September has quite a few heavy hitters on the docket this year, from a new series produced by Ridley Scott and another created by Luca Guadagnino. Along with the bigger names however are some great, micro-budget comedies that beat the odds to get a season two, a remake of an adored British series the highly anticipated new season of “Fargo.”
READ MORE: 2020 Fall TV Preview: 45 Shows To Watch
It’s a good month for television fans, with heaping amounts of easy escapism at their disposal, something we all could maybe benefit from this time of year.
“Raised By Wolves”
What You Need to Know: Big science fiction/fantasy series aren’t so much as hard to come by as they are varying in quality. “Raised By Wolves” created by Aaron Guzikowski (“Prisoners”) looks to be the latest entry into high-stakes science fiction. Executive produced by Ridley Scott (no stranger to high concept genre filmmaking), the series has an eerie undercurrent. With an original premise that follows two androids responsible for taking care of human children, the show follows closely in the footsteps of “Lovecraft Country” as it tries to become event television on HBO Max. That being said, our critic didn’t find much to champion, writing “Ridley Scott’s name and the HBO brand should bring people to “Raised by Wolves,” but a lack of urgency in an urgent time in history could allow it to easily fade into the gray.”
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 3 on HBO Max
“The Boys”
What You Need to Know: The legs that the Amazon series has had shouldn’t be too surprising considering the oversaturation of superhero content within the last decade (and more), but considering the less than glitzy premise and how little buzz there seemed to be surrounding the first season, it’s impressive that it continues to make noise. A deconstruction of the hero world where we track what happens when people with immense supernatural power and influence break bad, the series allowed its cast, led by Karl Urban (“Star Trek,” “Thor: Ragnarok”) to have fun. Season 2 will see the addition of “You’re the Worst” star Aya Cash in a pivotal role in the Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen produced series. Our critic wrote that “…“The Boys” has more room to breathe, which means its naked satire of shameless marketing, messaging, and branding, all warped around costumed men and women who make the world better by punching CGI bugaboos with no regard for collateral damage, hits with greater clarity.”
Release Date: Season 2 premieres on September 4 on Amazon Prime
“The Third Day”
What You Need to Know: The combination of Jude Law, Naomie Harris, Katherine Waterston, and Emily Watson is just so strong and interesting that the cast alone would have us, at the very least, curious about this series. Created by Dennis Kelly (who also worked on the original “Utopia” on Channel 4,) the series follows three interconnected stories as a man and woman arrive at a mysterious island at different times. An HBO and Sky Atlantic production, the final installment in particular sounds fascinating, as it’s been described as a “live theatrical event” compared to the first two installments that are described as more standard television format.
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 14 on HBO
“We Are Who We Are”
What You Need to Know: Known best for his films “Suspiria,” “A Bigger Splash,” and “Call Me By Your Name,” director Luca Guadagnino has earned quite a lot of goodwill in the film industry. Now, he’s stepping out for his turn at a television series set to premiere on HBO which follows two American kids living on a U.S. Military base in Italy as they develop a friendship and explore first love and the anxieties of being a teen. Starring Jack Dylan Grazer (“Shazam!,” “IT”) and newcomer Jordan Kristine Seamón, the series has the standard Guadagnino touch with beautiful locations, troubled love, and character-driven storylines. That said, our critic took issue with some of the surface-level beauty, writing that the show is “…mostly devoid of the artistic filmmaker’s passionate, sensuous sensibilities and instead bloated with pretension and solemnity.”
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 14 on HBO
“Pen15”
What You Need to Know: If you’re looking to talk about shows that absolutely shouldn’t work, look no further than Hulu’s bitingly funny and surprisingly observant comedy series “Pen15” starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle. It’s not the premise about two teenage girls fighting off the awkwardness and humiliation that shouldn’t work, it’s the fact that both lead actors are in their 30s (portraying 13-year-olds) and somehow, as a viewer, we manage to forget that. Sure, sometimes the physical comedy of Erskine and Konkle transforming themselves into sulking teens brings the laughs, but that isn’t where the comedy and quality of the show ends – it’s just the base of the series. Season 2 returns with the two 13-year-olds still battling the day to day horrors of being a middle schooler in the 2000s, hopefully with all its winsome absurdity intact.
Release Date: Season 2 premieres on September 18 on Hulu
“Ratched”
What You Need to Know: The jury is still out on whether or not a series detailing the background of one of cinema’s most iconic antagonists is necessary (I’d argue no), but there’s no denying the vague interest in a new Ryan Murphy project with frequent collaborator Sarah Paulson at the forefront. Paulson plays Nurse Ratched, made famous from the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” novel and the film, in the show. Created by Evan Romansky, the series looks to detail the life she lived up until the events of the novel. As one of the most chilling villains in film because of the fact that she’s such a blank slate, it seems mostly like a chance to allow Paulson to sink her teeth into another conflicted role. The series will also star Judy Davis, Cynthia Nixson, and Jon Jon Briones.
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 18 on Netflix
“Utopia”
What You Need to Know: Based on the series of the same name from the 2013 Channel 4 original, a reason why this adaptation of “Utopia” might allure to watch it instead of just seeking out the 2013 version is the creator and the cast. Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) created the series while Sasha Lane of “American Honey” fame and “The Office” star Rainn Wilson lead an eclectic cast. Perhaps the 2015 version with David Fincher still on board may have prompted more curiosity, but the Amazon project still boasts an intriguing premise about an online group who discover a graphic novel that they think may unearth the power structure in society and the cast is definitely worth watching with upcoming talent such as Dan Byrd, Jessica Rothe, and Desmin Borges on board.
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 25 on Amazon
“Fargo”
What You Need to Know: Chris Rock leads an enormously talented cast in the upcoming fourth season of the Noah Hawley-created spin-off/adaptation series “Fargo” on FX. Set in 1950s Kansas City, Rock plays the lead of a crime syndicate made up of Black people looking to escape the Jim Crow South. It looks like ample opportunity for Rock to stretch his acting muscles while still maintaining the “Fargo” dark humor. Co-starring is “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” star Jessie Buckley alongside Timothy Olyphant (which honestly is shocking since he feels like she should’ve already been on the show), Jason Schwartzman, and Ben Whishaw. Each season of the series has delivered on strong performances but with this cast and after a decent wait between seasons, we’re all the more excited to see what Hawley and Co., have come up with this time.
Release Date: Season 4 premieres on September 27 on FX
“The Comey Rule”
What You Need to Know: It’s quite a big wager to think that audiences want to see more of Trump on our television screens these days. Brendan Gleeson plays Donald Trump opposite Jeff Daniels’ James Comey in this series that follows the relationship between the two throughout the first few months after President Trump has been elected to office. Created by Billy Ray (“The Last Tycoon”) and based on the book by Comey, “A Higher Loyalty,” there’s something that leads itself to being uncomfortably self-aggrandizing about this entire project. Our critic wrote that the series was decent until it’s last act, writing “…no amount of grandiloquent grandstanding and melancholic bugle-horn patriotism while Comey stares off into the distance contemplating his decisions—and perhaps his self-satisfied belief he did the right thing in the name of country— can convince you the last act hasn’t just bent the knee in devotion to its subject and thus, not all that special any longer.”
Release Date: Season 1 premieres on September 27 on Showtime
