We are a little over a month away from the end of the broadcast television season, and weâd rather nđot talk about it â since so much of it was forgettable.
The TV networks will be announcinꌺg their fall lineups in mid-May, and several series have already been given places on the schedule.đ Hope springs eternal, I guess.
But there are somđ°e stars and shows that sound like they might be worth watching, if only because of their creatorsâ pedigree. In an effort to start off the week on a high note, Iâve come up with some things and people to look ꌥforward to come September.
Benjamin McKenzie, ‘Gotham’
The sandy-haired heartthrob still has his fans from his early days on âThe O.C.â But McKenzie proved he was more than just eye candy for the pre-Instagram generation when he segued from that soap into the gritty LA cop drama âSouthland.â Unlike many soap actors who got by on their brooding goâod looks, McKenzie successfully transitioned to leading-man material. When he premieres this fall as the young Commissioner Gordon in âGotham,â he will have the full backing of the Fox publicity machine behind him. The series is based on characters from the DC Comics universe, including Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) and Catwoman (Carmen Bicondova).
Greta Gerwig, ‘How I Met Your Dad’
The thinking womanâs Zooey Deschanel is starrinđąg in âHow I Met Your Dad,â which is all-but-a-lock on the fall schedule. The show tells the kind of story that made âHow I Met Your Motherâ a staple on CBS, but from a womanâs perspective. Brand-new characters and a brand-new voice on a network that has the largest number of loyal viewers.
Vince Gilligan, ‘Battle Creekâ
Gilligan, creator of âBreaking Bad,â is not a household name like Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, but the phenomenal success of that series has made him the hottest producer in town. His 2002 spec script, about two wildly different detectives whâ¨o join forces to clean up Battle Creek, Mich., was instantly ordered to series on NBC. Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters star and David Shore (âHouseâ) is the expert showrunner.
Rainn Wilson, ‘Backstrom’
The ungainly, hilarious star of âThe Officeâ switches gears in this Fox procedural based on the mysteries by Swedish novelist Leif G.W. Persson. It centers on an overweight, offensive detective (Wilson) whose self-destructive behavior is getting in the way of his job. Thomas Dekker and Dennis Haysbert also star.
Will Forte, ‘The Last Man on Earth’
It took a star-making performance in Alexander Payneâs âNebraskaâ to show that âSaturđźday Night Liveâ alum Forte deserved his âąown series. He has it in this Fox comedy about the last man on the planet.
Ellie Kemper, ‘Tooken’
Shooting in New York, this NBC comedy is a Tina Fey/Robert Carlock production about a woman who leaves a doomsday cult and ꊾstarts her life over again in the city. Kemper played Erin on âThe Office.â
Patricia Arquette, ‘CSI Spinoff’
One of the reasons âMediumâ lasted as long as it did was because female viewers identified with Arquetteâs portrayal of an average mom. She is the star of yet another spinoff â canât we just call them stepchildren? â of the once-mighty âCSI.â This one is not set in a city, like the bygoneâ New York and Miami iterations. Arquette will play Avery Ryan, queen of the FBIâs cyber-crime division in friendly Quantico, Va. She has a crazy job: solving crimes where the criminal is faceless, operates online and the ramifications are global. The series is inspired by the work of cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken.
Andrea Martin, ‘Working the Engels’
One of the funniest people on the planet (and a tęŚ wo-time Tony winner), Martin stars in this crazy NBC comedy about the Engel family, who decide to pay off their late fatherâs debts by working in his law firm. One tiny problem: Most of them are not lawyers. Her âSCTVâ cohorts Martin Short and Eugene Levy are two reliable guest stars.
John Mulaney, ‘Mulaney’
The former âSaturday Nigâht Liveâ writer stars in this autobiographical Fox comeđdy about a comedian who deals with his boss (Martin Short) and his friends and neighbors.
Natasha Lyonne, ‘Old Soul’
Tina Feyâs better half, Amy Poehler, created this comedy about a young woman who is trying to find herself while working as the aide to a group of elderly people. Lyonne most recently staęŚrred in âOrange is the New Black.â Her co-stars are not too shabby: Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Rita Moreno.