Courtesy of Hulu; Amazon; HBO
Traditionally, September is the official start of the fall TV season, as the broadcast networks launch brand new series and debut new seasons of beloved favorites. However, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s fall schedule will look a bit different. Many series are scrambling to determine how to safely film their shows, and productions are starting later than usual, meaning most of your favorite scripted series will now be coming later in the year—or even midseason! (I'm looking at you, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.) Fortunately, thanks to streaming platforms and premium cable, there are still plenty of new TV shows to check out in the meantime. Here are some of the ones I’ve got my eye on this September:
Away
Friday, Sept. 4 (Netflix)
Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars as an American astronaut who leads an international crew on a three-year mission to Mars. Executive-produced by Jason Katims, known for Friday Night Lights and Parenthood—two of my all-time favorite shows—this new drama looks to have me reaching for the tissues just as much as I did with those other series.
The Boys (Season Two)
Friday, Sept. 4 (Amazon)
Amazon’s bloody fun superhero series returns, as Billy Butcher’s vigilante group takes the next step in their battle against Vought, while Homelander seeks to maintain his position of power in The Seven as he encounters new addition Stormfront, portrayed by the incomparable Aya Cash. Her involvement alone is going to raise this show to a new level.
Woke
Wednesday, Sept. 9 (Hulu)
When a Black cartoonist is racially profiled and has an intense encounter with the police, he begins to see the world around him differently and must learn to deal with the new voices in his mind. New Girl’s Lamorne Morris stars in this comedy that serves to provide an insightful new take on the current debate regarding racial injustice.
The Third Day
Monday, Sept. 14 (HBO)
A six-episode limited series with serious horror vibes, The Third Day employs a unique concept: The show will portray two related but self-contained stories, each taking place over three episodes. In each half, characters played by Jude Law and Naomie Harris each visit the same mysterious island and soon discover that it may not be what it seems on the surface.
We Are Who We Are
Monday, Sept. 14 (HBO)
Another HBO limited series, created by the director of the Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name, this story centers around two American teenagers living on a U.S. military base in Italy. According to the synopsis, “The series explores friendship, first-love, identity, and immerses the audience in all the messy exhilaration and anguish of being a teenager.” I anticipate some raw, honest portrayals and storytelling.
Utopia
Friday, Sept. 25 (Amazon)
A new series from Gillian Flynn, writer of the novel and film Gone Girl, this conspiracy thriller follows a group of young people who discover a cult graphic novel with deadly real-world implications, making them targets of a shadowy organization. I hadn’t heard of this before researching, but based on the premise, along with the pedigree of Flynn, this might end up being the best thing coming out this month.
What other shows are you looking forward to next month? Tell me in the comments below!