5 Must Watch Fall TV Shows

Atlanta on FX

You won’t want to miss these 5 new Fall shows

Ahh yes Fall. The time of year when the wind begins to blow, when pumpkins sprout up on the picturesque porches of picturesque houses and when the leaves change colors brilliantly before littering the ground with their carcasses, waiting patiently to get stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

What better way to spend those blustery Fall months than relaxing on your couch, letting your waist expand with every handful of candy corn you dig from the bowl of candy you promised was for the trick-or-treater’s watching some good old fashioned television. To help you on your journey we put together this list of the 5 best new Fall shows to watch.

Lethal Weapon (FOX)

This is a show that shouldn’t work. A serialized TV remake of the 1990s Mel Gibson and Danny Glover buddy cop action comedies would seem destined for the Fall sweeps trash bin. But thanks largely to the chemistry of it’s two leads, Clayne Crawford (yes that’s a real name) as Martin Riggs and ohh my god is that Damon Waynes? It is Damon Waynes as Roger Murtaugh, Lethal Weapon succeeds. A funny, charming and action packed show that gives us a reason to care about it’s main characters is just the easy-to-digest show to pair with your evening candy corn binges.

Atlanta (FX)

Donald Glover, he of Community and Childish Gambino fame, created and stars in this FX Original Series about a listless man-child trying (sort of) to follow his passion and make it as a music manager. Navigating an often surreal version of Atlanta, Earn (Glover) tries to help his cousin Paper Boi make it as a rapper, scrape together enough money to feed his daughter and stay on the good side of his driven no nonsense on again off again girlfriend (mostly so he has a place to sleep at night). Atlanta treats us viewers with a bizarre, funny, humane and complicated look at life in Atlanta.

Son of Zorn on FOX
Son of Zorn on FOX

Son of Zorn (FOX)

Mark this one under “watch it now because it’s probably getting canceled.” Part live action, part animated show ala Roger Rabbit, this Fox show stars Jason Sudekis as the animated He-Man esque warrior Zorn. When Zorn travels from his homeland to Orange County to reunite with his son (Johnny Pemberton) and Ex Wife (Cheryl Hines) he butts heads with her new husband (Tim Meadows) and the realization that he doesn’t exactly fit into this world. It’s a strange melding of animated and situational comedy. But any fans of show creators Chris Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, 21 Jumpstreet) will find something to laugh at here.

The Exorcist (FOX)

Fall would be nothing without Halloween and what good would Halloween be without something to scare the crap out of you. And while the Exorcist will never be able to match the horror masterpiece that inspired it, it can certainly provide a few good frights. Not a straight up remake but more a retelling of the original story of a Priest (Alfonso Herrera) doing battle with demonic spirits, The Exorcist is good enough and frightening enough to take some viewers away from it’s main competition, American Horror Story (Meh) and Scream Queens (too campy and unlikable) and provide a decent amount of scares when the wind is blustering outside your window.

Designated Survivor (ABC)

Kiefer Sutherland is back on TV doing his trademark stern-whisper-growl as a lowly White House cabinet member Tom Kirkman who finds himself thrust into the Presidency when a devastating attack levels our nation’s capitol. Kirkman, who never had much of a stomach for politics, is suddenly the most powerful man in the world and must do his best to bring together a fractured country while navigating the cut throat world of politics and trying to figure out who exactly are his and America’s enemies. Designated Survivor is the network TV thriller done right and Kiefer Sutherland is at the top of his game. This is one to watch.