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While the streaming revolution has changed many things about the way we all watch TV, it has also fallen in line with some established conventions. For years, fall has been the season where new shows are launched and ongoing series have season premieres. While Netflix has been known to drop great shows with very little notice in spring and summer, it still keeps many of its biggest and most prestigious series for the autumn months. As the days get shorter and the weather keep many of us inside, all channels, networks, and services know that this is the ideal time to get maximum exposure for their shows. 2019 is no different. There is a wealth of great TV coming our way over the next few months, on all platforms. Long-running shows such as American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, and The Flash all return, as well as new seasons of more recent series like The Crown, Disenchantment, and Black Lightning. We also say goodbye to some much-loved shows, such as Arrow, Silicon Valley, The Good Place, and Mr Robot, all of which have reached their final seasons. But while it is sad that these shows are ending, there are several exciting replacements. Disney joins the streaming wars with Disney+, which launches in November with The Mandalorian, the first ever live-action Star Wars show. Horror fans will want to check out Creepshow, based on the classic '80s anthology movie, Ryan Murphy launches yet another new show with The Politician, and the classic comic book Watchmen gets a very different small screen makeover. So here's out guide to the biggest TV shows this fall...
1. Undone
Amazon Video, September 13 BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg unleashes another dark animated show, but with a very different tone and visual style. The animation is reminiscent of director Linklater's rotoscoped films A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life, and the plot centers upon a woman who gains the ability to move freely through time and space after a near-fatal car accident. The cast includes Rosa Salazer (Alita: Battle Angel) and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul).
2. American Horror Story: 1984
FX, September 18 The anthology series American Horror Story reaches its ninth season, and shows no signs of flagging. As the title suggests, AHS: 1984 pays homage to slasher films from the 1980s, and the plot is exactly what you'd expect--a group of partying teens head to a summer camp, where they are picked off by an escaped maniac. In the hands of creator Ryan Murphy, it looks like gloriously campy fun, with a cast that includes Emma Roberts, Cody Fern, Gus Kenworthy, Billie Lourd, Matthew Morrison, Angelica Ross, DeRon Horton, and Zach Villa.
3. Disenchantment
Netflix, September 20 Disenchantment is the latest animated show from Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groenig and is a typically irreverent take on the fantasy genre. The first half of Season 1 arrived last year and was met with somewhat mixed reviews, but with the next 10 episodes releasing this month and another entire season due in 2020, Netflix is clearly happy with audience reaction so far. Broad City star and co-creator Abbi Jacobson stars as Bean, a rebellious and hard-drinking princess, who makes trouble in the kingdom of Dreamland with her optimistic elf pal Elfo and destructive "personal demon" Luci.
4. The Politician
Netflix, September 20 American Horror Story: 1984 isn't the only Ryan Murphy show premiering this fall. The Politician is his first Netflix production; it's an ambitious series starring Broadway star Ben Platt as a rising politician named Payton Hobart. Each season is set to focus on a different political contest, with Season 1 following Payton in high school as he sets about trying to become student body president. The impressive cast also includes Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bette Midler, and Murphy's gift for making popular but uncompromising TV makes it one of the fall's must-watches.
5. The Unicorn
CBS, September 26 Walton Goggins is one of film and TV's most talented character actors, with recent roles in the likes of The Hateful Eight, Ant-man and The Wasp, and Tomb Raider. He excels in villainous roles, but this fall takes on something more unusual--leading man in a romantic sitcom. In The Unicorn his plays a widowed father who reenters the dating game with surprising success. If his gift for comedy is anything like his gift for menace, this should make for highly enjoyable viewing
6. Creepshow
Shudder, September 26 This much-anticipated horror anthology series is based on the classic 1982 movie of the same name, which was written by Stephen King and directed by George Romero. Special effects guru Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead) is the series producer and showrunner, and while Romero is no longer with us, both King and his son Joe Hill are involved on the writing side. There will be 12 new ghoulishly entertaining stories, which will pay homage to classic 1950s horror comics, released weekly by streaming service Shudder across six episodes. It's perfect October viewing.
7. Evil
CBS, September 26 Mike Colter only got to star in two seasons of the Marvel Netflix show Luke Cage, but fans will want to check out his upcoming supernatural drama Evil. It's the latest series from Robert and Michelle King, who previous created The Good Wife, and stars Colter as a trainee priest who teams up with a skeptical female psychologist to investigate cases of possession, miracles, and other seemingly unexplainable phenomena. It's a great premise, and is one of the fall's most intriguing new shows.
8. The Good Place Season 4
NBC, September 27 It's unusual for a much-loved and popular show to reach a natural end after just four seasons, but The Good Place has always done things a little differently. Michael Schur's wonderfully clever, funny, surreal, and heartfelt comedy will reach the end of its run this year, and it already feels sad to say goodbye. Schur himself explained that although he and his writers were tempted to extend the life of The Good Place, they didn't want to "tread water just because the water is warm and pleasant." So get ready for one last inter-dimensional dip with Eleanor, Michael, Chidi, Tahani, and the gang.
9. Peaky Blinders Season 5
Netflix, October 5 More than two years after the last season, the acclaimed period gangster drama returns to Netflix. The gripping series charts the rise of a crime family in Birmingham, UK, after World War 1 and stars Cilliam Murphy (Inception), Helen McCrory (the Harry Potter movies), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games), and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch). Sadly, Tom Hardy's character Alfie Solomans was killed off in Season 4, but the rave reviews and record-breaking reviewing figures from its UK screenings this summer suggest that this could be the best season to date.
10. The Walking Dead Season 10
AMC, October 6 The long-running zombie drama reaches its tenth year. While the show has lost a few of its big names recently--Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan are gone, and this will be Danai Gurira's final season--there is still plenty to be excited about. Season 9 was one of the strongest for some time, and fans won't want to miss the resolution of the gripping, bloody Whisperers storyline. And with the second spin-off show due next year, AMC clearly have major interest in keeping the main show as fresh and exciting as possible.
11. Batwoman
The CW, October 6 John Wick: Chapter 2 star Ruby Rose made her debut as Kate Kane in The CW's Elseworlds crossover event last year and headlines her own show this fall. Batwoman is the latest addition to the The CW's Arrow-verse, and will be the first show to fully explore The CW's version of Gotham. The main villain will be Alice, played on the show by Rachel Skarsten (Birds of Prey, Imposters), while Dougray Scott is set to appear in the series as Jacob Kane, Kate's father and leader of a private security firm.
12. Supergirl Season 5
The CW, October 6 The CW's new female superhero DC show--Batwoman--will be followed immediately on Sunday nights by its longest running. Supergirl is now on Season 5, and this latest batch episodes features not only a new look for Kara's suit, but two new cast additions. Julie Gonzalo will play the comic book character Andrea Rojas--aka Acrata--a business woman with "a mystical secret," while Game of Thrones' Staz Nair will appear as a reporter William Dey.
13. Mr Robot Season 4
USA Network, October 6 Rami Malek is now a movie star, with an Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody and the main villain role in the next Bond movie. But we have one more chance to see him in the show that made his name, as the fourth and final season of the conspiracy drama Mr Robot arrives in October. Malek will be joined by his regular co-stars Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, and Martin Wallstromöm. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Malek described the final season as "a very impactful, emotional, and I think clearly well thought out way to end this story and this series."
14. Black Lightning Season 3
The CW, October 8 Black Lightning was originally developed at Fox, but when that network passed on the pilot, it made its way to The CW. It wasn't initially part of the Arrow-verse, but its mix of adventure, family drama, and humor has found a natural home next to the likes of Supergirl and The Flash. Season 3 premieres in October, and once more features Cress Williams as the electricity-controlling vigilante superhero. This season we can expect to see Jefferson Pierce fighting crime alongside his superpowered daughters Anissa and Jennifer, aka Thunder and Lightning. This is also the season where the show officially joins the Arrow-verse, and will be part of this year's CW crossover event, titled "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
15. The Flash Season 6
The CW, October 8 With Arrow about to get to its final season, The Flash will soon be the longest running show in the Arrow-verse. It looks like Season 6 will play a big part in this year's crossover event. The recent teaser features Barry Allen explaining that he saw a terrible future, and in DC's comics, the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline led to Barry's death. While that probably won't happen here, it could have some major impact on all the shows from this point on.
16. Arrow Season 8
The CW, October 15 The final season for the original Arrow-verse show. Seven years is a long time for any modern superhero TV show, and the popularity of this show has helped create a big and much-loved universe of connected shows. While the Arrow-verse continues to grow, it will be sad to say goodbye--Stephen Amell has really grown into the role of Oliver Queen over years, and the series has remained nicely grounded in comparison to the more outlandish storylines of the other series. As with the other CW shows this fall, Arrow will play a part in the major crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths"--and with the show coming to an end, the stakes could not be higher.
17. Watchmen
HBO, October 20 There was some surprise when HBO announced it was developing a new TV version of the classic comic book Watchmen, but unlike Zack Snyder's movie, this won't be a straight adaptation. Showrunner Damon Lindelof has described it as a "continuation," inspired by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's groundbreaking superhero deconstruction, but telling a new story set in the same world. The cast includes Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, and Tim Blake Nelson.
18. Castle Rock Season 2
Hulu, October 23 From It: Chapter to Doctor Sleep, the popularity of Stephen King adaptations shows no sign of stopping. On the small screen, the excellent JJ Abrams-produced Castle Rock returns for Season 2 in October. The show is set in the fictional town used in many King stories, and weaves multiple characters and storylines into its narrative. This season tells an entirely new story, and focuses on the terrifying Annie Wilkes, from King's classic novel Misery, who ends up in the town.
19. Silicon Valley Season 6
HBO, October 27 One of the funniest shows on TV comes to an end. Mike Judge's acerbic look at life amongst a group of developers and tech entrepreneurs has just seven episodes left, so fans better get ready to say goodbye to Richard, Gilfoyle, Dinesh, Big Head and the gang. Silicon Valley has kept up a remarkably high quality level over the past five years, and there's no reason to expect Season 6 will be any less hilarious.
20. Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Disney+, November 12 Disney launches its streaming service, Disney+ in November, and unsurprisingly, there's a few Star Wars shows on the way to it. The Mandalorian is the first--it's the franchise's first ever live-action show and will premiere on the service's launch day of November 12. The series is set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and it will focus on a lone Mandalorian gunfighter, played by Pedro Pascal (Narcos). The Lion King director Jon Favreau is the showrunner, and individual episode directors will include Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok), Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels), and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard.
21. The Crown Season 3
Netflix, November 17 Netflix's lavish period drama returns for Season 3. Olivia Colman takes over the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy, and a new cast will reflect the advancing ages of the characters, as Season 3 will cover a period from 1963 (where the previous season ended) to 1977. Season 3 and 4 have been shot back-to-back, and the line-up for the two seasons include Tobias Menzies (Prince Philip), Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret), Ben Daniels (Lord Snowdon), Josh O'Connor (Prince Charles) and Emma Corrin (Lady Diana Spencer).
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