Rueben's Ramblings

Let Fall TV begin in earnest!

Here is a list of the programming options to expect on TV this week:

On September 23, Castle will air its season premiere on ABC at 10 PM.

That same night the new NBC drama The Blacklist will debut at 10 PM. For decades, ex-government agent Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) has been one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. Brokering shadowy deals for criminals across the globe, Red was known by many as “The Concierge of Crime.” Now, he’s mysteriously surrenders to the FBI with an explosive offer: he will help catch a long-thought-dead terrorist, Ranko Zamani, under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth “Liz” Keen (newcomer Megan Boone), an FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico.

Also on September 23, the new CBS drama Hostages will debut at 10 PM. This thriller is about a family taken hostage in their own home. Toni Collette (United States of Tara) stars as a surgeon caught in the middle of a grand political conspiracy, who is ordered to assassinate the President of the United States (James Naughton) in order to save her family. Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) stars as the lead hostage taker compelled to do the wrong thing for the right reasons in this taut drama filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Chicago Fire will be back with its second season premiere on NBC on September 24 at 10 PM. And, also that night NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and Person of Interest will all air their season premieres on CBS at 8, 9 and 10 PM respectively.

That’s not all, also on September 24, the new ABC dramas Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Lucky 7 will debut at 8 PM and 10 PM respectively. For Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton from Killing Lincoln), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen from Eureka), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker from The Fades), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge from Hollyoaks), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker, Skye (Chloe Bennet from Nashville). And, for Lucky 7, in Astoria, Queens, a group of seven gas station employees have been chipping into a lottery pool for months, never thinking they’d actually win. Money could solve problems for each of them. Matt (Matt Long from Jack & Bobby) could get his girlfriend and two kids out of his mother’s house. Matt’s brother Nicky (Stephen Louis Grush from Detroit 1-8-7), an ex-con, could pay off a dangerous debt. Samira (Summer Bishil from Towelhead), a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, could afford to go to Juilliard. Denise (Lorraine Bruce from Eden Lake), a plucky cashier, could focus on rebuilding her crumbling marriage. Leanne (Anastasia Phillips from Stoked), a young mother, could help her daughter realize her dreams. Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), the store’s manager, could finally retire, and Antonio (Luis Antonio Ramos from The Ruins) could give his wife and kids a whole new life.

On September 25, the season finale of the mini-series Broadchurch will air on BBC America at 10 PM. And, that same night, the second season of Revolution will start on NBC at 8 PM. Meanwhile that night over on ABC, Nashville will return for its season premiere at 10 PM. And, Criminal Minds and CSI will air their season premieres on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively also on September 25.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Parenthood will be back with new seasons on September 26 on NBC at 9 PM and 10 PM respectively. That same night, Elementary will return for its sophomore season on CBS at 10 PM. Also that night, Grey’s Anatomy will air its two-hour season premiere on ABC at 9 PM. And, Glee will air its season premiere on FOX at 9 PM.

On September 27, new seasons of Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods will air on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively.

The season finale of Cedar Cove will air on the Hallmark Channel on September 28 at 8 PM.

On September 29, the series finale of Breaking Bad will air on AMC at 9 PM. And that same night, Homeland will be back for a new season on Showtime at 9 PM followed by the new series Masters of Sex at 10 PM. Masters of Sex follows the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson (to be played by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan). The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance, and pop culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a mid-western teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine and nearly a dozen appearances on Johnny Carson’s couch.

Also on September 29, The Good Wife and The Mentalist will air on CBS at 9 and 10 PM respectively. And, that same night, the recap special “Once Upon a Time: Journey to Neverland” will air on ABC at 7 PM followed by the season premiere of Once Upon a Time at 8 PM; the season premiere of Revenge will also air at 9 PM followed by the new drama Betrayal at 10 PM. Betrayal focuses on a chance meeting between photographer Sara (Hannah Ware from Boss) and attorney Jack (Stuart Townsend from XIII) leads to an instant and undeniable attraction. Sarah’s husband, Drew (Chris Johnson from The Vampire Diaries), is a successful prosecutor with political aspirations, while Jack is married to Elaine (Wendy Moniz from Guiding Light), the daughter of his boss, Thatcher (James Cromwell from American Horror Story). When Thatcher’s brother-in-law Lou is murdered, all evidence points to Thatcher’s son, T.J. (Henry Thomas from E.T.). Jack, the company’s lead counsel, will have to defend him, but for Sara’s prosecutor husband, Drew, this is the kind of high-profile murder case that can secure his political future. Just as Sara and Jack’s affair is starting, the lovers find themselves in an impossible situation.

Mark your calendars!