Fall TV preview: 'Matlock,' 'The Penguin,' 'Golden Bachelorette,' 54 more great shows to watch

After that hodgepodge fall of 2023 — full of repeats, competition series, game shows and whatever else the titans of TV could fill strike-depleted lineups with — welcome to the New Normal. 

Over the next few months, there will be more new series than average viewers can consume in a year — dozens to remind them of those streaming subscription services they’ve dropped, or of those broadcast networks they’ve abandoned.

There are so many series that the major streamers don't quite know where to put them (like "Dune: Prophecy," still awaiting a launch date on Max.)

Is this New Old Normal a return to those "peak TV" days, when the factory line turned out upward of 400 scripted shows per year? Not quite, but there will be plenty to watch: Here are 57 newbies to check out.

SEPTEMBER

SEPT. 13

HOW TO DIE ALONE (Hulu)

Mel (Natasha Rothwell) is a "broke, fat, Black JFK employee" — Hulu's unkind description — who has never been in love. Then, a near-death experience changes her life's direction. Fans of "Insecure" and "The White Lotus" will remember Rothwell, who's a gifted comedy writer, too. This eight-episode show (with four dropping today) looks promising.

THREE WOMEN (Starz, 10 p.m.)

Lisa Taddeo's 2019 nonfiction account about the complicated (read: fraught) sex lives of three very different women gets a fictional do-over, with Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin and DeWanda Wise ("Jurassic Park Dominion").

UGLIES (Netflix)

Three hundred and sixty years in the future, everyone has to undergo cosmetic surgery by the age of 16 so that they're not — umm — ugly. This dystopian teen-YA drama (with hints of "The Hunger Games") has adapted the Scott Westerfeld novel, which seems to have been in development limbo since its 2005 publication. Joey King (Hulu's "The Act") is protagonist Tally Youngblood, while Laverne Cox also stars.

SEPT. 15

MOONFLOWER MURDERS (WNET/13, 9)

Lesley Manville (who we'll be seeing a lot of this fall) returns in this sequel to Anthony Horowitz's "Magpie Murders," but this time, her detective, Susan Ryeland, has decamped for Crete (where parts of this season were filmed).

SEPT. 17

AMERICAN SPORTS STORY: AARON HERNANDEZ (FX, 10.; FX on Hulu)

This Ryan Murphy 10-parter on New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (Josh Rivera, "West Side Story") — who died by suicide in 2017 while serving a life sentence for murder — also stars Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick, and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow (Hernandez's QB at the University of Florida).

HIGH POTENTIAL (WABC/7, 10)

The always fun Kaitlin Olson ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Hacks") is a genius mom who solves crimes as a side gig alongside a by-the-book detective (Daniel Sunjata) — yet another reminder that the commercial networks are still in the business of cop procedurals. Series creator Drew Goddard is a big-screen horror specialist with a long list of elite TV credits, from "Lost" to "The Good Place" — so let's go ahead and say "High Potential" has potential.

SEPT. 18

AGATHA ALL ALONG (Disney+)

Kathryn Hahn returns as once-powerful (now powerless) witch Agatha Harkness from 2021's "WandaVision." For those without a Ph.D. in Marvel, a little background: Agatha was next-door neighbor to Wanda and Vision, in bucolic suburban Westfield, then later revealed to be the local witch causing all sorts of mischief, and also star of her own show-within-the-show, titled "Agatha All Along." This spinoff (the 11th TV series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) is literally a "road show," as Agatha heads off down so-called Witch's Road to form a new coven. Hahn's impressive supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Debra Jo Rupp and Northport's Patti LuPone.

WHAT'S NEXT: THE FUTURE WITH BILL GATES (Netflix)

Mr. Microsoft looks to the future in this thoughtful five-parter that starts off with an in-depth (and not entirely pessimistic) look at artificial intelligence. Future episodes explore global warming, and a subject Gates has some familiarity with: "Can We Be Too Rich?"

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE (ABC/7, 8)

This first edition of the AARP version of "Bachelorette" launches with Rockville, Maryland, mother of four, Joan Vassos, 61, who must choose among 24 suitors, and yes indeed, an LIer is among them: Christopher N. Stallworth, a 64-year-old contractor from West Babylon who (per ABC) "would love to cook for Joan and is ready to whip up her favorite dish if she has an appetite for a delicious meal with a handsome date!”

SEPT. 19

THE PENGUIN (HBO/Max)

This eight-parter picks up immediately after the events of "The Batman" (2022) when Gotham had been flooded, and mob boss Carmine Falcone killed. A power vacuum is about to be filled by Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot — as in the movie, an utterly unrecognizable Colin Farrell. The overall aesthetic remains the same (dark, moody, and rainy, oh-so-rainy), but Oz is about to get his extended close-up — humanizing, with extreme violent overtones. (Who's missing here? The Batman.) Cristin Milioti co-stars as Sofia Falcone.

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS (Netflix)

From the husband and wife team Zack and Deborah Snyder comes this anime-multiparter based on figures drawn from Norse mythology. Bring your sweaters (it's chilly) and blinders (for over-the-top violence).

A VERY ROYAL SCANDAL (Prime Video)

In the fall of 2019, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, sat for an interview with BBC reporter Emily Maitlis. The inevitable question arose — something about Jeffrey Epstein — and Andrew's implosion followed. Netflix's "Scoop" from last April has been this way before, but "Scandal" has cast Ruth Wilson as Maitlis, with Michael Sheen as Andrew, in a devastating and absorbing portrayal of the disgraced royal over three episodes.

MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY (Netflix)

Ryan Murphy's second installment of his gruesome true crime anthology (Jeffrey Dahmer was the first) looks at the 1989 murders of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty (Chloë Sevigny) Menendez by their sons.

SEPT. 20

LA MAISON (Apple TV+)

Apple TV+ has had successful haute couture series — most recently "The New Look" — and now this French-language haute drama, in 10 episodes. The logline: "'La Maison' follows two illustrious, dysfunctional and powerful rival families as they vie for dominance in the cutthroat world of high fashion."

SEPT. 22

MATLOCK (CBS/2, 8, then Oct. 17 at 9)

This entertaining update of the original (1986-92) stars Kathy Bates, who makes pointed (and frequent) reference that her character, Madeline Matlock, is in no way related to that original TV show "Matlock" (which starred Andy Griffith as the mystery-solving lawyer). Out of the workforce, and having trouble securing a job — because she is over 65 — Maddy scores a gig at a Manhattan-based white shoe firm (Beau Bridges stars as the boss). The legal beagle sleuth has been unleashed once again.

RESCUE: HI-SURF (Fox/5, 8)

Big waves, rescues, tanned (sculpted) bods, Hawaii — that about sums up this action-adventure set on the North Shore of Oahu, which demands that you-watch-don't-think. But what gives one pause here is the legendary producer behind this sun-and-surf procedural, John Wells ("ER" and so much else), who just might have a surprise or two for us jaded viewers.

TV ON THE EDGE (CNN, 9)

This four-partner looks at "impactful moments in television history" that "changed" the culture, like Murphy Brown's out-of-wedlock baby, and the April 30, 1997, "coming out" episode of "Ellen." Also on CNN, the funny Roy Wood Jr. will host the satire on the headlines, "Have I Got News for You," starting Sept. 14 at 9.

SEPT. 23

BRILLIANT MINDS (NBC/4, 10)

Zachary Quinto is Dr. Oliver Wolf, the neurologist who's never seen a rule he can't break or a hopeless patient he can't treat. "Seeing" is the key metaphor here, because he can't actually recognize faces (so-called "face blindness") but he can see into souls. Hence the tagline, "the doctor will see you." This is "inspired" by Oliver Sacks, who died in 2015 and who has inspired Hollywood before: 1990's "Awakenings," with Robin Williams.

SEPT. 24

MURDER IN A SMALL TOWN (Fox/5, 8)

Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) is a big-town cop who comes to a small town in the Pacific Northwest where he meets local librarian, Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk, "Smallville") via a dating app. A murder-solving team is born (he's also the town sheriff). If all this sounds familiar, well it should to fans of the Edgar Award-winning series by L.R. Wright. "Murder" has the small-town detective tropes down cold (and should), but the always-interesting Sutherland (son of Donald) and Kreuk could make this a winner for Fox.

PENELOPE (Netflix)

From indie star producers Mark and Jay Duplass, and their longtime collaborator Mel Eslyn , this eight-parter is about 16-year-old Penelope (Megan Stott) who goes off the grid in the wilds of Washington State in search of herself (and much else).

WE WILL DANCE AGAIN (Paramount +)

This documentary on the Oct. 7 Nova Music Festival attack comes from acclaimed CBS News producer Susan Zirinsky  (directed by Yariv Mozer) with footage collected from survivors and "recovered from cameras worn by Hamas," per Paramount +. In a statement, Zirinsky called the film "a painful story of unfathomable tragedy, but also of bravery, sacrifice, and heroism."

SEPT. 25

GROTESQUERIE (FX, 10)

Yes, the reports are true — Travis Kelce will indeed star in this latest from Ryan Murphy, but we'll all find out together as who, or what (no screeners yet). Stunt casting aside, it's easy to think of this as a 10-episode spinoff, or rip-off, of the "American Horror Story" franchise. But what exactly is "Grotesquerie"? The official throughline doesn't much help: Some horrific small-town murders rattle the local detective (Niecy Nash), who enlists the help of a journalist-nun (Micaela Diamond) to solve the crimes. Playwright Jon Robin Baitz — who took production lead on the most recent "Feud" — is showrunner here, while Lesley Manville and Courtney B. Vance also star.

MIDNIGHT FAMILY (Apple TV+)

This Spanish-language drama is about a young medical student, Marigaby Tamayo (Renata Vaca), who studies by day and operates a family-owned ambulance service by night. Mexico City — world's eighth largest by population (25 million) — is also the star here and a vibrant one indeed.

SEPT. 26

DOCTOR ODYSSEY (ABC/7, 9)

Above decks on the luxury cruise ship are swimming pools, flowing cocktails and beautiful bods, but below decks at the infirmary ... well, you don't want to go down there, unless you have a heart attack, ruptured aorta, bodily injury or severe enterotoxigenic escherichia coli (don't ask). It's there you'll find Dr. Max (Joshua Jackson) who can perform a miracle or two. Welcome to the cheesiest hunk of floating Velveeta on the entire 2024 prime-time lineup. (Just how much cheese are we talking about here? Well, Don Johnson does play the luxury liner's captain.)

NOBODY WANTS THIS (Netflix)

Joanne (Kristen Bell) and her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) have a podcast about modern love, when Joanne meets a "hot" rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody), at a party. A relationship (and presumably hotter podcast material) ensues. Created by Erin Foster, this 10-partner borrows elements from the lives of Hollywood power couple Sara and Erin Foster — sisters, influencers, podcasters and TV producers who have also launched their own fast-growing apparel brand, Favorite Daughter. (Synergy alert: Expect to see some of their own designs featured here, too.)

SEPT. 27

SOCIAL STUDIES (FX, 10)

Veteran documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield — maybe best known for the 2006 HBO film on eating disorders, "Thin" — will "return to her roots with L.A. Youth" (per FX) on this five-part docuseries about (mostly) teen girls getting back to school after the pandemic in August 2021. These kids gave Greenfield access to their private online lives and what she found were seriously stressed-out kids, made (much) worse by cellphones and social media.

WILL & HARPER (Netflix)

Will Ferrell and former "SNL" writer Harper Steele were close colleagues during their years on the show. When Steele later told Ferrell she was undergoing gender transition, they decided to go on a cross-country road trip. Why not! This film — which got a good reception at Sundance where it bowed in January — is a record of their travels.

SEPT. 29

THE SUMMIT (CBS/2, 9)

Think of this as "Survivor" in the snow — 16 "strangers" have to reach the summit of Mount Cook — now known as Aoraki — in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, elevation just over 12,000 feet. Presumably only one will be standing there (frozen) by the end. You (they) can expect a lot of teamwork and tricks in the process, while the winner takes home $1 million (minus taxes).

OCTOBER

OCT. 2

JOAN (CW/11, 9)

Sophie Turner — last seen in "The Staircase" but best-known for "Game of Thrones" — stars in this British six-parter about Joan Hannington, known as "Britain's most notorious diamond thief" in the '80s."

LAST DAYS OF THE SPACE AGE (Hulu/Disney +)

On July 12, 1979, the ill-fated Skylab — NASA's first attempt at a Space Station — fell to earth, with debris spreading over the Indian Ocean and across Western Australia, near Perth. This is the debris' story, or more exactly, the story of those Aussies who found all the stuff. This eight-episode comedy stars Jesse Spencer ("Chicago Fire").

OCT. 6

THE FRANCHISE (HBO/Max, 10)

Armando Iannucci ("Veep") has another target-rich subject — the superhero movie franchise. As the throughline was explained to Deadline, this series will "shine a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking to ask the question: How exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every [screw]up has an origin story." With — among many others — Aya Cash (recently Stormfront of "The Boys"), Billy Magnussen and Himesh Patel.

OCT. 9
SCAMANDA (ABC/7, 10)

Yet another series, or "docuseries," based on a podcast, in this instance the popular 2023 one about a San Jose, California, mom, Amanda C. Riley, who faked a cancer diagnosis then raised $100,000 in a social media drive. Very little else is known about this (and even ABC isn't saying much).

OCT. 10

TEACUP (Peacock)

Three words: "Intergalactic," "bounty" and "hunter." Put them together and you have the key plot point in one of the highest-profile streaming series of the fall season, if only because horror master James Wan ("Saw," "Insidious," "The Conjuring") is behind the camera. Based on Robert R. McCammon's 1988 bestseller, "Stinger" ("He's here, and he's not friendly," per the tagline), this miniseries relocates the action from the small Texas town where the novel was set to one in Georgia (hey, better production tax breaks). Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman star.

TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND OF LARA CROFT (Netflix)

There's a whole lot of grrrl power in this latest (animé) adaptation of the video game. Who's LC? If you must ask, then obviously you haven't seen the three big screen adaptations of this most famous (fictitious) British archaeologist. Hayley Atwell ("Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning") voices her here, in eight episodes.

OCT. 11

DISCLAIMER (Apple TV+)

Five-time Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón has chosen this for his first TV series, an  adaptation of Renée Knight's 2015 novel about an English TV doc producer, Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett). She is psychologically tormented by a retired professor, Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline) seeking revenge for his son's death in an unlikely place — a novel based on how Catherine may have been behind his death. (Lesley Manville and Sacha Baron Cohen also star.) There are elements of Blanchett's Oscar-nominated role from 2022's "Tár," but otherwise, comparisons are superficial (or irrelevant). It's really a revenge tale — and a particularly dark one — over seven episodes. This is Blanchett's first series since 2020's "Mrs. America," and pretty much Kline's first starring TV role ever (no, "Bob's Burgers," where he voices, doesn't count).

OCT. 14

NCIS: ORIGINS (CBS/2, 9)

The Leroy Jethro Gibbs origin story, circa 1991, with Austin Stowell ("The Inheritance") as Gibbs. This goes way back to Gibbs' earliest days at Camp Pendleton, while showrunners promise lots of Gibbsian arcana no one ever knew about. In case you are wondering, Mark Harmon has a role here, too, as narrator (he left the mother ship in 2021). For those still counting, this is the fifth "NCIS" spinoff, with a sixth in the works.

OCT. 16

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A CELEBRITY? (Prime Video)

Travis Kelce — who is suddenly famous outside of football (any guesses why?) — is just as suddenly ubiquitous. He'll host 20 episodes of this spinoff of the British game show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Top prize is $100,000 — or better yet, a Taylor Swift sighting?

GEORGIE & MANDY'S FIRST MARRIAGE (CBS/2, 8)

This "Young Sheldon" spinoff focuses on the first marriage of Georgie (Montana Jordan) to Mandy (Emily Osment), begging the question, will the next spinoff focus on the second? Georgie, as fans of "The Big Bang Theory" and "YS" recall, was Sheldon's brother. Annie Potts returns as Meemaw.

OCT. 18

HAPPY'S PLACE (NBC/4, 8)

Reba McEntire is back in her first starring role on a sitcom since "Reba" wrapped in 2007. The logline: "Bobbie (McEntire) inherits her father’s bar and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had." Not a whole lot more is known about this (no screeners yet), but Reba is Reba.

HYSTERIA! (Peacock)

An '80s death metal band decides to become a satanic death metal band when the small town where they usually perform goes all in on a satanic craze following the disappearance of the high school quarterback. In quite the stretch, Julie Bowen stars with Garret Dillahunt.

RIVALS (Hulu)

David Tennant stars in this series adaptation of Jilly Cooper's ("Rutshire Chronicles") novel, opposite Aiden Turner ("The Hobbits" franchise), about a pair of high-powered rivals in a small English town in an origin story about British "independent TV." Sounds bland? Well, Cooper's "Chronicles" were chock full of sex, the more licentious the better.

OCT. 21

POPPA'S HOUSE (CBS/2, 8:30)

Damon Wayans (Sr.) is back in a network comedy for the first time in 20 years, in this multicam about a "legendary talk radio host" who lives with his adult son — played by Damon Wayans Jr., marking the first time father and son have shared co-starring roles on the same series.

OCT. 24

LIKE A DRAGON: YAKUZA (Prime Video)

With the success of "The Last of Us," "The Witcher" and most recently "Fallout," a live-action adaptation of this popular Sega game first released in 2005 was inevitable. But what's so interesting here is that this is in Japanese and filmed in Japan. Per Prime, "the series depicts the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō ..."

TERRITORY (Netflix)

This "Yellowstone"-Down-Under series is about the battle for the world's largest cattle ranch, in Australia's Outback, owned by generations of the same family. With Anna Torv ("Fringe") and Michael Dorman ("For All Mankind").

OCT. 25

BEFORE (Apple TV+)

With distant echoes of 1999's "The Sixth Sense," Billy Crystal stars as a child psychologist and widower stalked by a troubled kid (Jacobi Jupe) who is tormented by terrifying visions — sinewy black stuff that covers walls, then turns into a snake. Eli (Crystal) comes to the rescue, while dealing with the recent death of his wife (Judith Light).

OCT. 27

THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB (WNET/13, 9)

Samantha Bond — Lady Rosamund of "Downton Abbey" and much else — stars as self-appointed leader of a small group of ladies in a quaint English village who set out to solve a murder the police don't bother with, in this "Masterpiece Mystery!" adaptation of the Robert Thorogood novels.

NOVEMBER

A MAN ON THE INSIDE (Netflix, TBA)

Mike Schur and Ted Danson ("The Good Place") are reuniting for this comedy about a man (Danson) hired to snoop around a nursing home. (This is based on a 2022 Chilean doc, "The Mole Agent.") Also starring Mary Elizabeth Ellis ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), Stephanie Beatriz ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine") and Sally Struthers.

DUNE: PROPHECY (HBO/Max, TBA)

Yet another much-anticipated newcomer without a launch date yet, this six-part prequel to the hit movies set 10,000 years before them, looks into the creation of the Bene Gesserit sect, starring Emily Watson as its leader Valya Harkonnen . (This isn't drawn from the Frank Herbert novel but rather "Sisterhood of Dune," by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.)
NOV. 7

CITADEL: HONEY BUNNY (Prime Video)

This is the Indian version of that hugely ambitious Russo Brothers' spy thriller that set out to conquer the world — if not necessarily critics a year ago (" ... a $300 million disaster for Prime!" per Rolling Stone, when the first edition bowed in April 2023). Will "Bunny" or "Citadel: Diana" (the Italian version arriving a month earlier, on Oct. 7) get the critics (or you) on board?

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (Peacock)

This latest adaptation of the 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel doesn't bear much resemblance to either the novel or its plot, but the ruthless assassin Jackal (Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne) remains as ruthless as ever, and the MI6 agent on his trail (Lashana Lynch of the Marvell Cinematic Universe) is as well. Compulsively watchable — at least the early episodes I sampled — this could be a winner for Peacock.

NOV. 12

ST. DENIS MEDICAL (NBC/4, 8)

You may recoil at the thought of one more network "mockumentary" — this one about a struggling hospital in the Midwest — but the cast here is so good you may want to give this a special pass: Allison Tolman as a nurse, David Alan Grier as a doctor, and Wendi McLendon-Covey ("The Goldbergs") as St. Denis' administrator.

NOV. 14

CROSS (Prime Video)

Aldis Hodge ("Turn: Washington's Spies") stars in this first-ever TV series based on James Patterson's long-running franchise about D.C. homicide detective Alex Cross, with personal and professional challenges, who uses psychological techniques to read killers' minds. (Yes, there have been Cross movies, too, with Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry in the lead roles.)

SAY NOTHING (FX on Hulu)

Encompassing four decades of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, this dramatization of Patrick Radden Keefe's 2018 nonfiction bestseller, "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland," begins in 1972, with the IRA abduction and murder of a 38-year-old mother of 10. No screeners yet, but this still promises to be one of the major series of the fall.

NOV. 17

LANDMAN (Paramount+)

This latest from "Yellowstone's" Taylor Sheridan, this does (superficially) look like the "Dallas" version of that other hit (which wraps its fifth and final season starting Nov. 10), but Paramount instead says this is "an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires" in the oil boomtowns of West Texas, based on Texas Monthly's podcast, "Boomtown." And with quite the cast, including Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore and Jon Hamm in a guest role.

NOV. 18, 19

LEONARDO DA VINCI (WNET/13, 8)

For his first non-American subject, Ken Burns goes big and deep — two nights, four hours — on the life and times of da Vinci, with a focus on "how the artist influenced and inspired future generations ..."

NOV. 19

INTERIOR CHINATOWN (Hulu)

While nothing to see just yet, this 10-parter, based on Charles Yu's 2020 novel could be a stealth breakout. It's about what happens when an Asian character actor ("Silicon Valley's" Jimmy O. Yang), who's trying to break free of stereotypical roles he gets in crumby police procedurals, witnesses a real-life crime. Yu's novel won the National Book Award for fiction.

NOV. 28

THE MADNESS (Netflix)

Colman Domingo stars in this eight-episode conspiracy thriller about a media pundit who "must fight for his innocence" after he comes across a murder in the Pocono woods.