The Why Watch That Talk: TV Season Premieres: From Roseanne to The Americans
Instinct (CBS)
Dr. Dylan Reinhart is a former CIA operative who’s created a quieter life for himself as a professor and author of a best-selling book on abnormal behavior. When tenacious and resourceful NYPD detective Lizzie Needham approaches him to help her solve a serial killer case, he taps into his old skill set and reaches out to a CIA friend who has access to invaluable top-secret intelligence. As Dylan gets lured back into the adrenaline filled world of law enforcement, he and Lizzie realize that, together, they make the perfect team.
Krypton (SyFy)
Years before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel’s home planet, Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, fights to redeem his family’s honor after the House of El is ostracized and shamed over Seg’s grandfather’s false claims of a world-killer coming to Krypton. When an attack on the government is attempted, Seg seizes an opportunity to advance himself and his family by allying with those who sentenced his grandfather to execution and destroyed his family’s name but when evidence that his grandfather’s claims were true is discovered, Seg must work within the system that discarded the House of El in order to protect their future legacy.
Station 19 (ABC)
Practically raised at Seattle’s Station 19, Andy Herrera is a confident firefighter who is also the daughter of Pruitt Herrera, the formidable head of the firehouse. Capt. Pruitt was Andy’s primary inspiration to become a firefighter and is a mentor to both her and Jack Gibson, the lieutenant at the station. Jack is as fearless as Andy is by-the-books, but when the two are together, sparks fly and opposites attract. The two are joined by Maya Bishop, Dean Miller, Travis Montgomery, Victoria Hughes, and the station’s newest addition, rookie Ben Warren. The team also works closely with Seattle PD, often running into Andy’s former flame Ryan Tanner.
Trust (FX)
Inspired by actual events, “Trust” delves into the trials and triumphs of one of America’s wealthiest and unhappiest families, the Gettys. Equal parts family history, dynastic saga and an examination of the corrosive power of money, “Trust” explores the complexities at the heart of every family, rich or poor. Told over multiple seasons and spanning the 20th century, the series begins in 1973 with the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, an heir to the Getty oil fortune, by the Italian mafia in Rome. His captors banked on a multimillion-dollar ransom. But Paul’s grandfather, enigmatic oil tycoon J. Paul Getty Sr. — possibly the richest man in the world — is busy being marooned in a Tudor mansion in the English countryside with a harem of mistresses and a pet lion. Paul’s father, J. Paul Getty Jr., is lost in a daze in London and refuses to answer the phone. Only Paul’s mother, Gail Getty, is left to negotiate with the increasingly desperate kidnappers. Unfortunately, she’s broke.
Billions (Showtime)
Wealth, influence and corruption collide in this drama set in New York. Shrewd U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades is embroiled in a high-stakes game of predator vs. prey with Bobby Axelrod, an ambitious hedge-fund king. To date, Rhoades has never lost an insider trading case — he’s 81-0 — but when criminal evidence turns up against Axelrod, he proceeds cautiously in building the case against Axelrod, who employs Rhoades’ wife, psychiatrist Wendy, as a performance coach for his company. Wendy, who has been in her position longer than Chuck has been in his, refuses to give up her career for her husband’s legal crusade against Axelrod. Both men use their intelligence, power and influence to outmaneuver the other in this battle over billions. The high-profile cast is led by Emmy winners Paul Giamatti (“John Adams”) and Damian Lewis (“Homeland”) as Chuck Rhoades and Bobby Axelrod, respectively.
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Partially inspired by co-creator Mike Judge’s experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this comedy series follows the misadventures of introverted computer programmer Richard and his brainy friends as they attempt to strike it rich in a high-tech gold rush. They live together in a Bay Area startup incubator loosely run by self-satisfied dot-com millionaire Erlich, who lets them stay in his house rent-free in exchange for a stake in the projects they invent there. But when Richard develops a powerful search algorithm at his day job, he finds himself caught in the middle of a bidding war between his boss — whose firm offers Richard an eight-figure buyout — and a deep-pocketed venture capitalist.
Barry (HBO)
Disillusioned at the thought of taking down another “mark,” depressed, low-level hit man Barry Berkman seeks a way out. When the Midwesterner reluctantly travels to Los Angeles to execute a hit on an actor who is bedding a mobster’s wife, little does Barry know that the City of Angels may be his sanctuary. He follows his target into acting class and ends up instantly drawn to the community of eager hopefuls, especially dedicated student Sally, who becomes the object of his affection. While Barry wants to start a new life as an actor, his handler, Fuches, has other ideas, and the hit man’s criminal past won’t let him walk away so easily.
The Terror (AMC)
A Royal Navy ship undertakes a perilous voyage in pursuit of the Northwest Passage, but treacherous conditions, limited resources, and low morale plague the crew.
Roseanne (ABC)
A revival of the popular 1990s sitcom ‘Roseanne,’ which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
Suits (USA)
In need of an associate, big-time Manhattan corporate lawyer Harvey Specter hires the only guy who impresses him — college dropout Mike Ross. The fact that Ross isn’t actually a lawyer isn’t lost on Specter, who believes his new right-hand man is a legal prodigy with the book smarts of a Harvard law grad and the street smarts of a hustler. However, in order to keep their jobs, the charade must remain strictly between these two unconventional thinkers.
The Crossing (ABC)
When refugees from a war-torn country start seeking asylum in a small American fishing town, it becomes clear that something strange is going on. The residents soon learn that the country they are fleeing from is America, and the war they are escaping hasn’t happened yet. While the government sets to work trying to untangle the truth behind the ominous migration, the fact that the lives of those involved will never again be the same seems to be the only thing that no one can deny.
The Americans (FX)
Co-starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys,”The Americans” is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington, D.C., during the Reagan administration. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but as the pressures and demands of the job grow heavier, the personal toll becomes almost too exhausting to bear, especially when it comes to protecting their American-born children, Paige and Henry. They also face the risk of discovery by their friend and neighbor FBI agent Stan Beeman, who is tasked with uncovering Soviet illegals hiding in plain sight.