I Watched At Least One Episode Of Every New Broadcast TV Show This Fall — And Here Are The Best

Listen, it’s been a rough few weeks and we’re all feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. There are a million things happening all at once and it’s a lot. Even logging on to a streaming service like Hulu and seeing an endless barrage of new TV shows feels daunting.

It’s unsurprising, therefore, that many people turn to the comfort of the shows they love — I myself have been known to put on an episode of Parks and Recreation, The X-Files, or Psych when I just cannot be bothered to choose from the approximately 100 shows on my watchlist. But as we are in the golden age of television, you simply cannot turn away from the neverending stream of new TV shows to watch, even if it does feel like you can’t choose.

That’s where we come in.

Every year, I make it my mission to watch all — or as many as possible before my brain breaks — of the new shows across every platform, network, or streaming service. For many shows, that means I give it an episode or two. Others pique my interest after an intriguing pilot, beckoning me to continue. This year is no different, although I’ve narrowed my efforts slightly to make it more achievable.

Even with the decision to just take a look at the new broadcast shows — of which there have been more than a dozen that have premiered since September — it’s still hard for any one person to decipher which shows are worth the time and effort. In this incredibly packed (and better than average) lineup, we’ve had A-Listers like Kathy Bates come onto the scene, two spinoffs of CBS staples, multiple new medical shows, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

With that said, we have narrowed down five of what we consider to be the cream of the crop. Whether you’re into drama, comedy, or shows that walk the line between both genres, this list has a little something for everyone.

1. Matlock (CBS)

   While its name may immediately cause some to roll their eyes and scoff, it’s hard not to love Kathy Bates in this role. If you haven’t watched the pilot of Matlock, we won’t spoil the big twist but do know that things are not always as they appear to be. The broad stroke, however, is that Bates stars as Madeline Matlock, a septuagenarian lawyer who re-enters the workforce at a high-powered NYC law firm and uses her keen judgment skills and decades of lived experience to help with cases that the younger lawyers cannot.

   While the dialogue in the first episode can be a little choppy at times, the cast — which also includes Jason Ritter and Beau Bridges — works well together to create a fun project that feels like an easy watch week over week. Who doesn’t love a heroing “oldies getting their groove back” story?

   And clearly many fans agree as CBS quickly gave it a green light for a second season so none of that pesky falling in love with a show for it to be canceled business! Phew.

   watch matlock on pluto tv Watch matlock on Paramount+

2. Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS)

   As someone who has never fully tapped into The Big Bang Theory Universe (1. Is that what we’re calling it? 2. Is that title redundant?), I was skeptical about the prospects for this Young Sheldon spinoff. As a person who spends a decent amount of time on TikTok, I have seen my fair share of clips from the OG Big Bang spinoff, but outside of that, my knowledge on the topic is limited. In spite of that, I have found Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage to be a true delight.

   The show picks up where Young Sheldon left off in terms of Sheldon Cooper’s (Iain Armitage) older brother, Georgie (Montana Jordan), settling into life as husband to Mandy (Emily Osment) and as a father to a baby girl. Those two life changes are big enough for anyone to struggle with but add in that they are living with Mandy’s parents and you’ve got sitcom gold.

   Decider spoke with the stars back in September and they pointed to the show’s relatability as to why they think it will “hit home” with audiences everywhere.

   “I’m so excited for everybody to see this show, it’s a super relatable story about two young kids unexpectedly falling in love, having a kid and moving in with her parents. I think everyone has been in a position like that at one point in their lives,” Osment said at the time.

   Watch georgie and mandy’s first wedding on pluto tv watch georgie and mandy’s first wedding on paramount+

3. St. Denis Medical (NBC)

   Anytime you tell me that the creator of Superstore, Justin Spitzer, is giving me a new workplace comedy with an all-star cast of characters, you would not believe how quickly I find a seat on my couch. This time around, it’s St. Denis Medical where Spitzer and co-creator Eric Ledgin have concocted a comedy set inside a small but mighty Oregon hospital.

   While the show is sure to get Scrubs comparisons, it really is more fair to compare it to some of the NBC comedy classics like The Office and Parks and Recreation. It’s comforting to know that one thing NBC is always going to do is give us a mockumentary that also tugs at our hearts.

   In St. Denis Medical, Wendi McLendon-Covey stars as a hospital administrator in charge of keeping the lights on and managing a dysfunctional staff. Add in Superstore alums Kaliko Kauahi and Josh Lawson, standup comedian and Jury Duty star Mekki Leeper, comedy legends like David Alan Grier, and you’ve got a hit. It typically takes a minute for shows like this to find their footing but St. Denis is funny right out of the gate, making it well worth your time.

   watch st. denis medical on peacock

4. Brilliant Minds (NBC)

   This one is my dark horse and one I cannot stop raving about. I know you’re probably thinking some variation of “another medical drama, really?” and I was in the same boat as you. I too was a doubter turned into a believer by Brilliant Minds.

   This Zachary Quinto-led NBC series follows Dr. Oliver Wolf (Quinto), a gifted neurosurgeon with prosopagnosia (a.k.a. face blindness) whose unique condition leads him to take unconventional routes with patient care. He also manages a team of interns who make the show all the much better.

   The show, by definition, is a medical series. But I do think what you see is not what you get. In the first moments of the pilot, the show pulled at my heartstrings with an emotional performance by Broadway legend André De Shields, playing a dementia patient who comes alive after sitting down at the piano while attending his granddaughter’s wedding.

   Since then, the show has kept the magic alive week to week with a healthy mix of interesting cases and compelling character storylines for Dr. Wolf and the medical team.

5. High Potential (ABC)

   By leaps and bounds, High Potential is the best new fall broadcast television show. It’s been a hot minute since I became so invested in a series on any of the major networks that I considered getting a cable (or at least YouTubeTV) package. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans have known for nearly two decades now that Kaitlin Olson is a comedic genius — and The Mick fans are similarly in the know about Olson’s chops. In High Potential, though, Olson cements herself as a force of nature who can play both comedic and dramatic.

   The show is actually a recreation of the French show HPI about an unsuspecting “high potential individual” who helps the police solve cries. In this iteration, Olsen stars as Morgan Guillory, a single mom of three who works as a cleaning lady for the LAPD before solving one of their crimes during a night shift. From there, the cops enlist her to help with their hardest cases and your run-of-the-mill chaos ensues.

   Everything about this show works. It feels like a worthy successor to fill the hole in my heart left by Psych and is firing on all cylinders at all times. The show feels uniquely human in telling the tale of someone who is brilliant but also a mom like any other, a.k.a. constantly worried about her children and juggling seventeen things simultaneously. It also features incredible performances from supporting cast members Judy Reyes, Daniel Sunjata, and the newly introduced Garret Dillahunt. I cannot more strongly recommend giving it a watch.

   watch high potential on hulu

Obviously, this list is non-exhaustive but hopefully it does provide at least a little bit of guidance as to which shows are worth adding to your list. Matlock and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage both stream on Pluto TV (for free!) and Paramount+. Brilliant Minds and St. Denis Medical arrive on Peacock the day after airing and High Potential is on Hulu.

For more ideas on what to watch, check out our other recommendations and reviews.