A guide to Autumn’s new television shows
By Lauren Paulsen, Multimedia Editor
The Fall show lineup is here! Television networks have been posting all of their new shows, but the flood of new content can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Why not right here?
We are here to guide you through all of the new television shows that are coming out during October. Some are already out, but id they sound interesting you’ll only have one or two episodes to catch up on. With a wide range of genres, from dramas about time-travelers and savage mutants, to hilarious sitcoms, reality series, and relatable family drama, October has something new for everyone.
Check out the trailers on the Other Press Youtube Page!
Saturday, October 1: Versailles
Versailles is a new Anglo-French historical drama brought to life by David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren. The story takes place in 1667, when King Louis XIV (George Blagden) is 28 years old. Louis is determined to build the grandest palace in Europe, all the while destroying his enemies and gaining more power.
Sunday, October 2: Westworld
Sometimes creators smash through genre boundaries and manage to come up with something unique. Westworld is one of such show, being both a sci-fi and a western. Although it was inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie of the same name, a western sci-fi is not commonly found in the television world. The series, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, is set in a Wild West theme park created by Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins). Within this theme park are human-like androids, and guests are encouraged to act out their fantasies and desires.
Monday, October 3: Conviction, Timeless
If you had the choice between joining a department that re-examines cases where there is suspicion of wrongful conviction, and going to jail, you’d probably choose the former. In Conviction, that’s exactly what Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell) does when she is blackmailed to take a job with the Conviction Integrity Unit, run by district attorney Wayne Wells (Eddie Cahill).
Timeless is a new action-adventure sci-fi drama that focuses on a trio who needs to travel through time and protect history as we know it after a time machine is stolen. The trio is made up of the time machine engineer Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), Delta Force soldier Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter) and history professor Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer). One of the filming locations for Timeless was Boundary Bay Airport in Delta.
Tuesday, October 4: No Tomorrow
Based on the Brazilian show Como Aproveitar o Fim do Muendo (which translates to “How to enjoy the end of the world”), No Tomorrow is a new comedy romance. The show features Evie (Tori Anderson), a cautious young woman who works at a distribution center, and the thrill-seeking, free-spirited Xavier (Joshua Sasse), who lives his life the way he does because he believes an apocalypse is coming. Wednesday, October 5: Frequency
Another new show featuring time-travelling this season is Frequency, which is based on the 2000 film of the same name. In this adaptation, Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) discovers that she can communicate with her estranged father Frank (Riley Smith) through his old ham radio. There’s just one issue: Frank died in 1996 while working as an undercover cop. The two need to work together to change the tragic events to come, and also heal the rift in their complicated relationship. Frequency was filmed in Vancouver.
Sunday, October 9: Divorce, Insecure
Divorce is a new comedy series starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church. It follows the couple through their long, drawn out divorce—how it impacts them, their children, and everyone else around them. Sharon Horgan, the creator of the new HBO series, wanted to not only focus on the couple, but also the intricacies of the industry and all of the people involved in a couple’s divorce. The new show should resonate well with anyone who has ever been impacted by divorce.
Following Divorce, a second half-hour comedy series, Insecure, premiered on HBO. Written and starring Issa Rae, it follows a black woman as she awkwardly stumbles through life. Rae wanted to create a series that would explore the black female experience in an authentic way without being cliché, and the new show is partially based on Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl.
Monday, October 10: Freakish, Vice News Tonight
Teens + chemical plant accident + savage mutants = Freakish. In the aftermath of a meltdown at the local chemical plant, a group of high schoolers need to survive the new predatory mutants that have taken over their small town. Although Freakish premiers on Hulu, which is currently unavailable in Canada, those resourceful people who want their horror fix this Halloween can find a way to watch this new 10-episode series.
What is the new generation of news going to look like? Check out VICE News Tonight to find out. Promising news that has no filters and gets to the gritty truth, this new nightly show can be found five days a week on HBO. The creators, from Vice.com, have been nominated for several Emmys and have won 13 Webbys. VICE News Tonight should appeal greatly to the younger generation, and, as a bonus, it has no ads.
Tuesday, October 11: American Housewife, Channel Zero, The Letter, Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?
The moms in the wealthy town of Westport are all perfect—except for Katie Otto. American Housewife is ABC’s new laugh-out-loud comedy, following a strong-willed mother (Katy Mixon) trying to raise her “flawed” family in a town of cookie-cutter perfection. This sitcom, which was originally titled The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport, features Katie’s narrative voice-over and a single camera set-up.
Welcome to your regularly scheduled nightmare: Channel Zero. Subtitled Candle Cove, Syfy’s new horror show is about a disturbing children’s television program that makes the kids who watch it do things… Containing six episodes, the first season is based on Kris Straub’s Creepypasta with the same name.
Zelda Williams will be narrating the new reality relationship show The Letter. Each episode features a cast of four best friends who each draw one of their friend’s names. They then write an anonymous letter to that person that honestly explains their opinion of what their friend needs to do and change in order to improve their life. For the next week, each friend will need to follow all of the rules and instructions in the letter they received. Will friendships strengthen or crumble when the authors are revealed?
Fans who couldn’t get enough of season 20 of The Bachelor can continue to follow Ben Higgins and his fiancée Lauren Bushnell in their new reality show Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? Will these two lovebirds see thorns or roses in their future?
Wednesday, October 12: Cold War Armageddon, That Awkward Game Show
How much do you know about the Cold War? Cold War Armageddon, a new documentary, takes viewers back to when nuclear weapons kept the entire world on edge, when WWII ended and a new type of war began. This five-part series explores one of the greatest power struggles in history and how it changed the world forever.
Do you like hilarious game shows? Then you should check out Spike’s new That Awkward Game Show, where parents and their adult children compete for a cash prize, all the while learning some of the most ridiculously shocking truths about each other. Host and comedian Jeff Dye will reveal the uncomfortable and embarrassing secrets.
Thursday, October 13: Acting Out, The Almost Impossible Game Show, Failing Water, Money. Power. Respect
Produced by A Smith & Co. Productions (Hell’s Kitchen, American Ninja Warrior), is new comedy series Acting Out, which will air on MTV. This new comedy series features both established and new comedians, who act out their best stand-up routines.
Another new game show to come out this season is The Almost Impossible Game Show. Similar to Total Wipeout, this British show follows contestants as they try to complete various games, such as smashing eggs with a hammer attached to their helmet in a set amount of time, and bouncing across a treadmill on a space hopper.
What if all of our individual dreams are actually part of one big dream that we are all dreaming together? That is the premise behind the new mind-bending Falling Water, where three strangers figure out they are sharing a collective dream, and that the future of the world lies with them and their connections to each other. The series is emotionally charged and aims to take the viewers on a journey. The late Henry Bromell co-created the pilot for this series with Blake Masters before he died.
Money. Power. Respect. is a new reality series that follows the attorneys behind some of the hip-hop industry’s biggest names. It follows six women as they try to get ahead in the industry, sometimes helping one another and at other times attempting to claw each others’ eyes out. Featured in the series are entertainment lawyer Wendy Credle, intellectual property attorney Kendell Kelly, trial attorney Dana Whitfield, general counsel attorney Kelly Shapiro, fashion attorney Nakia Thomas, and entertainment attorney Tiffany Ballard.
Friday, October 14: Goliath, Haters Back Off
Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thornton) used to be one of the best trial lawyers ever, until his wife left him and he started drinking. Goliath follows his story as he reluctantly agrees to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit, but finds himself in a life or death trial against the ultimate Goliath after he uncovers a vast and deadly conspiracy. This thrilling legal drama also stars William Hurt, Maria Bello, Olivia Thirlby, Dwight Yoakam, Sarah Wynter, and Molly Parker.
Youtube star Colleen Ballinger-Evans is bringing her Miranda Sings character to Netflix this season with Haters Back Off. In this outrageously funny new eight-episode series, find out how Miranda became famous, how she responds to her haters, and ultimately how she wants to follow her dreams. Like other Netflix shows, the full season will be released at once.
Saturday, October 15: Downtown Shabby
There are thousands of old, vintage homes that look beautiful on the outside, but bear hidden horrors within. In the new Downtown Shabby reality renovation series, design experts and couple Frank and Sherry Fontana battle the various horrors inside, including dry rot, weak foundations, and even termites, to not only make these homes livable, but beautiful again.
Sunday, October 16: Berlin Station, Eyewitness, Graves
Berlin Station, an original series, is a spy thriller. Richard Armitage plays Daniel Meyer/Miller, who has been sent to Berlin to uncover a mole in the CIA who supplied sensitive information to the now-famous whistleblower Thomas Shaw. Berlin Station promises to provide a suspenseful look into the controversial topic of spies vs. whistle blowers.
Eyewitness is a new American drama series based on the Norwegian series Øyevitne. Adi Hasak wrote the adaptation to this crime drama, which explores a single, grisly crime from the points of view of the eyewitnesses. Filmed in Parry Sound, Ontario, the cast for this new series includes Gil Bellows, Warren Christie, Julianne Nicholson, James Paxton, and Tyler Young.
Nick Nolte stars in the new political satire Graves. The story centers on former president Richard Graves. Twenty years after his presidency, he starts questioning some of his poor decisions, and realizes that some of the things he did as president were so wrong that he needs to speak out and right them. Brought into the show are some real life politicians playing themselves, including Michael Steele, Barney Frank, and Rudy Giuliani.
Monday, October 17: Desus & Mero
Desus Nice and the Kid Mero, the duo behind the podcast Bodega Boys, are getting their own talk show on VICELAND. Desus & Mero will air four nights a week, Monday through Thursday, and cover daily news and culture with their own unique delivery.
Wednesday, October 19: Chance
Hugh Laurie stars as another doctor in the new series Chance. But although they may both be doctors, Dr. Eldon Chance is very different from Dr. Gregory House. From the best-selling author Kem Nunn, and Lenny Abrahamson, the Academy Award-nominated director of Room, Chance is a psychological thriller that follows the forensic neuropsychiatrist as he enters the world of “mistaken identity, police corruption, and mental illness.” It will run for 10 episodes, and be available on Hulu.
