Must-See TV: New Fall Shows You Have To Watch

Aaahhh. A new season, a new season of excellent TV. Consider this your bible to the best shows to have just hit the silver screen. And dear Lord it is good.

Atlanta

What it’s about:
Earn (Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino) is a dude in his mid-late 20s struggling to earn money, but who finds the answer to his financial woes in his cousin, Paper Boi, a rapper on the verge of stardom.

Why you should watch it:
A real-life rapper playing a guy who’s representing a rapper is trippy and amusing and very easy viewing. Great for hungover states, it’s full of the-struggle-is-real and make-it-work moments we can all relate to.

Pitch

What it’s about:
Baseball player Ginny Baker joins the major league team – a team that, until now, only ever consisted of males.

Why you should watch it:
On the surface it’s an interesting and original TV show idea – a notion that’s almost extinct today – and on a deeper level, it’s emotionally complex with plot twists aplenty. It’s also full of clever moments played out by stupidly attractive actors and is a pretty profound statement/plea about the culture we live in today. #feminism.

Insecure

What it’s about:
Comedienne Issa Rae uses her web series, Awkward Black Girl, as inspiration to make her TV debut, playing herself as an African-American woman in a fictional daily life setting.

Why you should watch it:
HBO’s at it again with another provocative series like its oft-referenced GIRLS and Sex & the City. Expect hilarious one-liners from a show that uses humour to address the serious issue of race.

Divorce

What it’s about:
Premiering on 9 October, this TV show follows middle-aged Frances (Sarah Jessica Parker) who is trying to make a fresh start after her marriage ends.

Why you should watch it:
Let’s be honest; we all want to see if SJP can shirk herself of her previous SATC character. Our money’s on yes, but temporarily. She’ll always be Carrie Bradshaw in our eyes.

Better Things

What it’s about:
A divorced actress raising three teenage girls by herself in Hollywood.

Why you should watch it:
Pamela Adlon is Sam Fox, a mum just doing the best she can, juggling work and home life in the unscripted, organised chaos way that most mothers have to adopt today. She’s tough, she’s edgy, she has no shame: watching the interplay between Sam and the eccentric characters she’s surrounded by is brilliant.

Notorious

What it’s about:
A news producer of America’s No. 1 talk show and her relationship with a criminal defense attorney that’s based on Larry King Live’s news producer Wendy Walker and criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos.

Why you should watch it:
Violet Sanford’s (meaning Piper Perabo) all grown up! Watch the complex dynamic between her and That Guy From The Devil Wears Prada (Daniel Sunjata) as they become the decision makers for what the American public believes to be true. It’s a fascinating reminder to never fully accept what you see on the TV.

Easy

What it’s about:
The TV form of a short story novel where each chapter (read: episode) focuses on the incredibly varied lives of exceedingly different people.

Why you should watch it:
It’s a modern reflection of society, from young lesbians to middle-aged married couples, it’s got it all. Oh, and the common theme is sex, so…y’know.