This fall’s line-up of new television shows seems to have something for everyone, with different series’ filling all the niches. There’s a new comic book-based action/drama, and a few channels over, you’ll find a new Ken Burns documentary miniseries. Here are some of the shows I’m most excited for this season:
“Bad Judge” (NBC)
You know those shows you feel a little guilty admitting you watch? NBC’s “Bad Judge” just might be one of them. Starring Kate Walsh as Rebecca Wright, a Los Angeles County Circuit Court judge, “Bad Judge” tells the tale of a judge who’s just, well, bad. In the courtroom, Wright is your quintessential law-and-order, tough-on-the-bad-guys judge, but in her private life, she is quite the party girl. Nightly drinking and hooking up provide a solid backbone to her busy schedule as a judge, but this lifestyle is challenged by the introduction of an eight-year-old boy to her home. It’s one of those shows that will prove to be either satisfying in the trashy way or so atrocious that on top of never admitting publicly that you watched it, you’ll attempt to excise it from your memory completely. But there’s only one way to find out. “Bad Judge” premieres on NBC on Thursday, Oct. 2.
“The Roosevelts: An Intimate History” (PBS)
For the history nerds among us (myself included!), PBS is back. And they’re premiering a brand-new Ken Burns documentary, this time covering one of the United States’ top aristocratic dynasties: the Roosevelt family. A seven-part miniseries, the documentary tells the story of the three most famous members of the family interwoven into one seamless narrative. Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are covered in such a way that they will have both their flaws and their successes illustrated, and it looks to be a balanced approach to some of the more controversial American leaders and their legacies. Covering over a century of American history, from Teddy’s birth to Eleanor’s death, “The Roosevelts” promises to provide an insightful, fresh look at the 20th century’s leading progressives. The series premieres on PBS on Sunday, Sept. 14.
“Gotham” (Fox)
Riding on the past few years’ wave of superhero fandom, Fox’s new show “Gotham” tells the tale of the Batman series’ Commissioner Gordon as a detective in his younger days. Starring Ben McKenzie as Detective Gordon, the show promises to fill in the backgrounds of a score of Batman’s nemeses, granting backstories to the likes of perennial favorites such as the Penguin, Catwoman, Riddler and, of course, the Joker. “Gotham” premieres on Fox on Monday, Sept. 22.
– By Sam Budnyk
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