Fall is back, and with it comes warm drinks, candles, autumn colors, and new TV shows. With new programs, new seasons, and some not returning at all, there’s a lot watch. So what exactly is returning, and what’s brand new? There’s an interesting mix of shows, with things from Marvel, new murder mysteries, and some familiar shows from across the sea. I’m going to talk about some of the notable ones you might be interested in.
A new show on ABC, Forever, is rather interesting, but also rather familiar (but more on that in a second). A new murder mystery show, Forever is the story of Dr. Henry Morgan (Iaon Gruffudd), a medical examiner in New York City with an interesting…ailment, of sorts. Whenever he dies, he always comes back to life, awakening in a body of water, an adult, never aging. This is rather useful, as his knowledge of the human body and death makes his job a piece of cake for him, and solving murders a little easier when he can sometimes test how someone might have died (as gruesome as that sounds).
The thing is, the premise of the show sounds almost exactly like New Amsterdam, which is about John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), an NYPD homicide detective who doesn’t age and comes back to life whenever he dies. New Amsterdam, produced by a group separate from the Forever creators, aired in 2008 on Fox but ended up being cancelled. The idea may not be an original one, and fans of New Amsterdam may not like Forever as much, but it still is an intriguing one, and it’ll be interesting to see if it fares any better than the previous one.
There’s another show that premiered recently on American TV that may seem similar to one overseas, but for a very good reason. Gracepoint is the American version of the British murder mystery show Broadchurch. Gracepoint is described as a remake of the show, with some of the same actors returning to play characters, but in truth, the mystery is rewritten, with new twists and a different culprit to keep anyone who tuned into it’s UK counterpart on their toes. It is more just eerily familiar, not a carbon copy.
David Tennant, who played the lead detective in Broadchurch also plays the main detective in the American remake, but with a different name and an American accent. I never caught either show, but I am rather interested in both shows. It’d be fun to see how differently each play out. Gracepoint is a murder mystery, so it can and will be a dark show at points.
On the superhero side of TV, there’s Gotham, airing on Fox. Nearly everyone has seen some version of Batman’s story, but this show is tackling it from a different angle, and a different point in time. Instead of joining the caped crusader on crime solving adventures, the show follows a young detective, James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), who many will recognize as Commissioner Gordon. He’s not quite commissioner yet, however. The show takes place around the time Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), the man behind Batman’s mask, watches his parents get murdered during a robbery in an alley. Detective Gordon investigates the case, and the show explores the beginnings of Gordon, Wayne, and many super villains such as Catwoman, Ivy, and Penguin. I will admit, I have not actually watched Gotham yet, so I can’t really share any opinions on it. But for those interested in DC and Batman, you may want to tune in to see what it?s like.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is back with it’s second season, and is covering storyline questions within the Marvel cinematic “universe” (the continuity and connections between the Disney owned Marvel movies) as well as a lot of developments and cliffhangers it left with it’s finale. Personally, I love the show and its characters. It follows Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as they work to rebuild the agency, as the once thought defeated threat of Hydra pretty much destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D. from the inside out in the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and in episodes of the show. While it does revolve around a superhero based universe, it brings in many heroes who don’t have any sort of superpowers, and some characters who’d be better classified as mercenaries, rogues, and traitors. It explores a different side of the comic universe, and is both well written and engaging. On top of that, premiering most likely in January 2015, Agent Carter follows Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and the Howling Commandos, seen in the first Captain America movie, as they build the foundation for S.H.I.E.L.D. after World War II.
There’s many more new and returning shows, (Sleepy Hollow, How to get Away With Murder, Scorpion, and so much more) but I won’t bore you by droning on and on about them. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about all the shows back and new to TV. What shows are you interested in, and what ones do you wish were still on air?
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For more features, read the Oct. 7 article, National News Engagement Day: Join the discussion.
