What do we want? TV shows starring strong women! When do we want them! This fall!
prestonmaxallen
September 09 2015 1:34 PM EST
May 26 2023 12:38 PM EST
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What do we want? TV shows starring strong women! When do we want them! This fall!
Summer is slowing down, which means 'tis almost the season of cooler weather, comfy sweaters, and a brand new crop of badass leading ladies on several upcoming TV series that we can't wait to add to our queue. There's certainly something for everyone this year, from superheroes to sorority girls to singing stalkers, and some of these shows are already looking like they might shape up to be the best around in a while. So forget pumpkin spice hype and get excited for a season of fantastic women not only starring on new TV shows, but creating them for us as well. There may not be a bumpercrop of queer female characters to look forward to but these new shows offer enough that they are 'lesbian-approved' by those of us who identify that way here at SheWired. Happy almost fall to us all!
1. Blindspot (NBC, premiering Sept. 21, 10/9c)
Blindspot tells the story of Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander), a tattooed amnesiac found in a duffle bag in the middle of Times Square. Now there's a pitch. Her tattoos are the key to solving life-or-death cases, and Jane herself is a badass force to be reckoned with. We expect nothing less than an hour of utter intensity every week with Blindspot, not to mention an ever-growing list of reasons to have a pretty big crush on Jaimie Alexander.
2.Supergirl (CBS, premiering Oct. 26, 8:30/7:30c)
It's Supergirl! Need we say more? In case we do, Melissa Benoist looks like she'll soar superbly into the iconic role of Kara Zor-El, and the action-packed trailer already has us super-psyched for what's to come. We're suckers for a shiny new take on classic imagery, and we can't wait to see what Supergirl has in store.
3. Quantico (ABC, premiering Sept. 27 10/9c)
The trailer for Quantico is all kinds of badass for so many reasons. Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra plays Alex Parish, an FBI recruit training in Quantico, Virginia who's wrongfully blamed for a terrorist attack and must uncover which sleeper agent was really behind it. Quantico is definitely scoring in the strong female lead and diversity department, and there's plenty to keep us curious about what's going to happen next. Consider us Quantico enthusiasts.
4. Scream Queens (FOX, premiering Sept. 22 8/7c)
Let's be real, this is straight up just "American Horror Story: Sorority Row." But Scream Queens does have a massive roster of impressive leading ladies including Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Ariana Grande, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin, and SNL's Nasim Pedrad. And for some reason, Nick Jonas is there too. Basically, this is one crazy free-for-all, and hopefully it'll be just as fun as it is randomly star-studded. Do not let us down, Ryan Murphy. We want this to be good so badly.
5. Angel from Hell (CBS, premiering Nov. 17 9:30/8:30c)
Sitcoms can be ever so hit-or-miss, but this one's starring Jane Lynch, so we've decided to have faith. Perhaps IMDB describes it best with this gem of a synopsis: "Allison (Maggie Lawson) isn't quite sure if her new friend, Amy (Jane Lynch), is her guardian angel or a crazy person." This trailer certainly emphasizes Allison's confusion, and also piques our interest enough to have us tune in and hope for the best.
6. Flesh and Bone (Starz, premiering Nov. 8)
Breaking Bad writer/executive producer Moira Walley-Beckett is coming at us with a new Starz limited series about the cutthroat world of ballet, in case you were looking for a show that will most likely stress you out to your very core while captivating you completely. Breaking Bad was totally worth the hype, so expect Flesh and Bone to be as engaging as it gets, and star Sarah Hay (Black Swan) will most likely be one we'll all want to watch. Her character Claire is described by Deadline as being "emotionally wounded" with a "distinctly troubled past," so we can only expect her time with a brutally prestigious NYC ballet company to be a walk in the park. LOL.
7. Minority Report (FOX, premiering Sept. 21 9/8c)
Yes, this is based on the 2002 Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Cruise, but if you missed it or simply don't care it seems like FOX's new TV show will catch you up pretty easily. Minority Report takes place several years after the events of the film, following the disbandment of the "Precrime" unit, which was used to predict and stop crimes before they happened. However, three "PreCogs" remain and can still see crimes happening in the future, and one (Stark Sands) decides to use his abilities to assist Detective Lara Vega (Meagan Good). Judging from this trailer alone, we're definitely going to want as much Lara Vega in our lives as possible.
8. Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, premiered Aug. 23 9/8c)
So far, Fear the Walking Dead isn't quite measuring up to its wildly successful predecessor, but for those of you who love a zombie fix this will definitely fill the void. While Walking Dead jumps right into the zombie apocalypse, Fear is slowly simmering into the devastating weirdness as people realize this deadly disease won't be going away any time soon. Even better, Fear stars Alycia Debnam-Carey, who some might know as the actress who portrays queer warrior leader Lexa on The 100, so if you're also jonesing from some 100 in your life, this will be a good placeholder as well. And honestly, who isn't jonesing for some 100?
9. Code Black (CBS, premiering Sept. 30 10/9c)
But is it really a fall TV preview without a medical drama? Marcia Gay Harden couldn't say no to Code Black, about the historically busy L.A. County Hospital ER, so neither will we. Entertainment Tonight described Code Black as "nothing short of superb," "gritty," and "inspiring," among many other glowing recommendations, so consider the bar pretty high here. If you can handle a highly visceral and emotional TV hospital experience, Code Black and Marcia Gay Harden are here for you.
10. American Horror Story: Hotel (FX, premiering Oct. 7th)
Once again, the glittery, gory fodder devised by Ryan Murphy is always a risky inclusion, since sometimes it crashes downhill so hard we regret ever trying to get invested in the first place. But, as usual, the new season of AHS has our interest as well as several actress we adore, including AHS newcomer Lady Gaga, recurring cast members Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Chloë Sevigny and, perhaps most intriguing of all, the always wonderful Lily Rabe as lesbian serial killer Aileen Wuornos. So we'll be at tuning in at least til the Halloween episodes when Rabe makes her appearance, and who knows? Maybe this'll finally be a season worth watching.
11. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW, premiering Oct. 12 8/7c)
We just really want musical TV shows to work, okay?? Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is about just that, a young woman, Rebecca (Rachel Bloom), who moves across the country on a whim to essentially stalk an ex-boyfriend who recently showed an inkling of interest. Maybe not our favorite trope to see portrayed on TV, but this show boasts the writer of The Devil Wears Prada and the director of 500 Days of Summer, so we feel like an appropriate level of irony will be alive and well. Also, it's a musical. Come on! Please be good. Please, just let all of the TV this fall be good.