TV for the Autumn...
Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (NBC, September 15)
Emmy and Tony award winner Neil Patrick Harris has become quite a multi-talented entertainer and after several turns hosting some of the biggest award shows (Emmys, Tonys and Oscars), he steps in as the master of ceremonies in this live one-hour weekly show where anything can happen. Expect stunts, comedy skits, performances, audience giveaways and hidden camera pranks. Best Time Ever is based on the U.K. hit Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
Scream Queens (FOX, September 22)
The creators of Glee and American Horror Story are unleashing some hellishly good fun in their new series, which focuses on a string of murders that take place in a college campus and involve the sorority Kappa Kappa Tau. Co-creator Ryan Murphy has called the show “Halloween meets Heathers,” only this time the Heathers have been replaced by the Chanels. The show features an impressive all-star cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin, Niecy Nash, Nasim Pedrad, Diego Boneta, Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas. However, don’t get too attached to anybody. Murphy has already disclosed that only four of the 25 characters will survive this first season.
Empire (FOX, September 23)
We were on the edge of our seats during the first season of this Lee Daniels and Danny Strong primetime drama that has been described as a modern-day Dynasty set in the world of the hip-hop music industry. Gay men who tuned in fell in love with Cookie Lyon (portrayed flawlessly by Taraji P. Henson), the street smart matriarch who is never at a loss for words, and her son Jamal (Jussie Smollett), the gay singer-songwriter whose homophobic father also happens to be the head of his music label. Get ready for more queer storylines during the second season as Jamal continues to navigate the music industry as an openly gay artist, as well as a guest starring turn from Marisa Tomei in the recurring role of a new character who is described as “a lover of hip-hop, social trends, high-end fashion and beautiful women.” Oh, and did we mention Mariah Carey will also be appearing on the show?
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, September 24)
The show that gave us murder, jaw-dropping intrigue, one of the hottest man-on-man sex scenes to ever air on primetime network television, and Viola Davis’s character, Annalise, snatching the wig off her head before asking her husband, “Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?” returns for a second season in September. The first season’s cliffhanger set the stage for a new whodunit mystery, and viewers can also expect an HIV storyline courtesy of Connor Walsh’s (played by Jack Falahee) boyfriend Oliver. Hopefully, there will also be more gay sex scenes like the one previously mentioned. Watch the clip below if you need to refresh your memory.
Couples Therapy (VH1, October 7)
The series that examines the complex world of celebrity couples is back for a sixth season. (Spoiler alert: Most of the relationships featured in this show are dramatically dysfunctional and make our own disastrous dating lives seem mundane.) This time around Dr. Jenn Berman will counsel Janice Dickinson, Mob Wives’ Big Ang, Creed frontman Scott Stapp, and rapper Joe Budden along with their significant others. However, all eyes will be on trans model, actress and former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Carmen Carrera and her husband Adrian Torres.
American Horror Story: Hotel (FX, October 7)
Even though we’re still in mourning over Jessica Lange’s departure from the series, there’s plenty to get excited over. The show’s creator Ryan Murphy has promised a scary and sexy season that will be set in Downtown Los Angeles and also boast one of the most star-studded casts we’ve seen on TV in a while. Among the guests checking into AHS: Hotel are Cheyenne Jackson, Matt Bomer, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Naomi Campbell, Chloe Sevigny, Sarah Paulson and Lady Gaga.
Angel From Hell (CBS, November)
Jane Lynch has ditched the Glee tracksuit and traded it in for a pair of wings. In this new half-hour sitcom, Lynch stars as Amy, a guardian angel who doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries or how to sugarcoat the truth. Based on the promo clip for the show, we’re guessing this is what Sue Sylvester would have been like if she had a sense of humor, smiled a bit more and actually liked people.