It’s that time of year again. As the leaves change color and the air hardens with a chill, we start looking to the most important line ups on the small screen.
I’m not talking about football (though the Patriots win at the beginning of the season was very fun to watch!) but the television shows that left us hanging way back when summer started. The first leaves of fall are right around the corner and so are some of the juiciest TV premieres.
TGIT Trinity
Image sources, clockwise from top left: 1 | 2 | 3
Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, and Grey’s Anatomy all return September 24th
Scream it from the mountaintops: Shondaland is back and feistier than ever! Shonda Rhimes’ three leading ladies come back this Fall having concluded their previous seasons with a bit of well-deserved calm. Olivia Pope ended her fourth season on the White House balcony with Fitz and a bottle of wine. Though the season was full of twists and turns–Annalise Keating wrapped up with a heartfelt moment between her and Shondaland newbie Wes, portrayed by breakout drama star Alfie Enoch. And I don’t think anyone’s emotionally ready yet to talk about Grey’s Anatomy.
B99
Brooklyn 99 is starting season 3 with a major change in the lineup. The show gets a new captain played by SNL Alum Bill Hader. The former Captain Holt’s dry humor and cutting quips will be missed but it seems that all hearts skipped a beat at the always amazing dynamic between Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta, the latter of whom is also SNL alum and will be hosting the Emmys later this month (Sept. 20th).
TDS
The Daily Show returns (finally!) September 28th with previous contributor Trevor Noah taking over as host. His first guest, George Clooney, has been announced and a hilarious trailer is already available. Trevor Noah’s previous stand up special is on Netflix and the talk show world is eagerly awaiting the funny South African comic.
Tribute to the Finished
Here are some amazing shows that wrapped up for good this year
Parks and Recreation
The only thing more heartbreaking than watching Parks and Rec end was NBC giving us two eps a night, thereby wrapping the show up much more quickly than the audience was emotionally ready for. Not cool. 7 fabulous seasons came to a close this past winter and will be truly missed! With the family that is the Parks department and bright humor, Parks and Recreation is the great show we would want our mom to put on the refrigerator. It is thoughtful and full of heart, which is felt not just through our protagonist Leslie Knope but in every moment in the show.
Mad Men
The greatest thing Don Draper did was segway the show into focusing on the rest of the cast. But it would be untrue if I said I didn’t tear up a bit at the closing song of the series (yep–Mad Men ends with a song; certainly not something I would’ve ever anticipated when I began watching). A compelling period drama set in an ad agency, Mad Men is brimming with surprises and fascinating characters. Vox writer Todd VanDerWerff brilliantly says that one major idea within the show is “[that] you don’t have to say everything” (source). The agency whose entire existence depends on exposing Americans to their true desires exists within a world where so much exists in the indistinctive.
Key & Peele
This nighttime sketch show is leaving us far too soon. After concluding its fifth season, Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele have decided to end the wonderfully inventive comedy. With many memorable sketches carved into comedy history, Key and Peele–like the other tributes–will be gone but not forgotten.