Television content has been rapidly improving over the past few years with shows like “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead” and “Orange is the New Black.” The result is an onslaught of new content premiering this fall. Shows like “The Red Band Society” and “Gotham” are a part of the 24 new programs joining the line-up.
“The Red Band Society” is the adaptation of the Spanish television show “Polseres vermelles” about the diverse group of teenagers living in a pediatric ward. The American dramedy, which has been compared to “The Breakfast Club,” premiered on Fox on September 17 and stars Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer from “The Help.”
The Batman spin-off “Gotham” tells the story of new Detective Jim Gordon and his quest to solve the murder of billionaire Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, the parents of Bruce Wayne. It features Jada Pinckett Smith as the mob boss “Fish Money.” It airs Monday nights on Fox. Amazon is currently, and has been for some time, attempting to compete with Netflix as a television content provider, allowing its ‘Prime subscribers’ access to exclusive content. Its new show “Transparent” is a family melodrama about the Pfieffermans, an LA family that has recently made a shocking discovery about its beloved father. All of the first season was made available Sept. 26, and has received an astonishing 98 percent rating from critics on Rottentomatoes. Netflix has planned to spend close to $3 billion on original content this season.Some of its series will include “Marco Polo,” a detailing of the adventures of the great explorer’s time in the court of Kublai Khan; “Narcos,” the story of drug lord Pablo Escobar; and “Bojack Horseman,” an animated comedy about a former TV star horse who drinks whiskey, starring Will Arnett and Aaron Paul; along with returning shows like the political thriller “House of Cards” and the screwball family comedy “Arrested Development.”The satire “South Park” is back in its 18th season, and it is parodying everything from start- up companies to Lorde to the gluten-free craze. It premiered September 17 on Comedy Central and continues to run on Wednesdays. All of these series, old and new, should contribute to a very interesting year in American television.