Rueben's Ramblings

The official announcement of the The CW Fall TV Schedule has been made to the advertisers today in New York City, but news has already been swirling since mid-last week about the network’s plans.

Here is a full list of The CW’s fall schedule as well as details for the new dramas that have been placed on the schedule:

Mondays:

8 PM: The Originals
9 PM: Jane the Virgin (New Drama)

JANE THE VIRGIN

When Jane Villanueva was a young girl, her grandmother, Alba, convinced her of two things: telenovelas are the highest form of entertainment, and women must protect their virginity at all costs. Now age 23, Jane is a driven young woman studying to become a teacher, nursing a dream to be a writer, and supporting herself with a job at a hot new Miami hotel. All the years of watching telenovelas with the two women who raised her – her sexy, young-at-heart mother, Xiomara, and her still-devout grandmother, Alba – have given Jane a slightly unrealistic view of romance. Still, she is determined not to make the same mistake her mother made – becoming an unwed mother at 16. Jane has managed to find a wonderful fiancé: a handsome, hard-working detective named Michael, who loves her enough to accept her detailed timeline for their future together and even her insistence on “saving herself” until they’re married. All of Jane’s meticulous life plans are turned upside down, however, when she sees her doctor for a routine check-up and is accidentally artificially inseminated with a specimen meant for the patient in the next room. Unbeknownst to her, the specimen belongs to Rafael, a reformed playboy and cancer survivor, who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works but also a former summer crush of hers. A few weeks later, the unsuspecting Jane is faced with the most important decisions of her life. Will she continue with the pregnancy? How can she explain the situation to her fiancé and family? And what should she do about the wishes of the biological father, Rafael, and his scheming wife Petra? Though she has always tried to be the good girl who does the right thing, Jane’s life has suddenly become as dramatic and complicated as the telenovelas she has always loved.

CAST: Gina Rodriguez (The Bold and the Beautiful) as Jane, Justin Baldoni (Single Ladies) as Rafael, Brett Dier (Ravenswood) as Michael, Andrea Navedo (Golden Boy) as Xiomara, Yael Grobglas (Reign) as Petra, Ivonne Coll (Switched at Birth) as Alba and Jaime Camil (Devious Maids) as Rogelio.

Tuesdays:

8 PM: The Flash
9 PM: Supernatural

“Don’t Blink” Sneak Peek at The Flash:

THE FLASH

Barry Allen was just 11 years old when his mother was killed in a bizarre and terrifying incident and his father was falsely convicted of the murder. With his life changed forever by the tragedy, Barry was taken in and raised by Detective Joe West, the father of Barry’s best friend, Iris. Now, Barry has become a brilliant, driven and endearingly geeky CSI investigator, whose determination to uncover the truth about his mother’s strange death leads him to follow up on every unexplained urban legend and scientific advancement that comes along. Barry’s latest obsession is a cutting edge particle accelerator, created by visionary physicist Harrison Wells and his S.T.A.R. Labs team, who claim that this invention will bring about unimaginable advancements in power and medicine. However, something goes horribly wrong during the public unveiling, and when the devastating explosion causes a freak storm, many lives are lost and Barry is struck by lightning. After nine months in a coma, Barry awakens to find his life has changed once again – the accident has given him the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion – and not everyone is using their new powers for good. In the months since the accident, the city has seen a sharp increase in missing people, unexplained deaths and other strange phenomena. Barry now has a renewed purpose – using his gift of speed to protect the innocent, while never giving up on his quest to solve his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become… The Flash.

CAST: Grant Gustin (Glee and Arrow) as Barry Allen/The Flash, Candice Patton (The Game) as Iris West, Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries) as Eddie Thawne, Danielle Panabaker (Necessary Roughness) as Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes (Once on Broadway ) as Cisco Ramon, Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Harrison Wells and Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) as Detective West.

Wednesdays:

8 PM: Arrow
9 PM: The 100

Thursdays:

8 PM: The Vampire Diaries
9 PM: Reign

Fridays:

8 PM: Whose Line Is It Anyway?
9 PM: America’s Next Top Model

The CW’s other two new dramas, iZombie and The Messengers, will debut during mid-season and returning dramas Beauty And the Beast and Hart of Dixie will also be back sometime in 2015.

iZOMBIE

Olivia “Liv” Moore was a rosy-cheeked, disciplined, over-achieving medical resident who had her life path completely mapped out until the night she attended a party that unexpectedly turned into a zombie feeding frenzy. As one of the newly undead, Liv is doing her best to blend in and look as human as possible. Her appearance now passes for “Goth,” with shockingly pale skin and nearly white hair, and her demeanor has gone from exuberant to exhausted. The change in Liv is baffling to her mother, her former fiancé, Major, and her best friend and roommate, Peyton, who still has the high-energy, Type-A personality that Liv has completely abandoned. Despite her post-traumatic ennui, Liv has devised a way to resist her baser urges to devour fresh human brains – she’s taken a job in the Seattle coroner’s office. In this appropriately dead-end job, Liv can secretly snack on the brains of the many Jane and John Doe corpses that make a final stop in the morgue. Despite carefully covering her tracks, Liv’s boss, Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, discovers her secret and is surprisingly excited about the scientific possibilities. Even with her boss’ enthusiasm, Liv remains resigned to an eternity without hope or purpose, until she realizes that with every brain she consumes, she retains a portion of that person’s memories. Liv begins to experience visions from the point of view of the murder victims. Much to the surprise of Dr. Ravi and homicide detective Clive Babineaux, Liv often has detailed knowledge of crime scenes and motives that she can’t easily explain. Posing as a psychic, she works with Detective Babineaux to investigate these crimes and discover who is responsible. It’s not the same as being alive again, but at least Liv can find purpose in her undead existence by helping Clive solve the murders of those who are indeed fully dead.

CAST: Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time) as Liv, Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings) as Clive Babineaux, newcomer Rahul Kohli as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill) as Major Lilywhite, Alexandra Krosney (Last Man Standing) as Peyton Charles, David Anders (Once Upon a Time and The Vampire Diaries) as Blaine DeBeers and Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live) as Eva Moore.

THE MESSENGERS

In the white-hot sun of the New Mexico desert, scientist Vera Ivanov watches in fascination as a mysterious object plummets to Earth and explodes in a blinding flash, sending out a shock wave that briefly stops her heart. But Vera is not the only one affected by the blast: she is instantly and mysteriously connected to four other strangers, who also collapse only to miraculously come back to life hours later. Erin, a young mother desperate to protect her 7-year-old daughter from an abusive ex-husband; Peter, a troubled high school student who finally lashes out to end the constant bullying he can no longer endure; Raul, a federal agent looking to escape his undercover assignment in a violent Mexican drug cartel; and Joshua, Jr., a charismatic second-generation televangelist following in his father’s footsteps – all awaken after the pulse with powers they can barely believe, from inexplicable strength to the ability to heal others. Most mysterious of all is the figure known only as The Man, who offers Vera the one thing she wants most in life – to be reunited with her kidnapped son – if she will help him with one morally complicated task. That task puts Vera on a collision course with nurse Rose Arvale who, after a seemingly random act of violence left her in a coma for seven years, suddenly begins to stir. As Joshua, Jr. prophesizes, the wheels of Revelation have begun to turn, and this group of strangers might be the only hope for preventing the impending Rapture… or causing it.

CAST: Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill and the upcoming The Last Ship) as Vera, Jon Fletcher (City of Dreams) as Joshua Jr., Sofia Black-D’Elia (Betrayal and Gossip Girl) as Erin, JD Pardo (Revolution) as Raul, Joel Courtney (Super 8) as Peter, Anna Diop (Everybody Hates Chris) as Rose and Diogo Morgado (The Bible mini-series) as The Man.

NOTES: The CW has not given up on a Supernatural spin-off despite the failure of the back-door pilot “Bloodlines”. They want to develop another spin-off for next season. And, when asked why The Tomorrow People was canceled over the lower ratings ranked Beauty And the Beast, The CW president Mark Pedowitz said, “We’ve always said we’re a very different style of broadcast network. We have situations where shows like Beauty have created upside potential. It’s a fan favorite. It has a great international [interest]. Primarily, The Tomorrow People was a great show, [it] just didn’t have the same level of social engagement or digital side that Beauty and the Beast gets”.

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The official announcement of the CBS Fall TV Schedule has been made to the advertisers today in New York City, but news has already been swirling since mid-last week about the network’s plans.

Here is a full list of CBS’s fall schedule as well as details for the new dramas that have been placed on the schedule:

NOTE: Trailers for the new dramas will be added as soon as they are made available.

Mondays:

8 PM: The Big Bang Theory / 2 Broke Girls
8:30 PM: Mom
9 PM: Scorpion (New Drama)
10 PM: NCIS: Los Angeles (New Timeslot)

Scorpion

The new series is inspired by a true story, is a high-octane drama about eccentric genius Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel from Body of Proof) and his team of brilliant misfits who comprise the last line of defense against complex, high-tech threats of the modern age. As Homeland Security’s new think tank, O’Brien’s “Scorpion” team includes Toby Curtis (Eddie Kaye Thomas), an expert behaviorist who can read anyone; Happy Quinn (Jadyn Wong), a mechanical prodigy; and Sylvester Dodd (Ari Stidham), a statistics guru. Pooling their extensive technological knowledge to solve mind-boggling predicaments amazes federal agent Cabe Gallo (Robert Patrick from The Unit), who shares a harrowing history with O’Brien. However, while this socially awkward group is comfortable with each other’s humor and quirks, life outside their circle confounds them, so they rely on Paige Dineen (Katharine McPhee from Smash), who has a young, gifted son, to translate the world for them. At last, these nerdy masterminds have found the perfect job: a place where they can apply their exceptional brainpower to solve the nation’s crises, while also helping each other learn how to fit in.

Tuesdays:

8 PM: NCIS
9 PM: NCIS: New Orleans (New Drama)
10 PM: Person of Interest

NCIS: New Orleans

The new spin-off focuses on the local field office that investigates criminal cases affecting military personnel in the Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence. Leading the team is Special Agent Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula from Quantum Leap), aka “King,” a native of NOLA who is driven by his need to do what is right. Working with Pride is Special Agent Christopher LaSalle (Lucas Black from Fast and Furious 2), who plays hard but works harder; and Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody (Zoe McLellan from Dirty Sexy Money), a charismatic and tough interrogator who transferred from the Great Lakes office in search of a fresh start. Supporting them is coroner Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder from Warehouse 13), who is as eccentric as she is smart. This colorful city that harbors a dark side is a magnet for service personnel on leave, and when overindulgence is followed by trouble, Pride’s team is at its best.

Wednesdays:

8 PM: Survivor
9 PM: Criminal Minds
10 PM: Stalker (New Drama)

Stalker

Maggie Q (Nikita) and Dylan McDermott (The Practice and American Horror Story) star in a psychological thriller about detectives who investigate stalking incidents – including voyeurism, cyber harassment and romantic fixation – for the Threat Assessment Unit of the LAPD. Det. Jack Larsen (McDermott) is a recent transfer to the Unit from New York City’s homicide division, whose confidence, strong personality and questionable behavior has landed him in trouble before – but whose past behavior may also prove valuable in his new job. His boss, Lt. Beth Davis (Maggie Q), is strong, focused and an expert in the field, driven by her traumatic personal experience as a victim. With the rest of their team, young but eager Det. Ben Caldwell (Victor Rasuk) and deceptively smart Det. Janice Lawrence (Mariana Klaveno from True Blood and Devious Maids), Larsen and Davis assess the threat level of cases and respond before the stalking and intimidation spirals out of control, all while trying to keep their personal obsessions at bay.

Thursdays:

8 PM: NFL Thursday Night Football / The Big Bang Theory (Starting October 30)
8:30 PM: The Millers (Starting October 30)
9 PM: Two and A Half Men (Starting October 30)
9:30 PM: The McCarthys (New Comedy) (Starting October 30)
10 PM: Elementary

Fridays:

8 PM: The Amazing Race
9 PM: Hawaii Five-0
10 PM: Blue Bloods

Saturdays:

Crimetime Saturday

Sundays:

7 PM: 60 Minutes
8 PM: Madam Secretary (New Drama)
9 PM: The Good Wife
10 PM: CSI / CSI: Cyber (New Drama to air later in 2014-2015 season)

Madam Secretary

Téa Leoni stars as Elizabeth McCord, the shrewd, determined, newly appointed Secretary of State who drives international diplomacy, battles office politics and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home. A college professor and a brilliant former CIA analyst who left for ethical reasons, Elizabeth returns to public life at the request of the President following the suspicious death of her predecessor. The President values her apolitical leanings, her deep knowledge of the Middle East, her flair for languages and her ability to not just think outside the box, but to not even acknowledge there is a box. McCord’s team includes her Chief of Staff Nadine Tolliver (Bebe Neuwirth), speechwriter Matt Mahoney (Geoffrey Arend from Body of Proof), press coordinator Daisy Grant (Patina Miller) and her charming assistant, Blake Moran (Erich Bergen). As McCord debates third world problems and finesses foreign dignitaries at work, that’s just a warm-up for when she goes home to her supportive husband Henry (Tim Daly) and their two bright children (Katherine Herzer and Evan Roe), where “politics” and “compromise” take on new meaning.

CSI: Cyber

Patricia Arquette (Medium) stars in a drama inspired by the advanced technological work of real-life CyberPsychologist Mary Aiken. Special Agent Avery Ryan (Arquette) heads the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI, a unit at the forefront of solving illegal activities that start in the mind, live online, and play out in the real world. She also knows firsthand how today’s technology allows people to hide in the shadows of the Internet and commit serious crimes of global proportion. While other agents search for criminals in dark homes and alleys, Ryan searches the “dark net,” a place deep in the bowels of the Web where criminals are anonymous, money is untraceable and where everything is for sale with just a keystroke.

Please note that Mike & Molly, The Mentalist and Undercover Boss will all return later in the season.

Here are the details of the one new dramas that will air on CBS later in the season:

BATTLE CREEK

Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters star in a drama about two mismatched law enforcement officers whose polar opposite views of the world and crime-solving breed frustration, disdain, humor and possibly a grudging respect as they team together to clean up the hardscrabble streets of Battle Creek, Mich. Det. Russ Agnew (Winters), a good but gruff, hard-boiled detective, has his world upended when strikingly handsome, charismatic Special Agent Milton Chamberlain (Duhamel) opens an FBI field office at the police station and chooses Russ to be his partner. Milt’s polished sophistication and access to unlimited state-of-the-art equipment is impressive to his new co-workers in the absurdly underfunded department. As Russ and Milt work long hours together in the economically distressed city of Battle Creek, the question is: will it be Milt’s charm and endless supply of high-end resources or Russ’s old-fashioned cynicism, guile and deception that prove to be the keys to catching the bad guys in his beloved hometown? Janet McTeer, Kal Penn, Edward Fordham and Aubrey Dollar also star.

TOMORROW: The CW

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The official announcement of the ABC Fall TV Schedule has been made to the advertisers today in New York City, but news has already been swirling since mid-last week about the network’s plans.

Here is a full list of ABC’s fall schedule as well as details and the available trailers for the new dramas that have been placed on the schedule:

Mondays:

8 PM: Dancing with the Stars
10 PM: Castle

Tuesdays:

8 PM: Selfie (New Comedy)
8:30 PM: Manhattan Love Story (New Comedy)
9 PM: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (New Timeslot)
10 PM: Forever (New Drama)

FOREVER

Doctor Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd from Ringer and Fantastic Four franchise), New York City’s star medical examiner, has a secret. He doesn’t just study the dead to solve criminal cases, he does it to solve the mystery that has eluded him for 200 years—the answer to his own inexplicable immortality. This long life has given Henry remarkable observation skills which impresses his new partner, Detective Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza from Law & Order). Each week, a new case and their budding friendship will reveal layers of Henry’s long and colorful past. Only his best friend and confidant, Abe (veteran actor Judd Hirsch) knows Henry’s secret.

Wednesdays:

8 PM: The Middle
8:30 PM: The Goldbergs
9 PM: Modern Family
9:30 PM: Black-ish (New Comedy)
10 PM: Nashville

Thursdays:

8 PM: Grey’s Anatomy (New Timeslot)
9 PM: Scandal (New Timeslot)
10 PM: How to Get Away with Murder (New Drama)

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

The brilliant, charismatic and seductive Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis from The Help) gets entangled with four law students from her class, How to Get Away with Murder. Little do they know that they will have to apply what they learned to real life.

Fridays:

8 PM: Last Man Standing
8:30 PM: Cristela (New Comedy)
9 PM: Shark Tank
10 PM: 20/20

Saturdays:

8 PM: Saturday Night Football

Sundays:

7 PM: America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM: Once Upon a Time
9 PM: Resurrection
10 PM: Revenge

Here are the network details for the new mid-season dramas that have not been given an official timeslot (yet):

AMERICAN CRIME

All over the news are reports about a young couple in Modesto, California, who were attacked in their home. Matt Skokie, a war vet, was killed, and his wife, Lily, is unconscious, barely hanging on. Both sets of parents are at her bedside hoping for a miracle while four suspects are about to be arrested. The case sends shock waves into the community stirring up tensions across racial lines in this gritty drama—from the point of view of the victims.

CAST: Felicity Huffman as Barb, Timothy Hutton as Russ, W. Earl Brown as Tom, Richard Cabral as Hector Tonz, Caitlin Gerard as Aubry, Benito Martinez as Alonzo Gutierrez, Penelope Ann Miller as Eve, Elvis Nolasco as Carter and Johnny Ortiz as Tony Gutierrez.

MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER

Marvel’s Agent Carter, starring Captain America’s Hayley Atwell, follows the story of Peggy Carter. It’s 1946, and peace has dealt Peggy Carter a serious blow as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy must balance doing administrative work and going on secret missions for Howard Stark all while trying to navigate life as a single woman in America, in the wake of losing the love of her life – Steve Rogers.

NOTE: Agent Carter will take over the Tuesday timeslot from SHIELD when it goes on mid-season hiatus. There is also no pilot trailer for Agent Carter as a pilot has not been filmed yet.

SECRETS AND LIES

Ben Garner (Ryan Phillippe) is about to go from Good Samaritan to murder suspect, after he discovers the body of his neighbor’s young son in the woods. As Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis from The Firm) digs for the truth, the secrets and lies of this town come to the surface and no one is above suspicion. Ben’s family’s life will be turned upside down as he sets out on a complicated journey to prove his innocence.

CAST: KaDee Strickland as Christy, Natalie Martinez as Jess, Clifton Collins, Jr. as Dave and Indiana Evans as Natalie, Belle Shouse as Abby.

THE WHISPERS

Aliens have invaded Earth by using our most unlikely resource to achieve world domination—our children. As the kids unwittingly help these unseen enemies, the clock counts down in this suspenseful race to save humanity.

CAST: Lily Rabe as Claire Bennigan, Barry Sloane as Wes Lawrence, Milo Ventimiglia as John Doe/Drew Bennigan, Derek Webster as Jessup Rollins, Brianna Brown as Lena Lawrence, Catalina Denis as Dr. Maria Benavidez, Kylie Rogers as Minx Lawrence and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf as Henry.

TOMORROW: CBS

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The official announcement of the FOX Fall TV Schedule has been announced to the advertisers today, but news has already been swirling since mid-last week about the network’s plans.

Here is a full list of FOX’s fall schedule as well as details and a trailer for the new dramas that have been placed on the schedule:

Mondays:

8 PM: Gotham (New Drama)
9 PM: Sleepy Hollow

GOTHAM

Before there was Batman, there was Gotham. Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon. He is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker? Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told.

CAST: Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman and Zabryna Guevara as Captain Sarah Essen.

Tuesdays:

8 PM: Utopia (New Reality Series)
9 PM: New Girl
9:30 PM: The Mindy Project

Wednesdays:

8 PM: Hell’s Kitchen
9 PM: Red Band Society (New Drama)

RED BAND SOCIETY

What if a hospital was your high school, boarding school and summer camp rolled into one? What if it was the place where you fell in love for the first time and made friendships that lasted a lifetime? And what if it was all weirdly hilarious and the most fun you ever had in your entire life? This is the world of RED BAND SOCIETY. From Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, starring Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (The Help) and based on the award-winning Spanish series, “Polseres Vermelles,”

CAST: Octavia Spencer as Nurse Jackson, Griffin Gluck as Charlie, Zoe Levin as Kara, Dave Annable as Dr. McAndrew, Rebecca Rittenhouse as Nurse Dobler, Charlie Rowe as Leo, Brian Bradley as Dash, Ciara Bravo as Emma and Nolan Sotillo as Jordi.

Here is the upfront trailer for Red Band Society.

Thursdays:

8 PM: Bones
9 PM: Gracepoint (New Event Series)

GRACEPOINT

When a young boy is found dead on an idyllic beach, a major police investigation gets underway in the small California seaside town where the tragedy occurred. Soon deemed a homicide, the case sparks a media frenzy, which throws the boy’s family into further turmoil and upends the lives of all of the town’s residents. Welcome to Gracepoint, a new 10-episode mystery event series based on Broadchurch, the U.K.’s critically acclaimed hit crime drama.

CAST: David Tennant as Det. Emmett Carver, Anna Gunn as Det. Ellie Miller, Michael Peña as Mark Solano, Virginia Kull as Beth Solano, Nick Nolte as Jack Reinhold, Jacki Weaver as Susan Wright, Josh Hamilton as Joe Miller, Kevin Rankin as Paul Coates, Kevin Zegers as Owen Burke, Jessica Lucas as Renee Clemons, Stephen Louis Grush as Vince Novik, Madalyn Horcher as Chloe Solano, Sarah-Jane Potts as Gemma Fisher, Jack Irvine as Tom Miller and Kendrick Sampson as Dean Iverson.

Fridays:

8 PM: Masterchef Junior
9 PM: Utopia (New Reality Series – 2nd Night)

Saturdays:

7 PM: Fox Sports Saturday

Sundays:

7 PM: NFL Game
7:30 PM: Bob’s Burgers
8 PM: The Simpsons
8:30 PM: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9 PM: Family Guy
9:30: Mulaney (New Comedy)

UPDATED: Glee isn’t on the fall schedule, but it did receive a 22-episode final season order. It is expected to return sometime mid-season.

The following dramas will air on FOX at some point in 2015:

BACKSTROM

From creator/executive producer Hart Hanson (Bones), Backstrom is a subversive and comic crime procedural about an unhealthy, offensive, irascible – albeit brilliant – detective who is brought back from exile to run the Portland Police Bureau’s Special Crimes Unit (S.C.U.). Detective Lieutenant Everett Backstrom (Rainn Wilson from The Office) is a man with no filter. After a five-year banishment to the traffic division for offensive behavior, he has returned from disgrace to lead Portland’s newly minted S.C.U. Tasked with navigating the city’s most sensitive and serious cases, he must solve each crime as he tries, and fails, to change his own self-destructive behavior.

CAST: Rainn Wilson as Det. Lt. Backstrom, Genevieve Angelson as Det. Gravely, Dennis Haysbert as Det. Sgt. Almond, Page Kennedy as Officer Moto, Kristoffer Polaha as Sgt. Niedermayer, Beatrice Rosen as Nadia Paquet and Thomas Dekker as Gregory Valentine.

EMPIRE

From Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (The Butler and Precious) and Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (Game Change), comes Empire, a sexy and powerful new drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne. Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard from Crash and Hustle & Flow) is the king of hip-hop. An immensely talented artist, the CEO of Empire Entertainment and a former street thug, his reign has been unchallenged for years. But all that changes, when he learns he has a disease that is going to render him crippled and incapacitated in a matter of three years. The clock is ticking, and he must groom one of his three sons to take over his crowning achievement, without destroying his already fractured family.

CAST: Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon, Malik Yoba as Vernon Turner, Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon, Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon, Trai Byers as Andre Lyon, Grace Gealey as Anika Gibbons, Kaitlin Doubleday as Rhonda Lyon and Gabourey Sidibe as Becky.

HIEROGLYPH

The world of ancient Egypt – a time of magic, Pharaohs, gods and thieves – lives again in Hieroglyph, an exciting action-adventure series from creator/executive producer Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim and Clash of the Titans). When a dangerous scroll, The Book of Thresholds, is stolen from Egypt’s most secure vault, master thief Ambrose (Max Brown from Beauty and the Beast) is plucked from prison to track down the perpetrator. Having spent the past five years in the darkest of pits, Ambrose quickly learns that his prison cell might be safer than the dangerous new world in which he finds himself: Atum, the empire’s capital.

CAST: Max Brown as Ambrose, Caroline Ford as Peshet, Reece Ritchie as Pharaoh Shai Kanahkt, Condola Rashad as Nefertari Kanahkt, Kelsey Chow as Lotus, Antony Bunsee as Rawser and John Rhys-Davies as Vocifer

WAYWARD PINES

Imagine the perfect American town… beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets. Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines. Based on the best-selling novel “Pines” by Blake Crouch and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan, Wayward Pines is the intense new mind-bending 10-episode event thriller evocative of the classic hit Twin Peaks.

CAST: Matt Dillon, Carla Gugino, Melissa Leo, Reed Diamond, Juliette Lewis, Shannyn Sossamon, Tim Griffin, Charlie Tahan and Terrence Howard [among others].

TOMORROW: ABC

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The official announcement of the NBC Fall TV Schedule is set to officially be made tomorrow to the advertisers, but the news is already been swirling since mid-last week with all the specific details coming out today.

Here is a full list of NBC’s fall schedule as well as details and a trailer for the new dramas that have been placed on the schedule:

Mondays:

8 PM: The Voice
10 PM: The Blacklist / State of Affairs (Starting on November 17) [NEW DRAMA]

STATE OF AFFAIRS

Each day the President is faced with dozens of life and death decisions, and to prioritize the biggest international crises facing the country, one top CIA analyst—Charleston Tucker (Katherine Heigl from Grey’s Anatomy)—assembles the President’s Daily Briefing (PDB). This list of the most vital security issues facing the nation brings with it moral and political judgment calls for Charleston and her trusted group of brilliant analysts at the agency. Aside from the political minefields she has to walk, Charlie has a close personal relationship with the President (Alfre Woodard from Desperate Housewives) because she was once engaged to her son before a tragic terrorist attack took his life. Charlie survived that attack and is now determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Navigating a complex personal life and a pressure-cooker profession is, of course, a challenge, and Charlie sometimes engages in boundary-pushing behavior to avoid facing her grief. But when the clock strikes 2 a.m., she is all about her job—protecting her nation, serving her President and still trying to get to the bottom of her fiancé’s murder that will reveal itself as a shocking mystery.

The cast also includes Adam Kaufman (Without a Trace) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Smash and Person of Interest)

Tuesdays:

8 PM: The Voice
9 PM: Marry Me (New Comedy)
9:30 PM: About A Boy
10 PM: Chicago Fire

Wednesdays:

8 PM: The Mysteries of Laura (NEW DRAMA)
9 PM: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10 PM: Chicago P.D.

THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA

Debra Messing (Will & Grace) stars as Laura Diamond, a brilliant NYPD homicide detective who balances her Columbo day job with a crazy family life that includes two unruly twin boys and a soon-to-be ex-husband (Josh Lucas from The Firm and Sweet Home Alabama)—also a cop—who just can’t seem to sign the divorce papers. Between cleaning up after her boys and cleaning up the streets, she’d be the first to admit she has her hot mess moments in this hilariously authentic look at what it really means to be a working mom today. Somehow, she makes it all work with the help of her sexy and understanding partner, and things becomes even more complicated when her husband, ironically, becomes her boss at the precinct. For Laura, every day is a high-wire balancing act.

The cast also includes Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) and Janina Gavankar (Arrow and True Blood).

Thursdays:

8 PM: The Biggest Loser
9 PM: Bad Judge (New Comedy) / The Blacklist (Starting on February 5)
9:30 PM: A to Z (New Comedy)
10 PM: Parenthood / Allegiance (possibly airing mid-season)

ALLEGIANCE

Alex O’Connor (Gavin Stenhouse from Person Of Interest), a young idealistic CIA analyst specializing in Russian affairs, learns a shocking secret and his close-knit, affluent family is about to be split apart when its revealed that his parents, Mark (Scott Cohen from Necessary Roughness) and Katya (Hope Davis from The Newsroom and In Treatment) are covert Russian spies deactivated decades ago. But today the Kremlin has re-enlisted them into service as they plan a terrorist operation inside the U.S. border that will bring America to its knees. Years ago, Russian-born Katya was tasked by the KGB to recruit American businessman Mark O’Connor as a spy—and the two fell in love. A deal was struck: As long as Katya remained an asset for Russia, and it was agreed that her services could be called on in the future, she would be allowed to marry Mark and move to America. After years in America building a happy life and without word from Moscow, they thought they had escaped. Now it seems that the new Mother Russia has one more mission—turning Alex into a spy. For these anguished parents, the choice is clear: Betray their country or risk their family.

The cast also includes Margarita Levieva (Revenge), Annie Ilonzeh (Switched at Birth and Arrow) and Kenneth Choi (Ironside).

No trailer is yet available for Allegiance.

Fridays:

8 PM: Dateline NBC
9 PM: Grimm
10 PM: Constantine (NEW DRAMA)

CONSTANTINE

Based on the wildly popular DC Comics series Hellblazer, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan from Criminal Minds) specializes in giving hell… hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight — or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he’s decided to leave his do-gooder life behind, but when demons target Liv (Lucy Griffiths from True Blood), the daughter of one of Constantine’s oldest friends, he’s reluctantly thrust back into the fray—and he’ll do whatever it takes to save her. Before long, it’s revealed that Liv’s second sight—an ability to see the worlds behind our world and predict supernatural occurrences—is a threat to a mysterious new evil that’s rising in the shadows. Now it’s not just Liv who needs protection; the angels are starting to get worried too. So, together, Constantine and Liv must use her power and his skills to travel the country, find the demons that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows… maybe there’s hope for him and his soul after all.

The cast also includes Harold Perrineau (Lost).

Saturdays:

8 PM: Encore Programming

Sundays:

7 PM: Football in America
8:30 PM: NBC Sunday Night Football

The new dramas A.D., Emerald City, Hannibal, Heroes: Reborn and Odyssey have yet to be scheduled, but here are details on each of those new dramas:

A.D.: In the follow-up to the eye-opening success of The Bible miniseries on History, the 12-hour miniseries A.D.—from producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey—will look at the lives that were instantly altered following the death of Christ. His disciples, mother Mary, and key political religious leaders at the time saw their world turned upside down and their lives forever altered. Beginning at that fateful moment of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, part two of the greatest story ever told will focus on the disciples who had to go forward and disseminate the teachings of Christ to a world dominated by political unrest and the start of a whole new religion that would dramatically reshape the history of the world.

AQUARIUS: It’s 1967 and the era of free love, drug experimentation and the Vietnam War is in full effect. When the teenage daughter of a respected lawyer goes missing, L.A. Police Sgt. Sam Hodiak (David Duchovny from Californication and The X-Files) starts asking around. He soon discovers that the hippie kids he’s questioning don’t take kindly to cops, especially one with hair as short as his. Needing the help of someone they will trust, he partners with rebellious undercover cop Brian Shafe, a man who’s more comfortable rolling a joint than patrolling a beat. It’s not long before they stumble upon a small-time cult leader seeking out vulnerable women to join his cause. From there, they follow this man’s trail down a rabbit hole of drugs, sex, murder and cultural revolution. Little could they know, however, the guy they’re hunting will eventually become the killer we now recognize as Charles Manson. He was a lost soul who desperately wanted to get into the music scene of the ’60s until something snapped. This is the show that will explore the cat and mouse game between him and the police that will go on for several seasons, ultimately ending with the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders.

EMERALD CITY: Desperate for clues that will lead to the identity of her biological mother, a young woman breaks into a sinister underground facility somewhere in the Midwest. Unable to complete her mission and surrounded by security, our feisty heroine steals a K9 police dog and drives away into the night… and headlong into the path of a raging tornado. In the blink of an eye, she is transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before, where wicked witches don’t stay dead for long and 20-year-old Dorothy Gale becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands. You’re not in Kansas anymore, and this is not your Grandmother’s Oz.

HEROES REBORN: The saga behind the 2006 breakout series Heroes will continue as creator Tim Kring returns to the fold and develops new layers to his original superhero concept. This highly anticipated 13-episode miniseries will reconnect with the basic elements of the show’s first season where ordinary people were waking up to the fact that they had extraordinary abilities. This series will be preceded by a new digital series that will introduce audiences to the new characters and storylines that will take the Heroes phenomenon to new places.

ODYSSEY: In this Traffic-like action drama, an international conspiracy explodes when three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide—a female soldier, a corporate lawyer and a political activist. After a team of American soldiers battles Jihadists in North Africa, they’re shocked to find that one of the men they killed is Al Qaeda’s top man. Sgt. Odelle Ballard (Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies)—a soldier, mother, wife and the unit’s only female member—discovers computer files that suggest a major U.S. corporation is funding the Jihadists. But before she can tell anyone, her team is attacked and left for dead. News is reported that the unit was wiped out, but the truth is that Odelle survived and is the only witness to her unit’s assassination by U.S. Special Forces. In New York, former U.S. Attorney Peter Decker (Peter Facinelli, Nurse Jackie) is working on a merger deal for the same company that was funneling money to the Jihadists. Meanwhile, Harrison Walters (Jake Robinson, The Carrie Diaries), a political activist and trust fund kid, meets a hacker who claims to have unearthed a massive military-industrial conspiracy. And he’s right: He’s stumbled onto the cover-up that began with Odelle and will soon be out in the open and everyone’s lives will be in danger. The only way they’ll ever save their country, their families and themselves is by joining forces and exposing the people behind it. The cast also includes Treat Williams (Everwood), Daniella Pineda (The Vampire Diaries) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost) [among others].

TOMORROW: FOX

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