By Melissa Perez
Every fall there seems to be a great deal of new shows, but most of them fizzle out and die. The hype that surrounds new shows hardly ever matches the quality of the shows. What seems like a great show, all too often turns out to be boring and forced. However this year, the season was a little different. Frankly, this fall television season had too many shows to watch, and still be able to get some homework done. Here are six of the best shows to watch. Be warned though, they are addictive.
Gotham is the famous fictional city protected by Batman and preyed upon by the likes of the Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, and Penguin, is the setting for one of the darkest superhero shows of this season. Gotham takes a novel approach to the Batman universe, because there is no Batman in this show. A prequel to the Batman saga, Bruce Wayne is present in this series, but he is just a child.
James Gordon (played by Ben McKenzie) is just a young detective, but later, he will become the police commissioner. As a young detective, Gordon is partnered with a famous cop, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). Their first case is to investigate the double murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, the parents of a young child, Bruce Wayne. Of course, Bruce Wayne will later become the infamous Batman.
There are younger versions of other classic Batman villains. It is interesting to see the backstories of all these characters develop as the show begins. Young villains, Fish Mooney, Selina Kyle, and Oswald Cobblepot are played by Jada Pinkett Smith, Camren Bicondova and Robin Lord Taylor, respectively. This series airs on Mondays, at 8 p.m. on Fox.
How to Get Away with Murder is a legal thriller produced by Shonda Rhimes. Viola Davis stars as Keating, a dubious college professor who gets a series of students to work in her law firm and they become entwined in a murder plot.
The series begins with an actual murder. A group of law students quickly decide what to do with the body. The suspense in this show comes from establishing the many characters (law students in a competitive program) and then discrediting them, keeping the audience guessing who is responsible and how they might get away with this.
There are many compelling characters including Wes (Alfred Enoch), Michaela (Aja Naomi King) and Asher (Matt McGorry). This show lives up to its tag line, which comes from a lecture Keating asks during one of her lectures on witnesses, “Do you know who anyone really is?” The series airs on Thursdays, 10 p.m. on ABC.
The next three shows are continuations of series that have been student favorites for years. This year’s seasons, so far, lead little doubt that they will continue to be fan favorites.
First is American Horror Story: Freak Show, which is currently in its fourth season. This season is set in 1950’s Miami, telling the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in America and the struggles they have to keep the business alive. The roadside freak show is competing for audience and losing to the new medium television. In addition, suspense is added from a serial killer, on the loose, leaving dead bodies everywhere. As usual the show is drowned in mystery and suspense, with plenty of returning actors from the previous seasons. The acting is superb, the writing is good, and the overall this show is very compelling. This series is on Wednesdays, at 10 p.m. on FX.
No list of shows to watch would be complete without the insanely popular zombie drama, The Walking Dead. Ironically, the greatest danger in The Walking Dead is not from zombies, but from the other humans who are left alive after the zombie apocalypse.
When this series began, Rick Grimes, a deputy sheriff, played by Andrew Lincoln, awakened from a coma to find that the world has been dominated by flesh eating zombies. He tries to find his family and encounters other survivors along the way. As The Walking Dead progresses from season to season, the plot has never grown old.
Now in season 5, Rick has been trapped in a boxcar since the finale of season 4. This season seems to be concentrating on why people who survived, want to keep on surviving. Certainly the action, plot and suspense will keep the students of PHS glued to their televisions on Sundays, at 9 p.m. on AMC.
A show that only started last year, but happily has been renewed for a second season is Sleepy Hollow. This series surprised many critics that doubted the show when it first premiered. However it developed a big fan base. The draws to this show are its great dialogue, surprising twists, amazing adventures and strong performances.
The series has a heroic duo Ichabod Crane (Tom Minson) and Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) who fend off the forces of evil to save their town and the entire world. The mix of Ichabod Crane’s antiquated notions about life and his partner Abbie Mills’ tough ideals from modern day America, make for a dynamic and interesting show. This series is on Mondays, at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Finally, no list would be complete without a show from HBO. Boardwalk Empire is a crime drama set in the 1920s during the prohibition era, in Atlantic City. It focuses on the public and private life of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a political figure who rose up and controlled Atlantic City. The political intrigue is intense and the complex plot twists keep the show fresh and interesting, season after season.
Now in its fifth and final season, the series is set during 1931, seven years after the previous season. The show has no shortage of mobsters, politicians, and government agents. To see it before it is gone watch on Sundays, at 9 p.m. on HBO. With the Atlantic City casinos closing at an alarming rate, watching this show, when the city was in its heyday, might be the best way to enjoy this historic part of New Jersey history.
