Last Sunday’s Emmy Awards reminded us that fall—a time of short days, long nights and increasingly cold weather—is prime time to watch prime time. With so many great shows airing in the next few days we had trouble narrowing down our favorites, but it had to be done. After all, we can’t make like Andy Samberg and lock ourselves in a bunker to watch a year’s worth of shows nonstop. (If only!) Herewith, our top 10 fall 2015 TV premieres to DVR right now.
Empire
Season premiere on FOX on Wednesday, September 23, at 9/8c.
This soapy drama about a record label founder and his sparring family members has been hailed as the show to watch—thanks in part to an all-star cast of Oscar winners including Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, above, amazing fashion and unbelievable cat-fight scenes.
Nashville
Season premiere on ABC on Wednesday, September 23, at 9/8c.
This must-watch musical drama is going head-to-head with Empire’s premier, and is bringing guest star Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith fame) along for the ride. Even if you don’t love country music, the drama, intrigue and big Southern hairdos--as seen above on costars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere will hook you.
Fashionably Late
Series premiere on Lifetime on Thursday, September 24, at 10:30/9:30c.
Obviously, we’re all going bananas for Rachel Zoe’s new nighttime talk show, which will feature A-list guest stars, non-stop fashion and lifestyle advice and hilarious quips from Rachel’s cohost Derek Blasberg.
Quantico
Series premiere on ABC on Sunday, September 27, at 9/8c.
Early reviews are good for this drama about a group of super-photogenic FBI agents, led by Priyanka Chopra, who may or may not also be terrorists. Part-political drama, part-whodunit, this juicy premier will have you hooked from the first 5 minutes.
Last Man on Earth
Season premiere on FOX on Sunday, September 27, at 9:30/8:30c.
The only comedy in our top 10, Last Man on Earth delivers with the wildly funny Will Forte as a bearded slacker whose efforts to repopulate the earth after a deadly virus wipes out all but 5 eccentric, hilarious and incompatible humans.
Blood & Oil
Series premiere on ABC on Sunday, September 27, at 10/9c.
An evening soap about gorgeous people warring over oil, money and social standing… Sounds a lot like Dallas, right? The premise is classic, but the setting (North Dakota) and plotlines full of intrigue and scandal, not to mention stars like Amber Valletta and Chase Crawford, make this show totally worthwhile.
The Affair
Season premiere on Showtime on Sunday, October 4, at 10/9c.
If you aren’t caught up on this mystery/drama’s first season, you’d better start now. Telling the story of an adulterous couple and the families they destroy by their romance, The Affair is a somber affair—but also incredibly sexy, suspenseful and addictive.
Homeland
Season premiere on Showtime on Sunday, October 4, at 9/8c.
All eyes are on Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes) as she takes up a new life with her daughter at a private security firm in Berlin, Germany. What will happen to her now that she’s not working for (and battling) the FBI and CIA? Expect to see resolution to last season’s cliffhangers—or simply more tangled webs.
The Leftovers
Season premiere on HBO on Sunday, October 4, at 9/8c.
The plot thickens in Jarden, Texas, a town that was spared from a mysterious Rapture-like disappearance of 2% of the global population. What happened, why, and how are all still up in the air, but with an ensemble cast led by Justin Theroux and Liv Tyler, we’re happy to wait and find out.
American Horror Story: Hotel
Season premiere on FX on Wednesday, October 7, at 10/9c.
Lady Gaga makes her much-buzzed-about move from music to TV in this wickedly weird anthology series about a sinister hotel in downtown LA and the gruesome events that happen there. Naomi Campbell, Emma Roberts and Chloe Sevigny are just a few of the all-star cast members we can expect to see at their absolute campiest.
