New TV Shows We're Excited About This Fall

The lineup of scripted shows set to premiere on TV this fall is staggering. Across the spectrum of network channels, cable and streaming services, there's a ton of fresh, new offerings on the way–and many of the shows have a lot of potential to become the next big thing. Here are the ones we're most looking forward to watching.

HBO is already home to one sprawling epic with Game of Thrones, and Westworld fits right into that mold with a blend of sci-fi and Western themes. It's a reimagining of Michael Crichton's 1973 movie, in which androids run an adventure-themed amusement park where visitors play out their Wild West fantasies–like participating in a pistol duel or making company with a madame. But things go awry when the robots begin to reject their programming and turn on the human guests. The visual dynamism of the two planes of reality is sure to be intense, and the top-tier cast (Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton) and showrunners (Jonathan Nolan co-wrote The Dark Knight and Interstellar) ensure the series will have a lot of hype when it premieres Oct. 2 on HBO.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe already migrated to the small screen via Netflix with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Now Phase Three is set to premiere with a new batch of shows including Luke Cage–about a former convict with superhuman strength. Actor Mike Colter already introduced the hero from Harlem in Jessica Jones, but the standalone series is expected to further explore his gritty onscreen persona with the kind of attention to detail that made the MCU a perfect fit for Phase Two. Colter will be joined by Mahershala Ali (The 4400) and Alfre Woodard (Captain America: Civil War), when the show launches Sept. 30.

As the BBC reported, Kiefer Sutherland will not reprise his role of Jack Bauer in 24: Legacy. He will, however, make another splash with ABC's political thriller Designated Survivor. Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, a low-ranking member of the U.S. Cabinet until an explosion during the State of the Union address claims the lives of the president and everyone above Kirkman in the line of presidential succession. As the titular "designated survivor," he suddenly finds himself taking the Oath of office (in a sweatshirt) while the fate of the free world falls into his hands on the brink of war. The clock is ticking down to the premiere Sept. 21 on ABC.

Prepare for a major punch to all the sappy spots when this new sports drama hits the small screen. Pitch follows Ginny Baker–the (fictional) first woman to play baseball in the majors, and since it was made in cooperation with MLB, Baker gets to to be on a real team. She joins the San Diego Padres, and the team's stadium serves as the backdrop of the show. Kylie Bunbury plays the central trailblazer, and she's joined by Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Ali Larter. If the previews are any indication, it'll be an inspiring and satisfying story that'll smash through glass ceilings. The opening Pitch will be Sept. 22 on FOX.

Stars Hollow, here we come again. For Gilmore Girls faithful, the upcoming return of Rory (Alexis Bledel), Lorelai (Lauren Graham), and Emily (Kelly Bishop) to their roots as the fast-talking family will literally be a calendar-worthy event–Netflix will release Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life the day after Thanksgiving. Four "seasons" of mini-movies will revisit nearly all of the town's beloved characters, and tie up those lingering loose ends almost a decade after the final season aired in 2007. It arrives Nov. 25, giving fans a reason to be extra-thankful this year.

What happens when a gal ends up in heaven, but definitely doesn't deserve to be there? We're about to find out with the new comedy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator Michael Schur. The Good Place stars Kristen Bell as a former do-badder who winds up with a sweet afterlife thanks to a celestial mixup. Now she has to decide whether to do her first good deed and tell the truth, or keep quiet and enjoy the splendor of her new existence. From everything we've seen so far, Bell's fast wit is in the perfect place. The show premieres Sept. 19 on NBC.

This passion project of Donald Glover should introduce an invigorating new side of its star to audiences. Best known as the boyish Troy Barnes in NBC's Community, Glover is also an accomplished writer and stand-up comedian. In the hip-hop world, though, he's known as Childish Gambino, a Grammy-nominated rap artist. Before all that, however, he grew up in Atlanta, where his new dramedy is set. Glover created, wrote, partially directs, and stars as Earnest "Earn" Marks, who works to help his cousin take his music career to the next level. Atlanta drops Sept. 6 on FX.

There's a new stay-at-home dad on the family show circuit. Matt LeBlanc will forever be synonymous with Joey Tribbiani, his character from Friends, but he made a pretty triumphant comeback when he played himself in Showtime's critical hit Episodes. Man With a Plan appears to borrow at least a little from LeBlanc's life–he plays a dad who learns parenting is harder than he thought when his wife gets a new job. (LeBlanc told THR he took an extended hiatus from acting after his Friends spinoff Joey was canceled.) The new show will share a CBS time block with Matthew Perry's The Odd Couple reboot, and the two haven't ruled out a crossover. Man With a Plan launches Oct. 24 on CBS.

For those still a little torn up about the cancellation of Agent Carter, worry not. ABC is giving the show's plucky star Hayley Atwell another shot with Conviction. Atwell plays the troubled daughter of a former U.S. president who is essentially blackmailed into using her law degree to represent innocent people wrongfully convicted. Unlike Peggy Carter, Atwell's new alter ego is a very reluctant hero who's got her own personal issues to sort through before she can save anyone else. The legal drama premieres Oct. 3 on ABC.

Fans of the iconic '80s TV show (about a guy who could disarm a ticking time bomb with only a paperclip, two hangers, and some scotch tape) are in for a treat. A new version of MacGyver will bring his unorthodox problem-solving back to TV. Lucas Till takes over for Richard Dean Anderson in the CBS reboot, and the show looks to be just as cheekily cornball as the original. MacGyver kicks into action again Sept. 23 on CBS.

The comedy potential of "ganja-prenuers" (weed dealers who deliver) is getting a double dose of new life this fall by way of HBO's High Maintenance and MTV's Mary + Jane. While High Maintenance has been a web series for years, Mary + Jane brings something new to the pot, so to speak. Snoop Dogg didn't just give his blessing, he serves as executive producer, and he hopes his presence leads to cameos by some of Hollywood's biggest grass lovers. Mary Jane lights up Sept. 5 on MTV.

Even a doomsday scenario will still have an Aftermath, and this new apocalyptic offering looks to serve up all the most fearful elements of the end of days: devastating meteors, large-scale vanishings, the introduction of demon monsters that aim to hunt any humans who survived the collapse of civilization as they knew it, and groups of innocent survivors who will have to adapt to the unkind world that now surrounds them. Aftermath begins Sept. 27 on SyFy.