Mondays, ABC (Sept. 21)
Season 8 picks up with Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) forgoing a political career and taking over as captain of the police squad. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) becomes a full time private investigator and will work with new, free-spirited Detective Hayley Shipton (Toks Olagundoe), who will add a fun dynamic to the squad. Ethan Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) will also be returning for another Firefly reunion. We’re geeking out already.
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Wednesdays, FOX (Sept. 23)
In Season 2, we step back into the Lyon den - Lucious (Terrence Howard) is behind bars, Andre (Trai Byers) and Jamal (Jussie Smollet) are vying for the Empire, and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) and Jamal are song battling to the top of the charts. Cue awkward family dinner. Look out for more A-list celeb appearances than an MTV VMAs red carpet, with Marisa Tomei, Pitbull, Mariah Carey, Chris Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, Ludacris, Swizz Beatz, Ne-Yo, and Andre Leon Talley all scheduled to appear. Plus, the Queen of Shade, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), is guaranteed to slay. Watch your back, Boo Boo Kitty.
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Thursdays, ABC (Sept. 24)
In last season’s explosive finale, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Olivia (Kerry Washington) finally got their happy ending (ish), while everyone else is in a world of hurt -- Jake (Scott Foley) backed off, and both Cyrus (Jeff Perry) and Mellie (Bellamy Young) were kicked out of the White House. Season 5 picks up the pieces, starting with more Olitz and more Elizabeth “Lizzie Bear” North (Portia de Rossi, promoted to series regular), now riding high as the new Chief of Staff. Don’t count on either Cyrus or Mellie to stay down without a fight. And it’s time to dust off some white hats; Team OPA will be reassembling, with a new Gladiator in tow.
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Tuesdays, FOX (Sept. 29)
Run by Queen Bee Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts) and her mean girl minions, Chanels No. 2-5, Kappa Kappa Tau is the prestigious sorority every girl is dying to get into. Then college dean Cathy Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) forces the Kappa House to accept any basic bi, um, pledge, and a serial killer starts terrorizing the campus. ZOMG, like, worst rush week ever. One death a week, Lea Michele in a neck brace, and a shirtless Jonas brother. How do we pledge already?
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Tuesdays, The CW (Oct. 6)
Abandoned by most of her friends and family because of her, you know, zombieness, Liv’s (Rose McIver) life is still turned upside down at the beginning of Season 2. In between eating brains and solving murders, Liv will have to find a way to work with newly humanized Blaine (David Anders) to prevent Max Rager from eliminating all zombies. Peyton (Aly Michalka) comes back, Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) gets a love interest, and we start to see the side effects of the zombie antidote on Blaine and Major (Robert Buckley). Mo brains, mo problems.
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Thursdays, The CW (Oct. 8)
In a Post-Elena Season 7, we’ll see some new and side characters bite off stronger storylines. World’s-most-unlucky-in-love-bachelor Alaric (Matt Davis) drowns his sorrows in booze with Damon (Ian Somerhalder); Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) get closer; and Bonnie (Kat Graham) finds a new love interest. Lily (Annie Wersching) once again defends her crown for worst mother of the year when her sociopathic heretics come and wreak havoc on Mystic Falls.
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Mondays, The CW (Oct. 8)
The tragedies and triumphs of the Mikaelson family continue in Season 3. The stakes are higher than ever for Klaus (Joseph Morgan) now that he has a daughter. Klaus and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) are estranged in this next season, even as they adjust to the return of their long-lost sister, Freya (Riley Voelkel). There will also be a fresh mystery surrounding the newest resident of New Orleans. We’re ready to sink our teeth into this vampire focused season.
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Thursdays, The CW (Oct. 9)
In the third season, Mary (Adelaide Kane) and Francis (Toby Regbo) realize they are more powerful together than apart. There’s a new Court in town, ruled by Elizabeth, the “Virgin” Queen of England (Rachel Skarsten), and with it comes its own share of romance, intrigue, and backstabbing. Expect to see Elizabeth in the middle of a love triangle; cross-sea Court drama; and new characters in the form of a pirate, a Spanish prince, and a possible English spy. If only AP History had been this interesting.
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Mondays, The CW (Oct. 12)
In true telenovela style, Season 2 has no shortage of tears or laughter. Jane (Gina Rodriguez) gets her baby back, Sin Rosto (Bridget Regan) returns, and Xo (Andrea Navedo) and Rogelio (Jaime Camil) deal with the aftermath of their drunken Vegas nuptials. Jane will finally decide if she’s Team Rafael (Justin Baldoni) or Team Michael (Brett Dier). With Petra (Yael Grobglas) in possession of Rafael's sperm sample and special guest star Britney Spears confirmed to appear, we’re getting ready to sing “Baby... One More Time.”
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Community Spotlight: Scream Queens
I'm most excited to watch 'Scream Queens' each week and wonder who will be the next victim. It'll be like watching an '80s/'90s slasher movie with a sense of humor!