SpoilerTV's Weekly Round Table: 100th Edition

Hello and welcome to the GRAND RETURN of SpoilerTV’s Weekly Round Table! Joining us this week is Eve (EV), Anjali (AS), Milo (MJ), Lucas (LO), Cristina (CA), and KimR (KR). You just have to sit back enjoy the read and join the discussion in the comment section down below.

Fall season is upon us! What show return has you the most excited?

EV: One of the returning shows that is a favorite of mine is Slow Horses. Its first 3 episodes were already excellent, I expected nothing else. Bring on the rest!

Tulsa King is another show of which season 1 got me hooked and I can’t wait to see more.

Bridget Everett’s masterpiece Somebody Somewhere is also returning for a 3rd and sadly final season. This is my comfort watch.

I’m not sure if this counts as a returning or a new show but Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is also on my ‘to watch’ list.

Who doesn’t love a great true crime story retelling? If this is, as good or even better than Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, then we’re in for a treat!

The returning show that I might be looking forward to the most is Apple TV’s Bad Sisters. Sharon Horgan is a genius, that first season was just out of this world.

I can’t wait to see the Garvey sisters again.

A new show that I’m looking forward to is Three Women, I’d watch anything with Betty Gilpin.

HBO’s The Penguin is also grabbing my attention so I’m going to check it out.

Another new show that I’m very curious about is Disclaimer, directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Roma) and starring Cate Blanchett, do I need to say more?!

A few more shows on my watchlist, in no particular order: Landman, Before, La Maison.

AS: There are so many returning shows that I’ve been looking forward to; 9-1-1, beginning its eighth season—and second on its new network on ABC—is a fan-favorite for so many of us, and after celebrating its 100th episode milestone, plus a finale that left everyone with so many questions, I can’t wait to see where the 118’s journey takes all of their characters!

CBS had not one but two of my favorite shows last season – Tracker and Elsbeth are completely different genres of television, but both were equally enjoyable in their own unique ways! I loved seeing Justin Hartley back on tv after This Is Us playing Colter Shaw on Tracker, who is a survivalist/reward hunter, traveling around the country helping people and solving disappearances or finding lost items while navigating his own personal family history filled with secrets, mysteries and questions that don’t have easy answers!

And for fans of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, getting to see Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni starring in her own titular show, there’s a second season for this one too! Even for new viewers like myself who hadn’t seen either of the previous shows, there wasn’t any confusion really or a particular disconnect that made it feel like I was missing out on big gaps. Elsbeth is a different crime-show in that it’s not a “whodunit” but rather a “howcatchem” mystery—we find out who the killer is right from the beginning, and go on a journey to discover the “why” and the “how” of the crimes they commit and how they get caught!

As for new shows airing this Fall, I’m definitely going to be checking out HBO’s The Penguin to see more of Colin Farrell take center-stage after seeing his performance in Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) and even catch the new Marvel/Disney+ installment of Agatha All Along to see where Agatha Harkness’ story takes her following the aftermath of her fight against the Scarlet Witch in WandaVision.

MJ: As for returning shows, I’m really looking forward to Industry Series 3 returning to the UK. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it from the US and it coming over here in October has me incredibly hyped. It’s achieved a lot of positive press in the US and has been compared to Succession, so to say I’m optimistic is an overstatement. Series 2 was when the show really found its form, and turned into something special.

LO: It’s a curious thing; a few years ago my answer to this question would have me mentioning at least seven or more returning shows. Nowadays the number is way lower: this fall, there are two returning shows highly anticipated by me, and they are 9-1-1 Season 8 on ABC, and Silo Season 2 on Apple TV+. Both of them are incredible! I started watching 9-1-1 in the first months of 2021; it’s been since then my “comfort show”, in this twisted way that only an over-the-top drama (that’s very comedic at times) about people in danger can be. As for Silo, the first season had Rebecca Ferguson yet again delivering stunning performances for this dystopian sci-fi conspiracy thriller that’s on Apple TV+, the most consistent streaming quality-wise, so I expect nothing short of great for season 2.

When it comes to shows that have already returned, I’ve been watching the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) weekly. After a flawed season 3, this murder mystery comedy returned stronger than ever to what is building to be its best season yet.

CA: The return of Fall TV is my favourite time of year, and I’m excited for so many shows to come back. First, I can’t wait for The Rookie Season 7, on ABC, though it’s disappointing we have to wait until January after a short, underwhelming Season 6. I’m also really looking forward to Found on NBC. The cliffhanger left so many questions—especially with Sir escaping and Gabi’s shocking news. With the team’s shared trauma, Gabi’s betrayal will likely shake Lacey, Zeke, and Margaret deeply. How will they cope after losing their trust in her?

I’m also excited to dive back into Tracker on CBS. After such a strong first season, I’m curious to see where Season 2 takes us. Jensen Ackles returns as Colter’s brother, Russell, and I’m eager to see if they’ll mend their relationship or if Russell will cause more trouble for Colter. They have the potential to be a great team, but with Ackles busy with other projects, that may not happen. Plus, Sofia Pernas’ return adds another layer of interest, especially with Colter and Reenie’s “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic playing alongside it. Who will win Colter’s love in the end? Can the rugged nomad even attempt to settle down with anyone?

KR: The show returns that has me the most excited are three equally, which is FROM, and American Horror Story/American Horror Stories. I absolutely LOVE all these series because I am a huge horror fanatic, and these shows do not disappoint, being some of the best Horror series I’ve seen thus far.

ZF: I have to say, I am immensely looking forward to the return of Found on NBC—the finale left off at such a wild part! It’s been the main thing I’ve been counting down to since The Rookie on ABC announced that it wouldn’t return until 2025.

I’m also very excited for Abbott Elementary on ABC; always a fun little weekly bite.

What new show pilots did you tune into? What are your thoughts?

EV: I really love English Teacher on FX. Even if you think you’ve seen this before, trust me, you haven’t. The humor is bitingly politically incorrect and the stories go in different directions than you think.

Brian Jordan Alvarez created and stars in his own show. This show reminded me of Rachel Bloom’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, not so much in style or storyline but just in that feeling that you’re watching something new and original. Oh and great use of classic 80s songs!

A tip for anyone outside the US, you can find the show streaming on Disney+.

AS: One of the newer shows that I just finished watching was The Perfect Couple on Netflix starring Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning and so many others too! It’s the first adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and has a very Knives Out feel to it – a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a wedding in Nantucket, with suspects, motives and juicy secrets that everyone seems to be entangled in, one way or another!

MJ: The Penguin is the only new show I’ve checked out so far and it’s captured the world of Matt Reeves’ Gotham really well with a superb performance by Colin Farrell as always. I’ve got Nightsleeper on my list of shows to sample too, about a runaway train that’s drawing Hijack comparisons.

LO: For now, Agatha All Along! I have been away from Marvel releases—especially the Disney+ shows — for some time, having started most of them but rarely getting to finish any. But I did finish WandaVision, and it remains one of the most consistent and interesting things Marvel brought to Disney+—at least until Agatha All Along, which so far has been great! I mean, Kathryn Hahn plus Aubrey Plaza plus Joe Locke led by Jac Schaeffer in a dark (and it’s early to say, but possibly queer) fantasy about witches? So far it’s been very interesting—”The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” has been on my repeat for days!

They haven’t released yet, but I also plan to tune into Disclaimer (Apple TV+), the new Alfonso Cuaron thriller led by Cate Blanchett, One Hundred Years of Solitude (Netflix), the adaptation for television of Gabriel García Márquez’ beloved book, and Creature Commandos (max), the first animation of the new DC Universe led by James Gunn. Very excited and curious about them all!

CA: There are plenty of exciting new shows this season, but the one I’m most excited about is Doctor Odyssey on ABC. As a huge Dawson’s Creek fan, I’ve followed Joshua Jackson’s career closely, and this project has really caught my attention. While I’m not usually into medical dramas—especially after the disappointment of New Amsterdam—Doctor Odyssey feels unconventional enough to grab my interest.

I’m also looking forward to Disclaimer on AppleTV+. With Cate Blanchett leading, it’s bound to be a hit. I love psychological thrillers, and the premise already has me hooked.

A couple of other shows on my radar are Murder in a Small Town on FOX and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage on CBS.

Streaming has really changed the TV season structure. How does your perspective on this year’s fall season differ from a decade ago? How many of your shows still are network vs. how many are streaming? Do you prefer the network or the streaming method of release? (*NOT including length of season…we all know how we feel there!)

AS: TV has changed so very much from a decade ago, and from even two decades ago, it’s a completely new landscape altogether! No longer are the 20/24 episodes long shows the norm, but also these days, if your show gets renewed beyond its first season, that is a miracle in and of itself. Everything is more streamlined now and shortened to fit in 6 or 8 ‘mini movie length’ episodes; but there’s always the struggle between trying to flesh out characters and storylines to create something that feels like it’s a getaway from the daily mundane routines of our lives, to get immersed into a fictional world that we’d want to return to every week. Nowadays it’s all about the “binge” to see every single episode once it drops lest we get spoilers from the internet; paying for subscriptions to half a dozen different sites for just a handful of shows that won’t even last long enough to reach a fitting conclusion and the excitement fades away once that initial rush ends. And after a while, you keep jumping from Hulu to Netflix to Prime to Apple TV+ to Disney+ to Paramount+ to Max and half the tv shows get left unwatched and unfinished because it’s too much of a chore to keep track of everything.

As for the television shows that are weekly or even multiple seasons in, there’s always a dread that the cliffhanger finale you watch might be the series finale or in the case of the CW network, a complete restructuring that cancels pretty much every single tv show you’ve been watching for the better part of a decade or more. Most of the shows I watch are still on network tv and whether they’re airing in the Fall or held for mid-season, I’m looking forward to seeing those and discovering any new ones that might catch my attention!

MJ: It might just be a UK thing but my network tv count was never that high to begin with but now it’s non-existent. It’s all streaming! I do prefer the one episode a week method of release, it encourages more time in the spotlight! It’s barely a few weeks out from Kaos for example and we’re barely talking about it, yet conversation from Rings of Power keeps coming up time and time again each week.

LO: Ten years ago, I was watching only network shows. Nowadays, I’m watching only streaming, with one exception (9-1-1). But I don’t think that’s due to the streaming method of release: I’m not a big fan of Netflix’s binge-watching model, and I don’t believe the other streamings are either, as most of them release their shows weekly. I’d say even Netflix is reconsidering its model, now that they are splitting its biggest releases in two or more parts — after all, releasing years of hard work and high expenses in one day so everyone forgets about it weeks later is not the most sustainable thing to do. Anyway, it’s hard for me to binge-watch stuff, so I prefer weekly releases.

CA: Streaming has definitely reshaped how we experience TV, but my perspective on the fall season hasn’t changed too much in terms of what I enjoy. A decade ago, network TV dominated my schedule, and it still does for many of my shows. I love the structure of weekly episodes that keep me engaged over time. The anticipation and excitement of waiting for the next episode is something I genuinely enjoy. TV is a comfort for me, and having that weekly routine feels like a part of the experience.

While I do appreciate the convenience of streaming—being able to binge an entire season at once without the wait—there’s a downside. Once you’ve watched the season, it’s often a long wait (sometimes over a year) for the next one, and that can make the show feel distant. I also feel like binging takes away the thrill of discussing episodes week by week, and the slow build of excitement that network TV provides.

Overall, while I enjoy both formats, network TV will always have my heart because of the pacing, the longer seasons, and that weekly anticipation.

KR: Streaming has changed the structure and outline of the TV Season. My perspective on this year’s fall season differs from a decade ago because there are a lot more show options to choose from, a lot of different platforms, and quite a few differences in the genre of shows. There are a massive number of Streaming platforms that offer some of everything we are all interested in, and it has paved the way to an entirely new and exciting dynamic of being a TV enthusiast. On streaming platforms, it has opened my eyes to shows that I wouldn’t see on Network television, it’s rawer and more authentic. Also, streaming shows are lengthier, and little to no commercials, as well as being able to watch multiple episodes at a time as opposed to waiting to watch weekly episodes. Most of my shows are offered on both streaming and network, and some of my shows are network only. Although I watch and appreciate both platforms (being such a huge TV fanatic), I prefer the streaming method of release due to multiple episode drops, less commercial time, and call me spoiled, but on most of my streaming shows, I don’t have to wait a week to see what will happen next on the upcoming episode, as binge watching a season or two of a show over the weekend (even if only a few episodes dropped), is one of my favorite things to do.

That wraps up another round table! Feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments below. See you next week!

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