For many, September entails the end of summer and the dread of returning to school. While yes, those both apply to me (forever! Teaching= never-ending school!), September also brings excitement to the hearts of television nerds everywhere. That's right! Our favorite returnees and a crop of potential hits start airing new episodes in the upcoming weeks. Premieres and May up fronts are two of my favorite times of year. I even go as far as writing timetables of which shows to watch when and their respective channels/premiere dates. I know. Before I get ahead of myself, let me introduce you to my top 5 freshman shows 2016 of which I'm most looking forward. In no particular order, I present...

5. "No Tomorrow", The CW, Premieres October 4th @ 9

No Tomorrow trailer

This show looks cute in the romcom, on The CW, kind of way. A woman meets a man who lives every day like the world is ending. They make their way through their bucket lists together. Honestly, I'm excited for this because of Joshua Sasse. He was charming in Galavant and I'm hoping his charm in "No Tomorrow" fills the Galavant sized hole in my heart.

4. Timeless, NBC, Premieres Oct 3rd @ 10

Timeless Trailer

There are a surprising number of time travel shows premiering either in the fall or mid season this year. The first of that crop of shows is Timeless, which involves a team traveling through time to stop a bad guy who has already gone back and is trying to change history. The team chasing him down seem to have natural chemistry and the pilot of the machine is already a standout as the comic relief. Also, the first episode goes back to the Hindenburg disaster, which holds a place in my heart as I had family on the ground that day and live 5 minutes from Lakehurst, NJ.

3. "Speechless," ABC, Premieres Sept 21 @ 8:30

Speechless Trailer

Speechless is about a family living with a child who has cerebral palsy and who uses technology to speak. It's a comedy, but I'm looking forward to seeing it tackle real life struggles of students with disabilities. It excites me that the lead actor is actually a member of the community of which he portrays and from everything I've seen, the show seems to be handling the representation of an oft underrepresented group with quality and care. As a teacher of differently abled students, I cannot wait to be taken on Speechless' journey.

2. "Frequency," The CW, Premieres Oct 5th @ 9.

Frequency Trailer

Frequency is about a detective who finds an old radio and uses it to communicate with her dead father in the past. They try to solve a crime he was working on before he was murdered, but the timeline of events changes once they begin communicating. This show seems like everything I love about my television shows. Sci fi, but still based in reality, and mysteries to be solved. I hope it is able to last longer than all of my other similar favorites. Bonus: I adored Riley Smith on the Disney Channel when I was younger, so my past self is excited. Extra bonus: Mekhi Phifer can do no wrong.

1. "The Good Place," NBC, Premieres Sept 19th @ 10 then moves to Thursdays on Sept 22

Alright, I'm just going to say it. Kristen Bell is my absolute favorite celebrity ever and I would watch her read a phone book. That being said, I am genuinely excited about "The Good Place" and would watch it even if the lead weren't Kristen Bell. Kristen's character ends up in "the good place" aka heaven on accident when she dies. Life (or afterlife, I guess) is so great that she's determined to stay, even though she wasn't the best person on Earth. The show has a bit of a "Dead Like Me" feel and I cannot wait for Kristen to be back on my television and in a comedic role. I think it will pair nicely with "Superstore" as well.

Happy watching, fellow fangirls and boys!