Everyone knows that Netflix is productivity’s archenemy. The temptation to binge-watch half a season in a day is just too much to refuse sometimes, especially in moments of great stress and/or boredom. Unfortunately, anyone who falls into this habit also knows that dreadful moment when you just run out of stuff on Netflix. You can only rewatch every season of "Friends" so many times.
Lucky for you, the new semester is also bringing a brand new fall TV schedule – and some really promising new shows that will help you out of that binge-watching slump:
1. "Heroes Reborn" - Premieres Sept. 24, 2015 on NBC
Remember "Heroes"? The original science fiction show about a variety of super-powered individuals around the world rocked NBC from 2006 to 2010. The first season had a fantastic plot line and great set of characters – and no contemporary science fiction fan is ever going to forget the famous “Save the cheerleader, save the world” tagline. Unfortunately, the show took a nosedive in the second season, with the third season so bad that fans were practically begging to have it canceled.
Now, however, creator Tim Kring has brought about the opportunity for the series to redeem itself. A 13-episode miniseries, "Heroes Reborn" focuses on an entirely new set of gifted individuals (along with some of our old favorites) as their deal with their abilities and the aftermath of the last series. Since this is coming right at the height of superhero popularity, this is the perfect time to jump onto the "Heroes" bandwagon.
2. "Fear the Walking Dead" - Premieres Aug. 23, 2015 on AMC
Pretty much nobody has managed to escape the "Walking Dead" popularity rampage that has been ongoing since 2010. The show following Rick Grimes and co. as they try to survive amidst the zombie apocalypse has been an undeniable hit. The enthusiasm for this gritty, survival-of-the-fittest universe has been so huge that AMC has created a spin-off series – one that actually shows how civilization falls. It’s a tantalizing promise, since we see very little in the original series about how society actually crumbles in the beginning of an infectious zombie plague.
"Fear the Walking Dead" is set to tackle that challenge in the most terrifying way possible: By following a fractured family living in the middle of densely populated Los Angeles. While this clever creative decision by the AMC team does make the show easily accessible to newcomers who may not be aware of the functions and specificities of zombies from the original series, "Walking Dead" fans should approach the show as a breath of fresh (yet still satisfactorily zombie-riddled) air.
3. "Supergirl" - Premieres Oct. 26, 2015 on CBS
As mentioned earlier, superheroes have been a huge trend in recent years and television networks everywhere are snatching up with just about every Marvel and DC character known to man. We’ve seen massively popular shows like "Arrow" and "The Flash" with the CW, "Gotham" with Fox, and even "Daredevil" with Netflix. But CBS has decided it’s time to introduce our first leading super-powered heroine into the mix – "Supergirl"!
Unfortunately, I am less informed about comic books than I would like to be, but to my understanding, the plot centers around Superman’s similarly gifted cousin, Kara, who has finally learned to embrace her abilities and become the badass female superhero the world’s been waiting for. In a genre dominated largely by various male protagonists, it’s great to finally see a woman save the day using her own amazing strengths – and, in a wonderful twist for Hollywood, dressed in a practical, non-overtly sexualizing costume!
4. "The Muppets" - Premieres Sept. 22, 2015 on ABC
For me, this was the most surprising show coming this fall to rouse my excitement. We all know and love the Muppets (some more than others). We fondly remember Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and others, and all the shenanigans they get themselves up to. But let’s be honest – most of us left the Muppets back home with our VHS tapes and childhood stuffed animals. And when a new Muppets show inevitably comes back on air, it doesn’t usually hit the top of our to-watch list.
But this fall, ABC is taking any entirely new direction with the puppets we all know and love. "The Muppets" is back in a brand new-reincarnation – and this time, its schewed more towards us (almost) grown-ups. The “documentary” is supposed to show how the Muppets live their lives after they’re done shooting their children’s movies. With the promise of incredibly dramatic personal lives (Kermit and Miss Piggy broke up?! What?!), I’m expecting some strange blend of Jim Henson and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" that might just be too weird to miss out on.
