We’ve made it to the most exciting time of year! Well, it is for me at least. New TV series premiere and favorite ones return in late September, so it’s time to take a look at each of the network’s fall schedules and decide which shows you’ll be tuning into this season. This season I’ve decided to consolidate it all in one post, so without further adieu, jump after the break to view the fall schedules for the Big Four networks (namely, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS) plus The CW.
FOX
Fox got a head start on the new season by premiering new reality series Utopia on Sunday, Sept. 7; the low-rated series continues to air in its regular nights on Tuesday and Thursday. Gordon’s Ramsey’s reality show Hell’s Kitchen kicked off Wednesday, Sept. 10. The first scripted series to debut before the official fall season begins next week are sitcoms New Girl and The Mindy Project; they premiere Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 9pm and 9:30pm, respectively. New hospital drama with kids Red Band Society also premieres on the early side this Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 9pm. Fox truly gets going on Monday, Sept. 22 with the series premiere of the very buzzy DC Comics-based series Gotham (pictured above) at 8pm followed by the return of last year’s hit drama Sleepy Hollow. Later that week on Thursday, Sept. 25 Bones returns for its 10th season at 8pm. Fox’s new Sunday lineup premieres in part Sept. 28 with The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Family Guy (the Simpsons crossover episode). Sundays receive Bob’s Burgers (before The Simpsons at 7:30pm) and new sitcom Mulaney (after Family Guy at 9:30pm) on Oct. 5. Also premiering that month on Thursday, Oct. 2 is the American remake of mystery drama Broadchurch called Gracepoint starring David Tennent and Anna Gunn following Bones at 9pm. And last, Gordon Ramsey’s MasterChef Junior is added to the schedule on Nov. 7.
*Above, bold indicates new series I recommend watching
*Below, CAPS indicate new series
SUNDAY, SEPT. 7
8 pm UTOPIA (Series Premiere, Part One)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 9
8 pm UTOPIA (Series Premiere, Part Two / Time Period Premiere)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10
8 pm Hell’s Kitchen
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
8 pm UTOPIA (Series Premiere, Part Three / Time Period Premiere)
TUESDAY Sept. 16
8 pm UTOPIA
9 pm New Girl
9:30 pm The Mindy Project
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17
8 pm Hell’s Kitchen (Time Period Premiere)
9 pm RED BAND SOCIETY
MONDAY, SEPT. 22
8 pm GOTHAM
9 pm Sleepy Hollow
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
8 pm Bones
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
8 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9 pm Family Guy
THURSDAY, OCT. 2
8 pm Bones
9 pm GRACEPOINT
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
7 pm The Simpsons (Encore)
7:30 pm Bob’s Burgers
8 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9 pm Family Guy
9:30 pm MULANEY
FRIDAY, NOV. 7
8 pm MasterChef Junior
–See series key art in the gallery below.
ABC
Besides reality show Dancing with the Stars which premiered on Monday, Sept. 15, ABC is bowing the majority of its fall series during official premiere week. Things kick off Monday, Sept. 22 with new drama Forever (at a special night and time); the freshman drama will fall into its regular Tuesdays at 10 timeslot the very next day where it follows Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Four comedies premiere Wednesday, Sept. 24 including The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and newbie Black-ish. Returning drama Nashville closes out the night at 10pm. On Thursday, Sept. 25 the night that belongs to showrunner Shonda Rhimes begins: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and her latest dramatic soap How to Get Away With Murder (pictured above). Reality show Shark Tank and newsmagazine 20/20 debut Friday, Sept. 26. ABC’s Sunday lineup premieres Sept. 28 with Once Upon A Time, Resurrection, and Revenge. Elsewhere, Castle returns Monday, Sept. 29; new sitcoms Selfie and Manhattan Love Story get added to Tuesday nights starting Sept. 30; Last Man Standing comes back Friday, Oct. 3 at 8 (bumping Shark Tank to 9pm); and new Latino-infused comedy Cristela premieres Friday, Oct. 10 following Last Man Standing at 8:30pm.
*Above, bold indicates new series I recommend watching
*Below, CAPS indicate new series
MONDAY, SEPT. 15
8 pm Dancing With the Stars
MONDAY, SEPT. 22
10 pm FOREVER (Special Sneak Preview)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23
9 pm Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10 pm FOREVER (regular time period premiere)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
8 pm The Middle
8:30 pm The Goldbergs
9 pm Modern Family
9:30 pm BLACK-ISH
10 pm Nashville
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
8 pm Grey’s Anatomy
9 pm Scandal
10 pm HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
8 pm Shark Tank
10 pm 20/20
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
8 pm Once Upon a Time
9 pm Resurrection
10 pm Revenge
MONDAY, SEPT. 29
10 pm Castle
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30
8 pm SELFIE
8:30 pm MANHATTAN LOVE STORY
FRIDAY, OCT. 3
8 pm Last Man Standing
9 pm Shark Tank (Regular time period premiere)
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
7 pm America’s Funniest Home Videos
FRIDAY, OCT. 10
8:30 pm CRISTELA
–See series key art in the gallery below.
NBC
Sunday Night Football and The Biggest Loser premiered earlier this month, leading up to the premiere of many scripted series that will fall on the schedule during premiere week. Last year’s massive hit drama The Blacklist returns for its second season Monday, Sept. 22 at 10pm; it follows the premiere of The Voice. The singing competition airs again Tuesday, Sept. 23 followed by the return of Chicago Fire. On Wednesday, Sept. 24 new Debra Messing drama The Mysteries of Laura debuts at 8pm followed by Law & Order: SVU and Chicago P.D. Parenthood returns for its final season Thursday, Sept. 25, and newsmagazine Dateline NBC starts Friday, Sept. 26. Saturday Night Live kicks off its 40th season on Sept. 27 with host Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. Some programs do the shuffle come October. On Thursday, Oct. 2, new sitcoms Bad Judge and A to Z (pictured above) debut in the 9pm hour sandwiched between The Biggest Loser and Parenthood. On Tuesday, Oct. 14 new sitcom Marry Me and returning comedy About a Boy debut in the 9pm hour stuffed between The Voice and Chicago Fire. On Friday, October 24, Dateline NBC moves to 8pm to make way for Grimm and new DC Comics-based supernatural drama Constantine. The Blacklist will go on hiatus starting Monday, Nov. 17 and Katherine Heigl drama State of Affairs will take its place on Mondays at 10. The James Spader drama returns in early February with a special two-part episode debuting immediately after the Super Bowl; the show will fall into its new Thursdays at 9 timeslot after that.
*Above, bold indicates new series I recommend watching
*Below, CAPS indicate new series
THURSDAY, Sept. 4
8 pm Sunday Night Football (Green Bay at Seattle)
SUNDAY, Sept. 7
7 pm Football Night in America
8:20 pm Sunday Night Football (Indianapolis at Denver)
THURSDAY, Sept. 11
8 pm The Biggest Loser
MONDAY, Sept. 22
8 pm The Voice
10 pm The Blacklist
TUESDAY, Sept. 23
8 pm The Voice
10 pm Chicago Fire
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24
8 pm THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA
9 pm Law & Order: SVU
10 pm Chicago P.D.
THURSDAY, Sept. 25
10 pm Parenthood
FRIDAY, Sept. 26
9 pm Dateline NBC
THURSDAY, Oct. 2
8 pm The Biggest Loser (time period premiere)
9 pm BAD JUDGE
9:30 pm A TO Z
TUESDAY, Oct. 14
8:00-9:00 The Voice (time period premiere)
9:00-9:30 MARRY ME
9:30-10:00 About a Boy
FRIDAY, Oct. 24
8 pm Dateline NBC (time period premiere)
9 pm Grimm
10 pm CONSTANTINE
MONDAY, Nov. 17
10 pm STATE OF AFFAIRS
–See series key art in the gallery below.
CBS
The Eye unspools its new fall season starting Sunday, Sept. 21 with the premiere of newsmagazine 60 Minutes followed by freshman political drama Madam Secretary with Téa Leoni at 8pm and the return of The Good Wife at 9pm. CSI joins the Sunday lineup airing at 10pm starting Sept. 28. Top-rated sitcom The Big Bang Theory premieres Monday, Sept. 22 with two back-to-back new episodes, followed by new drama Scorpion at 9pm. The season finale of summer series Under the Dome will air that night at 10. Starting Monday, Sept. 29, Mom and NCIS: Los Angeles will air at 8:30pm and 10pm, respectively. A month later on Oct. 27, Two Broke Girls returns to the schedule to take over TBBT in the 8pm slot (TBBT will then relocate to Thursdays at 8 starting Oct. 30). Moving on to Tuesday, NCIS, spinoff NCIS: New Orleans, and Person of Interest debut Sept. 23. Long-running reality program Survivor debuts Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 8pm followed by the two-hour finale of another summer series, Extant. Starting Oct. 1, Criminal Minds and Kevin Williamson’s new drama Stalker join Survivor on Wednesdays at 9 and 10pm, respectively. On Friday, Sept. 26, The Amazing Race, Hawaii Five-0, and Blue Bloods return to the sked. And finally, CBS’ Thursday night lineup debuts Oct. 30 with The Big Bang Theory, The Millers, the final season of Two and a Half Men, new sitcom The McCarthys, and Elementary.
*Above, bold indicates new series I recommend watching
*Below, CAPS indicate new series
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
7:30 pm Thursday Night Football Pre-Game Show
8:25 pm Thursday Night Football (Pittsburgh @ Baltimore)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
7 pm 60 Minutes
8 pm MADAM SECRETARY
9 pm The Good Wife
MONDAY, SEPT. 22
8 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm The Big Bang Theory (New episode)
9 pm SCORPION
10 pm Under the Dome (Season 2 finale)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23
8 pm NCIS
9 pm NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (new)
10 pm Person of Interest
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
8 pm Survivor
9 pm Extant (2-hour season finale)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
8 pm The Amazing Race
9 pm Hawaii Five-0
10 pm Blue Bloods
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
10 pm 48 Hours
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
10 pm CSI
MONDAY, SEPT. 29
8:30 pm Mom
10 pm NCIS: Los Angeles
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1
9 pm Criminal Minds
10 pm STALKER
MONDAY, OCT. 27
8 pm 2 Broke Girls
THURSDAY, OCT. 30
8 pm The Big Bang Theory (Regular time slot premiere)
8:30 pm The Millers
9 pm Two and a Half Men
9:30 pm THE MCCARTHYS
10 pm Elementary
–See series key art in the gallery below.
THE CW
As is tradition, CBS’ sister network The CW will debut its fall TV season in October. Things kick off with veteran The Vampire Diaries and sophomore Reign premiering Thursday, Oct. 2. TVD spinoff The Originals returns Monday, Oct. 6 followed by a Supernatural retrospective special at 9. Supernatural falls in its regular timeslot the very next day on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 9pm following the series premiere of buzzy The Flash. Red hot Arrow returns Wednesday, Oct. 8 and it’s paired with an encore of The Flash‘s series premiere that night. The 100 will eventually take over the Wednesday at 9 slot starting Oct. 22. The network’s second new fall series Jane the Virgin debuts Monday, Oct. 13 at 9pm following The Originals.
*Above, bold indicates new series I recommend watching
*Below, CAPS indicate new series
THURSDAY, OCT. 2
8 pm The Vampire Diaries
9 pm Reign
MONDAY, OCT. 6
8 pm The Originals
9 pm Supernatural (retrospective special)
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
8 pm THE FLASH
9 pm Supernatural
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8
8 pm Arrow
9 pm The Flash (premiere encore)
MONDAY, OCT. 13
9 pm JANE THE VIRGIN
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15
9 pm The Flash (Episode 2 encore)
FRIDAY, OCT. 17
8 pm Jane the Virgin (premiere encore)
9 pm America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 21 will have premiered Aug. 22)
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22
9 pm The 100
—Preview new The CW series here.
–See series key art in the gallery below.
