From October to May, an entirely new schedule takes over people’s lives nationwide. No, it’s not because of school or work. Once Fall kicks off, so does a new television cycle. Many TV shows premiere or start a new season around September and October, air until the holidays, take a break and then air through May after the new year. Now that it’s Fall, there are so many fun Halloween-themed shows and movies on TV as well.
However, it can be difficult to figure out what shows to watch let alone stay on top of when shows air. This Fall, we’ve got you covered with the best TV shows this season and what movies to put on your Halloween binge list.
ABC
This Fall, ABC is the channel to watch if you love sitcoms. A new season of The Goldbergs and Modern Family are both scheduled to air. If you’ve never heard of them, The Goldbergs is based on a Jewish family set in the ’80s. The show follows the basic feel-good sitcom structure each episode with jokes mixed with a conflict, a lesson and then a group hug. Modern Family is basically the same thing, but it’s been on air longer, is set in present-day and there are more characters to identify with.
In the drama department, this network is airing new seasons of Once Upon a Time, Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy. Once Upon a Time is a drama with a plot line based on classical fairytale stories. Scandal is the Kerry Washington-headlining drama where she protects the images of the elite while balancing the scandal in her own life. Grey’s Anatomy is a fan favorite and a drama that follows the lives of doctors working at the same hospital, saving lives and dealing with their own problems.
Speaking of doctors, ABC is also premiering a new show called The Good Doctor. It stars Freddie Highmore, which you may remember from Bates Motel. He plays a more challenged yet optimistic version of TV’s once beloved Dr. House. He is gifted in medicine, but he must overcome the stigma and side effects of his autism and savant syndrome to connect with his patients and coworkers.
AMC
Diehard fans already know what I’m about to say. Fear The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead are both back for another season this Fall. If you’ve been living under a rock for years, then let me explain. The Walking Dead is a show about a dystopian version of our society where everyone has turned into zombies. A group of people who have survived what’s basically the zombie apocalypse work together to survive. Fear the Walking Dead is a prequel to The Walking Dead and shows what happened to civilization before everyone turned into zombies.
CBS
Now on its 13th season, Criminal Minds is back. The show focuses on a team from the Behavioral Analysis Unit in the FBI as they work together and solve crimes. Within the last few seasons there have been major changes in characters and team dynamics, and the current plot focuses on a criminal from past seasons, so it may behoove you to binge the series before watching, which are all available on Netflix. But, it’s easy to jump in as everything is explained within each episode for the most part. If you watched the first few seasons of Criminal Minds and you’re just coming back then get ready for some major surprises.
CW
Superhero and comic book fans unite! The CW is airing new seasons of Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. These shows are based on the original superheroes from the comics but with a modern twist.
A show equally as super and sinister also returns for another season this Fall: Supernatural. Supernatural is the story of two monster-fighting brothers and the companions they pick up along the way. It’s a combination of horror and fantasy, which is perfect prep for Halloween.
Another immensely popular show, Riverdale, has been picked up by the network for a second season. It’s a thirty-minute dramedy based on the Archie comics, but this season is much more intense as it’s filled with murder, rivalries and romance.
Food Network
Perfect for this time of year, and food lovers, the Food Network is airing its yearly Halloween specials with Halloween Wars and a new show, Halloween Wars: Hayride of Horror. Even Chopped has hopped on the bandwagon and is airing Chopped: Alton’s Challenge, which involves special, and scary, surprises. For the non-Food Network frequenter, these shows are typically centered around individual or team competitors battling through food-based challenges to win a title and prize. These shows in particular are Halloween-themed while the rest of the Food Network generally is not.
FOX
To keep the spooktacular shows rolling, FOX is premiering new seasons of The Exorcist and Lucifer. The Exorcist is a modern continuation of the original exorcist movie in which priests combat demons possessing people. But, it also involves how they combat elites summoning demons for more earthly power. Lucifer is a dramedy based on the devil moving to L.A. after becoming bored in Hell only to own a nightclub on Earth and serve as an LAPD consultant.
If you want the drama without the demons, FOX is also airing new seasons of Gotham and Empire. Gotham is a show based on the Batman comics. Empire focuses on a music and entertainment company and how its founding family struggles to remain in control of it.
But maybe you’re bored with all the drama and you just want to laugh. Well, FOX also has new seasons of Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons and Family Guy. All of which are successful animated shows that are thirty-minutes of alternative humor, satire and parody.
FX
Back to the scarier shows, American Horror Story: Cult is a fan-fave that’s back with another installation. This Fall, the show focuses on the 2016 election, clowns and cultism. In honor of Halloween, I recommend binging the series from the start as previous seasons are available on Netflix.
Movies
If you’re looking for Halloween movies and movie marathons to watch on TV, then these are your go-to channels.
Freeform kicks off Halloween with its 13 Nights of Halloween, now in its 19th year. It will show Halloween-themed TV show episodes as well as movies like Twilight, The Addams Family, Sleepy Hollow, Harry Potter and The Haunted Mansion. It starts 13 days before Halloween, and on Halloween there’ll be a 24-hour Hocus Pocus marathon.
AMC will host its AMC FearFest, which will have movie marathons featuring movie series like Halloween, Leprechaun and Scream. AMC will run its frightening marathon from October 23 to 31.
TCM is another channel that will be showing Halloween movies. But, being the classic movie channel, it will dedicate different days of the week to airing classic horror movies from the ’30s through the ’60s.
Alternatively, Netflix has Halloween movies just waiting for you to watch on your own time. Some classic Halloween movies currently available on the site are The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Craft and Practical Magic.
MTV
MTV is coming through with the throwback television shows this Fall. The ’90s favorites MTV Unplugged, TRL and My Super Sweet 16 are all back on the air this season.
“MTV Unplugged” was known for hosting musicians performing typically acoustic versions of their music and cover songs. TRL, which stands for Total Request Live, was a staple in the ’90s and early 2000s. The show counted down the top 10 music videos in the country and had guest artists and actors perform and do interviews. However, the new revival will definitely have its own 2017 spin to it. My Super Sweet 16 is a bit more self-explanatory. It’s a show that follows teens’ journeys to their sweet 16 birthday parties while documenting all the drama along with it.
Netflix
Netflix has a plethora of new shows and is always putting older shows on their streaming service. This Fall, some of the highest rating shows are coming back for a new season or are getting a revamp. Narcos, Fuller House and Stranger Things are all set to have new seasons drop this Fall.
Narcos is a crime drama that follows the story of drug kingpins and the cocaine trade. Fuller House is the continuation of the ’90s favorite Full House, but it focuses on the lives of DJ, Stephanie and Kimmy as they live together with their families in their childhood home.
Stranger Things, oh how we’ve waited for you. Stranger Things is an overwhelmingly popular show set in the ’80s with nostalgia akin to The Goonies and Stand by Me. It focuses on a group of kids fighting the evil that lurks in reality and in the Upside Down. The best part of the second season dropping is that it’s been set to air Halloween weekend.
Netflix is also bringing back The Magic School Bus as The Magic School Bus Rides Again this Fall. The sequel series is led by Miss Frizzle’s younger sister, Fiona Felicity Frizzle, who takes amazing and educational trips with her class on the infamous magic school bus.
USA
One could say that Mr. Robot, which is back this Fall for its third season, can be considered scary because it’s a harsh look at our reality and what could happen in the near future. Mr. Robot follows the life of Elliot Alderson, cybersecurity engineer and expert hacker, who is secretly the leader of F Society. He and his cohorts take down corrupt corporations only to face a shadow government controlling the world’s governments and elites. It is truly a dystopian take on the future of technology and government actions.
So, whether you’re watching in real-time with some friends, streaming online by using your parents’ cable subscription or binging series after they’ve aired, there are so many great shows to watch. Fall particularly brings fun Halloween specials, but there are also a myriad of other sitcoms, dramas and independent television shows just waiting to be watched.
Is there a TV show airing this season that you like to watch? Let us know in the comments and on social media!