The fall TV season is now in full swing, with a bushel of shows dropping on Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable channels.
The new TV lineup is led by two highly-anticipated shows from the two biggest comic book franchises. "The Penguin" expands DC's "The Batman" world onto the small screen, while "WandaVision" spinoff "Agatha All Along" brings witchy energy to the MCU. The networks are starting to debut their fresh and returning shows as well, including ABC's "The Golden Bachelorette" and "High Potential." Here's our guide on the top new TV shows to check out this week.
‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ (FX)
The latest offshoot of Ryan Murphy’s “American Story” franchise, following his horror and crime series, will focus on a prominent event or figure in the sports world, starting with the rise and fall of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez. After playing tight end for the New England Patriots, Hernandez was convicted of murder and later died by suicide in prison in 2017. The 10-episode limited series follows Hernandez (Josh Andrés Rivera) from his troubled childhood through his college career at the University of Florida alongside Tim Tebow (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and his three seasons with the Patriots until his eventual death.
Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. ET on FX (via Sling or Fubo)
Episodes stream next day on Hulu
‘High Potential’ (ABC)
Kaitlin Olsen headlines this new crime dramedy based on a popular French series as a single mom with an exceptional mind … who works as a cleaning lady at the police station. During a shift, Morgan knocks over a file and instantly deduces the real victim in an ongoing case. After the captain (Judy Reyes) recruits her as a consultant, Morgan teams up with a by-the-book seasoned detective (Daniel Sunjata) to put her knack for solving crimes to good — and profitable — use.
Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC (via Sling or Fubo)
Episodes stream next day on Hulu
‘The Golden Bachelorette’ (ABC)
Age ain't nothing but a number. Last year, "The Bachelor" franchise got a much-needed refresh by introducing the first-ever senior lead, Gerry Turner, who met and married Theresa Nist (though they later got divorced). Now, it's a Golden Bachelorette's turn. Joan Vassos, 61, vied for Gerry's heart until she had to leave the show early to support her daughter through postpartum depression. She'll have 24 suitors ranging in age from 57 to 69 and in profession from ER doctor to retired Navy captain to rancher. Here's hoping Joan finds the love of the rest of her life.
Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC (via Sling or Fubo)
Episodes stream next day on Hulu
‘Agatha All Along’ (Disney Plus)
Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness was a breakout character on the superb “WandaVision,” Marvel’s first TV series, so she was the natural choice for a spinoff (which has undergone several title changes). Last we saw Agatha, she’d been cursed by Wanda to live as Agnes in Westview. Now, she’s able to break free of the spell but finds herself completely powerless. To get magic back, she turns to some unlikely allies in a coven, including a teen familiar (Joe Locke), warrior Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), potions expert Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) and 450-year-old Sicilian witch Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone).
Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney Plus
‘A Very Royal Scandal’ (Prime Video)
As a historical miniseries chronicling a scandal in British history, “A Very Royal Scandal” is a spiritual successor to 2018’s “A Very English Scandal” (about the Thorpe affair) and 2021’s “A Very British Scandal” (about the Argyll divorce). “Royal” is true to its title, as it takes on the infamous 2019 BBC interview with Prince Andrew that was so disastrous that it ended his public role in the royal family. The interview was already dramatized in the Netflix movie “Scoop” earlier this year, but this version is produced by the journalist who conducted it, Emily Maitlis, portrayed here by Ruth Wilson opposite Michael Sheen as the Duke of York.
Premieres Friday, Sept. 19 at 12 a.m. ET on Prime Video
‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ (Netflix)
Ryan Murphy’s other anthology series, “Monster,” gets double the trouble in its second season as it shifts from Jeffry Dahmer to focus on the Menendez brothers, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. The nine episodes depict the physical and emotional abuse Lyle (Nicholas Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch) experience from their parents (Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny) until they finally snap and decide to mete out punishment of their own.
Premieres Friday, Sept. 19 at 3 a.m. ET on Netflix
‘The Penguin’ (HBO)
Maybe nobody really asked for a spinoff show of “The Batman” about Colin Farrell’s Penguin, but my colleague Malcolm McMillan raves that it’s one of the best shows of the year. DC can be hit or miss when it comes to their movies, but their TV shows are typically excellent — see: “Harley Quinn,” “Doom Patrol,” early seasons of “The Flash” and the recent “Batman: Caped Crusader.” An almost unrecognizable Farrell reprises his role as Oz Cobb, who is on the rise to becoming a criminal kingpin. He’s got competition in Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), the daughter of a deceased mob moss and a psychopathic serial killer just out of prison. Dark nights have come to Gotham City ….
Premieres Friday, Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max
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