The Best Time In The History Of Television?

By April Walsh, @AprilMWalsh, contributing writer for www.LegendaryWomen.org

The Third Golden Age of Television. That’s what people started saying back in 2010 or so, when it started to become widely known, even among movie studios, that TV was no longer considered the lesser art form to film. It started in the late 90s, with shows like The Sopranos, Oz, and… just anything HBO was doing. Back then, it was the only network bringing that cinematic flair and artistic merit to episodic shows, as if we were watching one long, drawn-out film. And other channels and networks slowly caught on, with Breaking Bad and Mad Men taking AMC from that place that had the nerve to put commercials in old movies to a critical darling. The big three started catching on as well, putting more budget, star power, and effort into their offerings. And once Netflix joined the game, everyone seemed to up their game. But more on that below.

We are still in that Third Golden Age and some would even argue that it’s even better – a Platinum Age. It might be. We’ll just see if this keeps up before declaring it so and take a look at the treats ahead for Fall.

Much like last year, nostalgia is the name of the game, but while last season seemed all about bringing back the 80s, this year fans seem to be clamoring for more recent retro comebacks. The most hyped shows at Spring’s Upfronts were Idol, Will & Grace, and Star Trek: Discovery. But there were a few hitches in the plans obviously. Idol (moved from Fox to ABC) is only just auditioning as you read this and that won’t be coming till the new year, and Discovery, once slated for Fall on CBS’ new subscription service, CBS All Access, after premiering on the network, is now pushed to Spring. Still, we are apparently getting the revived Will & Grace this fall, so let’s start with NBC.

Will & Grace returns to TV! The premiere airs September 28th at 9pm on NBC.

Who knows how this miracle came about, but Will & Grace (or Jack & Karen, because weren’t they the best part, anyway?) is coming back. Well, it’s actually no mystery. The foursome got together for a 10-minute viral reunion, urging people to vote last fall and it was just so nice to hear from them that execs started exploring the idea of checking in with them as they are now, eleven years later – a little older, but hopefully not wiser, in season 9, airing Thursday, September 28^th at 9pm.

It has initially been given a 10-episode run, but apparently, early screenings were so impressive that they added 6 more episodes and, without it having even aired, it has been given a season 10 slated for Fall 2018. Season 9 will be picking up where the finale left off, but ignoring the flash-forward ending where Will and Grace had been estranged for almost twenty years before meeting again as their children end up in college together (to which I say “good riddance.” I never bought that a friendship that co-dependent could survive two weeks apart, let alone two decades). The flashforward will be treated as more of a fantasy or what-if than something that happened. Will and Grace will even be living together again! I am excited for that, but wondering what happened to their relationships with Vince (Bobby Canavale) and Leo (Harry Connick Jr.). I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

Cast of The Brave. The premiere airs September 25th at 10pm on NBC.

As for the rest of NBC’s line-up, there isn’t much. Last season’s newbies This is Us and The Good Place seemed to have done well enough to keep their slots and Timeless was saved from cancellation by fan campaigns, scheduled to come back in Spring. The only new offering is The Brave (Monday, September 25^th, 10pm), a military drama starring Anne Heche and Mike Vogel. Still, even outside of having Sunday Night Football, NBC is faring better than last year, winning in the key demographic of 18-49, if not in total viewers, but it’s nothing close to the ratings giant it was until it lost milestones like Friends and Frasier and, yes, Will & Grace. Can it become “Must See TV” again?

Well, CBS might have something to say about that. It’s still on top in total viewers, giving them some tough competition, as always. The Big Bang Theory (Monday, September 25th, 8pm) is obviously still it’s crown jewel, even competing with Football in sheer numbers, but Bull, MacGyver, and Kevin Can Wait all earned themselves a second season, as did Man with a Plan, but not till spring.

Cast of Young Sheldon. Premieres September 25th at 8:30pm on CBS.

In new CBS shows, Young Sheldon (Monday, September 25^th, 8:30pm) has the most advance buzz. It has a Big Bang Theory lead-in, and no wonder since it’s all about BBT’s break-out character Dr. Sheldon Cooper as a kid growing up in Texas. He’s a great character and the most decorated in the show as far as awards, but some viewers (or is it just me?) started to suffer Sheldon fatigue when every episode was either the gang reacting to Sheldon or Sheldon reacting to the gang. They have managed to balance things a bit more, or so I’ve heard, and it’s possible people are ready for another serving of Sheldon, but how much? Is he interesting enough to carry Young Sheldon into another ratings juggernaut for CBS? I suppose only time and Nielsens will tell.

Me, Myself & I premieres September 25th at 9:30pm on CBS.

As for new CBS comedies this fall, there’s Me, Myself, & I, starring SNL alum Bobby Moynihan (Monday, September 25^th, 9:30 pm), dealing with a man’s life as a teen, at 40 (Moynihan), and at 65 (played by John Laroquette). It also stars former Urkel Jaleel White. There’s also 9JKL (Monday, October 2^nd, 8:30), starring Mark Feuerstein as a divorced actor moving back in with his parents and brother to get his life back together. In drama, there’s Wisdom of the Crowd (Sunday, October, starring Jeremy Piven as a tech genius who creates a crowd-sourcing program to help solve his daughter’s murder and, we can only assume, others. S.W.A.T. (Thursday, November 2^nd, 10 pm) stars Shemar Moore of Criminal Minds in a remake of the 1975 series and 2003 film. Finally, SEAL Team (Wednesday, September 27^th, 9 pm) follows a group of Navy SEALs led by David Boreanaz (Bones, Angel) on dangerous missions.

Marvel's Inhumans hits TV on September 29th at 8pm on ABC.

As for ABC, most of the talk on Twitter is centered around Marvel’s Inhumans, with none other than Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton, Game of Thrones) taking on the villain’s role. The plot, centered around a royal family from a kingdom of Inhumans escaping to Hawaii for their own protection, will tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sharing continuity with the films and other series. It is set to debut September 1^st in Imax Theaters before coming to the small screen on Friday, September 29^th at 8pm. The first trailer received mixed reactions, including from its own director, but subsequent promo materials have gone over better, so here’s hoping!

The Good Doctor premieres September 25th at 10pm on ABC.

Also receiving some buzz is The Good Doctor (Monday, September 25^th, 10pm), probably because the medical drama centers around a young autistic savant doctor (Freddie Highmore) and because it’s adapted from a popular South Korean drama. Between how popular South Korean soaps and K-pop bands are and the heightened awareness of the Autism spectrum, a lot of people are hoping this show does the subject matter justice. Ten Days in the Valley (Sunday, Oct 1^st, 10pm) stars Kyra Sedgewick as a producer and mother whose world is upended by her daughter’s disappearance. Finally, there’s Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (Tuesday, October 3^rd 10pm), a fantasy drama starring Jason Ritter as a self-centered man who is recruited by an angel to do good in the world. In Comedy, there is just one offering. ABC is trying out The Mayor (Tuesday, October 3^rd, 9:30), a sitcom starring Brandon Michael Hall as a young rapper who runs for Mayor as a publicity stunt only to end up winning, also starring Lea Michele (Glee) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community).

Cast of The Orville which premieres on September 10th at 8pm on FOX. 

Fox is trying out three new series and The Orville (Sunday, September 10^th, 8pm) seems to be getting the most attention. Starring Seth MacFarlane as a galactic pilot dealing with a bitter divorce only to find that the First Officer on the ship he’s given command of is his ex-wife (Adrianna Palicki), it’s described as a cross between Family Guy and Star Trek, but most people are reminded of the beloved comedy Galaxy Quest. Also in comedy, is Ghosted (Sunday, October 1^st, 8:30pm) starring Craig Robinson and Adam Scott as a skeptic and believer recruited into an underground organization to investigate paranormal happenings. Comparisons to Mulder and Scully aside, the trailer looks nothing like The X-Files. It looks like fun and neither Robinson or Scott have disappointed me before. As for Drama, Fox is trying out The Gifted (Monday, October 2^nd, 9pm), a show in Marvel’s X-Men universe starring Stephen Moyer (True Blood) and Amy Acker (Angel) as parents on the run with their teenaged children after their mutant abilities start to manifest.

Dynasty premieres October 11th at 9pm on the CW.

And let’s not forget the CW. Despite never bringing in the big numbers, their shows have loyal, vocal fanbases. Though they seem to do very well with superhero, sci-fi and horror audiences, their more grounded dramas and soaps never quite get the ratings or buzz to stay around, but that won’t stop them from trying. They’re trying out Valor (Monday, October 9^th, 9pm), a thriller/conspiracy drama with a lead-in from Supergirl. But their biggest hype centers around their reboot/remake of Dynasty (Wednesday, October 11^th, 9pm), starring Grant Show (of the original Melrose Place) as Blake Carrington, taking the premise and family of the original 80s hit and applying it to our times. It must be pretty good, considering Netflix has bought the rights to distribute it outside the US.

Speaking of Netflix, though we try to focus on network shows around here, it’s getting too hard to ignore this giant streaming elephant in the room. Do you remember when they were a DVD rental service? Who knew that they would revolutionize episodic television? Certainly not me. Though Hulu and Amazon have a few hits, nothing compares to Netflix for sheer buzz, critical acclaim, and viewers. And there is nothing getting people more hyped than Season 2 of Stranger Things, which will be released as a bundle on October 27^th. The first season leads the Emmys with a whopping 18 nominations.

Cast of Stranger Things. Season 2 will be released on Netflix on October 27th.

There’s something about the series that has just hit the mark across all age groups. Kids love the fact that they can see themselves in the group of children and teens, adults love the fact that they see their younger selves in these eighties kids, the storylines of the kids and the adults are given equal weight, and the 80s nostalgia is just hitting all of us right in the feels (as the kids are saying these days). No one thought, when it came out, that it would be such a huge touchstone, but I’m glad it is and that we won’t have to wait much longer for the newest installment. I see a lot of empty Halloween parties this year because almost everyone will be binge-watching all nine episodes.

This season, across all networks and platforms, really looks to be an exciting one, between everything old and new. I’m still not sure whether we can call this The Platinum Age, but it might get there. One thing that led us here and may or may not keep us here is fan engagement. It’s higher than ever before, with social media, hashtags tracking trends and buzz, algorithms… All of these things let creators and producers in on what the people want. Rather relying on the clueless guesswork of studio execs (“More chicks in bikinis! Add a precocious kid! And a talking dog! People love dogs!”), there is a direct line from creators to fans and vice versa, for better or worse. Right now, it seems to be for better, so let’s just enjoy this golden time while we can.