With the end of summer just around the corner, more people will be heading back indoors to enjoy their leisure time with plenty of new and returning TV shows to choose from.
The beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic put productions on pause for a bit, creating a delay for some of the most-anticipated television series. With most TV production being back in action for a while now, a wide selection of shows encompassing all genres is set to be released this fall through a variety of streaming services. Here is my list of five intriguing TV shows to consider.
The Chair
This comedy-drama about an English Department chair at a major fictional university starring Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) is already out on Netflix and ready for you to binge. Oh is following up her major success with another series that has already received positive reviews from critics. She is continuing to solidify herself as a great lead TV character. In The Chair, Oh’s character, Ji-Yoon, is the first woman of color to become chair and tries to meet the high expectations of a failing English department. Anyone who has an affinity for writing or education should give this series a shot. Notable actress and screenwriter Amanda Peet created the series. The first season has six episodes.
Only Murders in the Building
When I saw the cast and read the premise of this comedy-mystery I was immediately hooked. Who knew the classic duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short would team with pop star Selena Gomez to make a show about true crime. The series follows three, who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves involved in one. Amy Ryan (The Office) is also cast in the show. I am pleasantly surprised that Martin and Short would delve into a project like this given their age and the comedy movies they typically made in the 1980s and ’90s. With them, you know there will be some laughs, although in more of a dark plot than they are usually in.
I also think Gomez is poised for her breakthrough TV role. Even though she’s been in many shows and movies, this one has more hype and anticipation and seems to have a better story than the others. I look forward to seeing the acting chemistry between the two elder giants of comedy and the younger pop star. The series is available on Hulu and premiered Aug. 31.
Impeachment: American Crime Story
This show, centered around President Clinton’s two-year affair with then 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky, is the third installation of FX’s true crime anthology series — following The People v. O.J. Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace. The show is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President (1999). Clive Owen is thrown back into the acting spotlight as he will portray Clinton, his first notable role in a long time, while Elizabeth “Beanie” Feldstein is cast as Lewinsky. Other notable cast members include Sarah Paulson, Edie Falco, Billy Eichner, Cobie Smulders and Colin Hanks. As someone who was just a toddler when this happened, I am looking forward to watching this dramatized version of what took place. The show will have 10 episodes and the first one already premiered Sept. 7 on FX.
Scenes from a Marriage
Every fall, HBO releases a new miniseries, and they never seem to disappoint so I’ll definitely be tuning in for this one. Starring Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), the miniseries is an English language remake of the 1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name, which focuses on contemporary American couples. Knowing that Issac and Chastain have worked together before on films, I expect one or both to be nominated for an Emmy. These two have proved to be some of the best actors of the past decade. The miniseries is scheduled for five episodes with the first one premiering Sept. 12.
Succession
This HBO black comedy/drama is about an international media conglomerate run by an aging patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) whose family members are all vying to succeed him. As difficult choices are made, family loyalties collide. The Emmy award-winning series is set for its third season to premiere sometime in October. Cast members include Jeremy Strong (The Trial of the Chicago 7) and Kieran Culkin. Adrien Brody (The Pianist) is also set to make his debut appearance on the show as a billionaire activist investor who becomes involved in the ownership of the company. If you don’t mind frequent “F-bombs” this show is right up your alley. The high-class family with low-class ethics rarely show any respect for one another and will do anything it takes to get an edge. I believe this series exemplifies how several rich and entitled families act as they tend to see the world through a selfish lens. This kind of plot and dialogue is meant to be entertaining.
