Despite a recent meeting between the Writers Guild of America and the studios to try and reach a mutually amenable deal, the Hollywood strikes seem poised to continue indefinitely. With the writers joined by members of the Screen Actors Guild in one of the biggest labor actions in entertainment history, much of the coverage around the industry has focused on what films and television shows have seen their production halted.
But it’s not as if we’re facing a fall slate full of tumbleweeds:. Many high-profile programs set for autumn releases are still rolling out as planned, including the ambitious John Wick spinoff The Continental, horror maestro Mike Flanagan’s take on Edgar Allen Poe, and the heavily anticipated animated Scott Pilgrim show, with much of the cast from the 2010 cult film returning in voice roles.
Here are the biggest shows that, as of press time, will still be airing this fall. GQ will continue to update this piece as release dates are announced and potentially changed.
Premiere Date: Sept 1
Amazon’s mammoth attempt at a Game of Thrones-style epic hasn’t reached those heights (yet?) , but Wheel of Time is still a worthwhile investment, particularly with the strikes opening up time to dig into its immersive world. The second season’s trailer places Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine front and center, continuing her mission to defeat the Dark One, as well as the personal journey of Josha Stradowski’s Rand. Wheel of Time isn’t as captivating as Thrones was at its best, but Rafe Judkins and directors like Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Uta Briesewitz have done a commendable job of bringing Robert Jordan’s rich world to life, even without the kind of budget Amazon gave The Rings of Power.
Premiere Date: Sept 13
The Jennifer Aniston-Reese Witherspoon drama about the Me Too-fueled fallout at a fictional version of the Today Show is one of the nuttier “prestige” series out, with subplots and twists that verge on soap opera melodrama and line readings and performances that suggest some of the cast feel like they’re on an entirely separate show from everyone else (looking at you, Billy Crudup). And for those reasons, it is compulsively watchable, nonsense be damned. Jon Hamm joining the cast for season 3 is just another excuse to tune in for the cringe.
Premiere Date: Sept 21
Netflix’s ribald hit about the erotic lives (and dysfunctions) of British teenagers has helped make Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, and Aimee Lou Wood into major stars thanks to its deft humor and charming frankness. The fourth season will be its final one, as creator Laurie Nunn wants to focus on other projects, so fans should savor every awkward moment of our last trip to the Moordale Secondary School.
Premiere Date: Sept 22
World building has always been the best thing about the John Wick franchise (besides, you know, the action), and The Continental promises to expand the Wick universe in a thrilling way. Focusing on Winston Scott, (unfortunately not played here by Ian McShane, as he is in the movies)The Continental is the origin story of the all-knowing hotel proprietor, as well as the series of residences that have been the backdrop for some of Wick’s best scraps. The series doesn’t boast the star power of the films, and it’ll be bittersweet to see a Continental without the late, great Lance Reddick behind the desk, but the Peacock show promises stylish action, much of it directed by Menace II Society’s Albert Hughes.
Premiere Date Sept 29
Amazon’s hit superhero satire The Boys successfully ventured into franchise territory with the animated series Diabolical, but the upcoming Gen V is the show’s first live action spin-off, focused on young superheroes at a university. This kind of setting has been a winner for decades in the X-Men world, and seems like a natural fit for the brash, freewheeling tone of The Boys. The cast is also filled with charming up-and-comers, including Jaz Sinclair and Chance Perdomo of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and rap star Derek Luh.
Premiere Date: Oct 12
Mike Flanagan is the premier name in prestige TV horror (sorry Ryan Murphy), with his successful work on The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. After successfully adapting several Stephen King projects, he set his sights on another iconic author with The Fall of the House of Usher, his take on the work of Edgar Allen Poe. Flanagan isn’t above a well-executed jump scare, but his horror is slow-burning and character-driven, meaning the quality of Usher’s cast–Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Flanagan vets Zach Gilford and Kate Siegel–will be on full display here.
Premiere Date: Oct 13
It’s no longer a huge deal when an Oscar winning A-lister like Brie Larson does television, but Lessons in Chemistry seems like a particularly good use of her skills, in which she plays a resourceful scientist in the ‘60s who uses a popular cooking show as a kind of Trojan horse to teach American women about science. Larson excels at this kind of determined underdog role, and the involvement of Lee Eisenberg (The Office, Jury Duty) means that Lessons in Chemistry is likely to be compulsively watchable.
Premiere Date: Nov 2
Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti headline Netflix’s adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s hit World War II novel, which tells the story of a young blind girl and her father evading the Nazis in occupied France. Underrated screenwriter Steven Knight is handling writing and showrunner duties, while Shawn Levy is slated to direct. An early teaser trailer seems to successfully translate the elegance and poignancy of Doerr’s words to the screen, and All the Light We Cannot See is one of the most hotly anticipated novel adaptations we’ve gotten this year.
Premiere Date: Nov 3
Invincible premiered to rave reviews back in 2021, with critics highlighting the voice performances Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J.K. Simmons, and the show’s throwback animation style. Co-created by The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman and based on his own long-running comic series, Invincible explores the family dynamic of a superhero father mentoring his son, while also featuring intense, hard-R violence. The series’ second season delves into the multiverse, meaning Invincible could go in a myriad of exciting directions.
Premiere Date: Nov 17
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is one of the most anime-like live-action movies out there, so it’s hardly surprising that Netflix will be releasing an eight episode animated series titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is involved with the show, and most of the 2010 film’s iconic cast will return to voice their characters, including Michael Cera in the title role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the vexing Ramona Flowers, Kieran Culkin as the wisecracking Wallace Wells, and Anna Kendrick as Scott’s sister Stacey.