Even as someone who writes about TV shows, I’m not too bothered by the Hollywood strike. If anything, I feel it gives me a chance to catch up on old stuff. It’s not like we’ve suffered from a shortage of things to watch in recent years. Even if the lineup isn’t as robust as it used to be, though, 2023 is giving us a Fall TV season, mixing made-in-advance shows with foreign imports. Here are 10 offerings that look decent.
“The Swarm” (Sept. 12, The CW)
The pedigree: Sometimes outside forces – the writer’s strike calls to mind the COVID delays of 2020 – actually lead to better primetime lineups. Such might be the case on The CW, which will find itself struggling for an identity when the superhero boom dies out. This English-language German production looks like a cli-fi disaster epic in the vein of Aughts shows like “Invasion,” but spanning a larger chunk of the globe.
“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” (Sept. 22, Peacock)
The pedigree: Considering how long this series has been hyped, it’s a little disappointing that it’s merely a three-episode miniseries. In total, it will be about the same length as a “Wick” film. Nonetheless, the franchise’s attention to style suggests its version of the Seventies will be awesome. It’ll be neat to see the backstory of Winston (Colin Woodell). Plus, in a bizarre but welcome bit of over-casting, Mel Gibson co-stars.
“The Irrational” (Sept. 25, NBC)
The pedigree: There’s a reason why procedurals are ubiquitous (people watch them), but suggesting that even the traditional networks want a little variety, the angle here is different. “Law & Order” veteran Jesse L. Martin plays a behavioral scientist who solves cases by getting into the heads of suspects, figuring out why they did the crime (or didn’t do it).
“Gen V” (Sept. 29, Amazon Prime)
The pedigree: “The Boys” has already had one spinoff, the animated “Diabolical” (2022), but we switch to live action for this story of young superheroes who use the supe equivalent of steroids. Combining the hilariously awful political gamesmanship of the parent series with a college setting should result in natural dark humor. Fans of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” are in for a treat, as both Jaz Sinclair and Chance Perdomo star. Clancy Brown heads up the veteran actors, and the showrunners of “The Boys” also oversee “Gen V.”
“Spencer Sisters” (Oct. 4, The CW)
The pedigree: Again The CW picks up a foreign show to fill out its lineup, this time looking to always-reliable Canada. Lea Thompson and “Degrassi’s” Stacey Farber play a mother and daughter (who the mother says can pass for sisters) – the mom a novelist, the daughter a cop – who team up to solve crimes. It looks cute, at least. If the whodunits are as smart as modern viewers demand, it could be good too.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” (Oct. 12, Netflix)
The pedigree: It’s the latest Mike Flanagan horror series. No more need be said. But I’ll say more anyway. The writer-director again contemporizes a master’s works – Edgar Allan Poe in this case – and his usual troupe is in place. We also get interesting cast additions like Mark Hamill, Annabeth Gish and Willa Fitzgerald (TV’s “Scream”). Let’s hope “Usher” doesn’t get canceled mid-story like last year’s underappreciated “Midnight Club.”
“A Murder at the End of the World” (Nov. 14, FX)
The pedigree: “Only Murders in the Building” Season 3 is wrapping up, so I’ll need another murder mystery to discuss with my friends around the virtual water cooler. This one looks to be on the weird side, coming from the creators of “The O.A.” (2016), a cult favorite I couldn’t quite get into. The location appears to be a posh resort in the snowy middle of nowhere, so it already lives up to the title. Emma Corrin appears to be a fine lead, and the great (but rather absent as of late) Clive Owen is among the supporting cast.
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (Nov. 17, Apple TV)
The pedigree: A film saga continuing on the small screen used to be a demotion, but those days are over. The Monsterverse (the four “Godzilla” and “Kong” films from 2014-21) gets a robust fleshing-out in a time-hopping series that features John Goodman (from the Seventies-set “Kong: Skull Island”) as a narrator. Kurt Russell – with son Wyatt doubling him in flashbacks — heads up the cast, a much better career choice than his “Fast & Furious” role (if not as lucrative).
“Fargo” Season 5 (Nov. 21, FX)
The pedigree: Three outstanding seasons and one dud is a pretty decent track record. While my enthusiasm for Noah Hawley’s series about Midwestern crimes waned slightly with the 2020 season, I’ll be onboard for this fifth season – set in 2019 in Minnesota and North Dakota – thanks to the cast. Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”) leads the way, along with Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lamorne Morris and Dave Foley.
“Obliterated” (Nov. 30, Netflix)
The pedigree: Not much is known so far, except that it’s the new series from the three guys who created “Cobra Kai.” And it celebrates the glory days of action movies — the Eighties and Nineties. Likely it will retain “CK’s” tone of reverence for ridiculous but lovable pieces of pop culture, and therefore will be another winner.