBI,” 8 p.m., CBS
“The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox
“FBI: International,” 9 p.m., CBS
“FBI: Most Wanted,” 10 p.m., CBS
“New Amsterdam,” 10 p.m., NBC
Wednesday, Sept. 21
“Andor,” streaming, Disney+ — Disney adds another product to its “Star Wars” factory offerings.
“Chicago Med,” 8 p.m., NBC
“The Conners,” 8 p.m., ABC
“The Goldbergs,” 8:30 p.m., ABC
“Abbott Elementary,” 9 p.m., ABC
“Chicago Fire,” 9 p.m., NBC
“Home Economics,” 9:30 p.m., ABC
“Big Sky,” 10 p.m., ABC
“Chicago PD,” 10 p.m., NBC
Thursday, Sept. 22
“Snabba Cash,” streaming, Netflix
“Law & Order,” 8 p.m., NBC
“Law & Order: SVU,” 9 p.m., NBC
“Law & Order: Organized Crime,” 10 p.m., NBC
Friday, Sept. 23
“The Girls in the Back,” streaming, Netflix – Five women explore bucket-list activities in this comedy.
Saturday, Sept. 24
“SNL Vintage,” 10 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Sept. 25
“The Circus,” 8 p.m., Showtime
“The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox
“The Great North,” 8:30 p.m., Fox
“Bob’s Burgers,” 9 p.m., Fox
“Van Der Valk: Plague on Amsterdam,” 9 p.m., PBS
“Family Guy,” 9:30 p.m., Fox
“The Rookie,” 10 p.m., ABC
Monday, Sept. 26
“My Little Pony: Make Your Mark,” streaming, Netflix – The animated kids’ franchise spins off.
“Mystery Road,” streaming, Acorn TV
Tuesday, Sept. 27
“Reasonable Doubt,” streaming, Hulu – An L.A. defense attorney takes on a corrupt justice system.
“La Brea,” 9 p.m., NBC
“The Rookie: Feds,” 10 p.m., ABC – Cop drama “The Rookie” gets a spinoff.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
“The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” streaming, Disney+
Thursday, Sept. 29
“Dragons Rescue Riders,” streaming, Peacock
“The Empress,” streaming, Netflix – This lavish historical romance takes viewers to pre-World War I eastern Europe.
“Young Sheldon,” 8 p.m., CBS
“Ghosts,” 8:30 p.m., CBS
“So Help Me Todd,” 9 p.m., CBS — Although the title sounds comedic (like “Better Off Ted”), this is actually a drama about a family P.I. business.
“Welcome to Flatch,” 9 p.m., Fox
“Call Me Kat,” 9:30 p.m., Fox
“CSI: Vegas,” 10 p.m., CBS
Friday, Sept. 30
“Entergalactic,” streaming, Netflix – Created by and starring Kid Cudi (“X”), this adult animated series with an all-star voice cast blends romance and music.
“Jungle,” streaming, Amazon – Two young men navigate the near-future rap and crime scenes in the U.K.
“Ramy,” streaming, Hulu
OCTOBER
Saturday, Oct. 1
“Saturday Night Live,” 11:30 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Oct. 2
“Family Law,” 8 p.m., CW
“The Equalizer,” 8:30 p.m., CBS (moves to regular timeslot at 8 p.m. Oct. 9)
“Coroner,” 9 p.m., CW
“The Walking Dead,” 9 p.m., AMC
“East New York,” 9:30 p.m., CBS (moves to regular timeslot at 9 p.m. Oct. 9) — “NYPD Blue’s” Jimmy Smits dons the uniform again in this cop drama.
“Interview with the Vampire,” 10 p.m., AMC – Anne Rice’s popular book and movie adaptation expand into a TV version.
Monday, Oct. 3
“The Good Doctor,” 10 p.m., ABC
Wednesday, Oct. 5
“DC’s Stargirl,” 8 p.m., CW
“Chucky,” 9 p.m., Syfy/USA
“Kung Fu,” 9 p.m., CW
“Reginald the Vampire,” time TBD, SyFy — Jacob Batalon (Ned in the recent “Spider-Man” films) stars in a comedic vampire series that follows the path laid down by “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Thursday, Oct. 6
OCT. 6 SPOTLIGHT
“A Friend of the Family,” streaming, Peacock – Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, Mckenna Grace and Jake Lacy star in this 1970s drama of a girl who is kidnapped multiple times. Based on a true story that’s chronicled on Netflix’s “Abducted in Plain Sight” — and that calls to mind “Cruel Summer” with less soapiness — this bizarre tale will unfold over nine episodes.
“Station 19,” 8 p.m., ABC
“Walker,” 8 p.m., CW
“Grey’s Anatomy,” 9 p.m., ABC
“Walker: Independence,” 9 p.m., CW — “Walker” gets a spinoff.
OCT. 6 SPOTLIGHT
“Alaska Daily,” 10 p.m., ABC – Hilary Swank gets some northern exposure as a journalist who takes a gig in the Last Frontier. But rather than a quirky dramedy, this is a sober yarn about the power of the press from “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy. This story of a possible homicide was inspired by the Anchorage Daily News’ recent explorations of Native American communities.
Friday, Oct. 7
OCT. 7 SPOTLIGHT
“The Midnight Club,” streaming, Netflix – Mike Flanagan’s latest treat of a Halloween-month miniseries will be a little different. It finds dying patients telling scary stories in the hospital, so this looks like an anthology rather than a linear miniseries. “Midnight Mass’” Zach Gilford and “A Nightmare on Elm Street’s” Heather Langenkamp star.
“S.W.A.T.,” 8 p.m., CBS
“Fire Country,” 9 p.m., CBS — “Bates Motel’s” Max Thieriot stars as a firefighter seeking redemption.
“Blue Bloods,” 10 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 9
“Let the Right One In,” 10 p.m., Showtime – After two movie versions, the saga of a young vampire gets expanded into a series, starring Demián Bichir.
“NCIS: Los Angeles,” 10 p.m., CBS
Monday, Oct. 10
“My Life Is Murder,” streaming, Acorn TV
“All American,” 8 p.m., CW
“All American: Homecoming,” 9 p.m., CW
Tuesday, Oct. 11
“The Winchesters,” 8 p.m., CW — One of the “Supernatural” siblings (Jensen Ackles as Dean) gets his story expanded in this spinoff.
“Professionals,” 9 p.m., CW — Tom Welling (“Smallville”) and Brendan Fraser star in this action thriller that technically came out in 2020 but has now been picked up by The CW for a wider release.
Friday, Oct. 14
“High School,” streaming, Freevee – The autobiography by music duo Tegan and Sara gets adapted into a comedy series.
“Shantaram,” streaming, Apple TV+ — Charlie Hunnam is among the cast in this world-hopping crime actioner.
“Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” 8 p.m., CW
“Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” 9 p.m., CW
Wednesday, Oct. 19
“Documentary Now!,” time TBD, IFC
Thursday, Oct. 20
“One of Us Is Lying,” streaming, Peacock
Friday, Oct. 21
“From Scratch,” streaming, Netflix — “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” Zoe Saldana stars in this Italy-set romantic drama.
Saturday, Oct. 22
“Criss Angel’s Magic with the Stars,” 8 p.m., CW – The popular magician gets his own show.
Tuesday, Oct. 25
OCT. 25 SPOTLIGHT
“Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities,” streaming, Netflix – Today’s top horror storytellers take turns creeping us out in this anthology series. Some episodes come from short stories by H.P. Lovecraft while others come from new yarns by del Toro himself.
Thursday, Oct. 27
“Indefensible,” 10 p.m., Sundance/AMC+
NOVEMBER
Thursday, Nov. 3
“Blockbuster,” streaming, Netflix — Randall Park and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s” Melissa Fumero star in a sitcom about the last Blockbuster video store in America. Oddly, it’s a fictional one in Michigan rather than the real one in Bend, Ore.
“The Capture,” streaming, Peacock
“The Suspect,” streaming, Sundance Now – A man with a great life suddenly finds himself a person of extreme interest in a murder investigation.
“Kold x Windy,” 10 p.m., WE – A hip-hop dancer raises her son in this Chicago-set drama.
Friday, Nov. 4
“Lopez vs. Lopez,” 8 p.m., NBC — This sitcom is based on the lives of comedian George Lopez and his daughter, who play themselves.
“Young Rock,” 8:30 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Nov. 6
“Mood,” 8 p.m., BBC America/AMC+ — The journey of an up-and-coming singer is told through her songs.
“Dangerous Liaisons,” 9 p.m., Starz (moves to regular timeslot at 8 p.m. Nov. 13) — The 1988 film, which was already loosely adapted into 1999’s “Cruel Intentions,” gets another youthful take – this time in French.
Thursday, Nov. 10
“The Calling,” streaming, Peacock — David E. Kelley (“The Practice”) helms this series about an ages-old mystery.
Friday, Nov. 11
“The English,” streaming, Amazon Prime — Emily Blunt stars in this Western revenge tale.
Sunday, Nov. 13
“Tulsa King,” streaming, Paramount+ — Sylvester Stallone aims for success on the small screen – and as an Italian mobster setting up shop in Oklahoma.
“Yellowstone,” 8 p.m., Paramount
Sunday, Nov. 20
“The L Word,” 8 p.m., Showtime
Monday, Nov. 21
“Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming, Hulu — Kumail Nanjiani stars as the founder of the strip club catering to a female clientele.
Wednesday, Nov. 23
“Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin,” streaming, Peacock – Bumper (Adam Devine) gets his own spinoff from the music-driven film trilogy.
Thursday, Nov. 24
“First Love,” streaming, Netflix – Diane Kruger (“The Bridge”) and Jeffrey Donovan (“Law & Order”) play one of the sets of parents in this young-love drama.
Wednesday, Nov. 30
“Irreverent,” streaming, Peacock – A Chicago criminal goes into hiding in Australia.
“Willow,” streaming, Disney+ –– Warwick Davis reprises his titular role as the Mouse House sinks its claws into another George Lucas property. At least “Indiana Jones” is still safe … for now.