The Best of Fall TV: What to Watch Now
Autumn is well under way, and with it comes a whole bunch of fantastic new TV to get into. But with all the various platforms on which to watch things (Apple and Disney debuted their own streaming services this fall) and thousands of hours of content, what’s really worth your precious time? We’ve got 10 options for you.
“Unbelievable”
Why you should watch: This eight-episode drama about the victims of a serial sexual assaulter and the female cops on the case is tough to watch at times, but gripping throughout. Toni Collette and Merritt Wever are cops as we’ve seldom seen them written: women who are more than just “tough” or “one of the guys.” Kaitlyn Dever delivers an absolutely gutting performance as the girl the police in her hometown simply didn’t believe.
Where to watch: Netflix
“American Horror Story: 1984”
Why you should watch: No, the 1984 part of this season of the FX horror anthology doesn’t mean it’s an adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel. Instead, the AHS writers are turning their twisted vision on the camp-slasher genre, with a group of young ’80s yuppies experiencing a fatal summer as camp counselors.
Where to watch: FX
“The Masked Singer”
Why you should watch: If you missed the first season of this surprise hit, now’s your chance to get in on the fun. The premise is simple: Famous people dress in elaborate costumes and lip-sync to popular hits while judges (and the audience) attempt to figure out who’s beneath the mask. Simple, yet captivating.
Where to watch: Fox
“The Good Place”
Why you should watch: The fourth and final season of this genius comedy is a can’t-miss: The story of four bad humans who learn to get better and the celestial architect who helps them do it is truly a balm for the soul in troubled times. Oh, and it’s just really forking funny. (Previous seasons are on Netflix if you need to catch up.)
Where to watch: NBC
“The Unicorn”
Why you should watch: Walton Goggins of “Justified” and “Vice Principals” fame stars as a widower looking to get back into the dating game, with friends and family of varying levels of competency looking to help him. Sweet in a way that doesn’t tip over into saccharine territory.
Where to watch: CBS
“The Politician”
Why you should watch: Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bette Midler and Jessica Lange starring in a dark comedy about high school politics? Ryan Murphy’s first Netflix show certainly won’t be boring.
Where to watch: Netflix
“Watchmen”
Why you should watch: Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” graphic novel revolutionized storytelling about superheroes, casting them as flawed human beings rather than idols. “Lost” and “The Leftovers” showrunner Damon Lindelof is helming this adaptation, which veers quite a bit from the source material, avoiding some of the pitfalls of Zack Snyder’s maligned 2009 film.
Where to watch: HBO
“The Morning Show”
Why you should watch: The inner workings of news shows is catnip for Hollywood, and setting the action in a “Today Show”-esque environment, with Jennifer Aniston as an anchor dealing with ageism, Reese Witherspoon as the upstart coming for her job, and Steve Carell as Aniston’s disgraced former co-anchor, makes this worth at least a first look.
Where to watch: Apple TV
“His Dark Materials”
Why you should watch: Philip Pullman’s trilogy—about a young girl, Lyra who finds herself as a pawn in a religious war in a world like our own but not—was a formative text for a wide swath of young people when it was released in the TK. But if that isn’t enough to pull you in, check out the cast this series has put together: James McAvoy as the enigmatic Lord Asriel, “Logan”‘s Dafne Keen as Lyra, Ruth Wilson as the posh Mrs. Coulter, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as aeronaut Lee Scoresby.
Where to watch: HBO
“The Mandalorian”
Why you should watch: The American launch of Disney+, Disney’s proprietary answer to Netflix, is a big deal on its own. But “The Mandalorian,” billed as a space Western that follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter (a la Boba Fett) looks impeccable.
Where to watch: Disney+
Program availability may have changed and is subject to change. Streaming services may require a subscription and sometimes an additional fee.
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