Big-name actors star in this season’s television shows
Many new television series premiere this time of year, especially on the major networks.
Here are ten series to take notice of:
Derek (all episodes streaming on Netflix)
The brilliant Ricky Gervais (“The Office,” “Extras”), one of the funniest people in the entertainment world today, created a new series that has been released on Netflix. He plays a mentally disabled and big-hearted bloke who works at a retirement home. Knowing that Gervais’ humor is often vicious and politically incorrect, one might be wary of him playing a mentally disabled person. However, the series, which has a 64 rating on Metacritic, is more of a dramedy that has been praised as his most humane work to date.
Sleepy Hollow (Mondays on FOX at 9 p.m.; encore of season premiere on Friday, Sept. 20 at 9 p.m.)
The loopy conceit of this new fantasy/science fiction/action/thriller series is that Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), the lead character in Washington Irving’s classic 1820 story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is a warrior from the Revolutionary War era who is transported to the present day and joins forces with a New York police lieutenant (Nicole Beharie) to stop the Headless Horseman. Advertised as written by “the writers of ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Transformers,’” this series has actually gotten pretty good reviews; it has a 67 rating on Metacritic.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Tuesdays on FOX at 8:30 pm; encore of season premiere tonight at 9:30)
Andre Braugher (“Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Men of a Certain Age”), Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”), Terry Crews (“Everybody Hates Chris”), Melissa Fumero (“One Life to Live”) and Joe Lo Truglio (“Superbad”) star in this office comedy set in a police station. Think of it as a 21st century “Barney Miller.” The show currently has a 70 rating on Metacritic.
Mom (premieres on CBS Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m.)
Anna Faris (“Scary Movie,” “The House Bunny”) stars in the newest CBS sitcom created by Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men”). She plays a recovering alcoholic and mother who is trying to get her life together. Her mother is played by Allison Janney (“The West Wing”). Faris is a funny and talented comedienne, but in almost everything she has been in, she hasn’t shown her full potential. Here’s to hoping that this series will utilize her well.
The Blacklist (premieres on NBC on Sept. 23 at 10 p.m.)
James Spader (“Boston Legal”) stars as a top-notch criminal who is one of the FBI’s most sought after fugitives. Suddenly, he turns himself in and says he is willing to use his abilities and knowledge to help an FBI agent (Megan Boone). Why does he do this? Tune in to find out.
Hostages (premieres on CBS on Sept. 23 at 10 p.m.)
A rogue FBI agent (Dylan McDermott of “The Practice,” “American Horror Story”) forces a surgeon (Toni Collette of “The United States of Tara”) into a plot to assassinate the president of the United States. This action/thriller/drama, based on an Israeli series, is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”). The usually conservative CBS is stretching out of its comfort zone by airing a series with a premise this tantalizing.
Trophy Wife (premieres on ABC on Sept. 24 at 9:31 p.m.)
A twice-divorced father (Bradley Whitford of “The West Wing”) marries a woman half his age (Malin Akerman of “Childrens Hospital”) but is still plagued by his two exes (Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden of “Pollack” and Michaela Watkins of “The New Adventures of Old Christine”).
The Crazy Ones (premieres on CBS on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.)
The newest series by David E. Kelley, creator of “The Practice” and “Boston Legal,” stars Oscar-winner Robin Williams in his first starring role on a TV series since “Mork and Mindy” as an ad executive who works with his daughter (Sarah Michelle Gellar of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). These three big names should add up to a fun half hour of comedy.
The Michael J. Fox Show (premieres on NBC on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.)
Don’t think that just because Michael J. Fox has Parkinson’s disease, he is out of the spotlight. He has courageously stepped up to star in a new NBC sitcom as a TV news anchor who comes back to work after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years earlier.
Hello Ladies (premieres on HBO on Sept. 29 at 10:30 p.m.)
Stephen Merchant, Gervais’ creative partner, now has his own series on HBO. Playing a variation of himself, Merchant, an Englishman, goes out into the dating world in Los Angeles and fails in a hilarious and cringe-inducing fashion.