The Best of Fall TV, Movies and Books

Soon-to-be fall faves.

Most of us were trained on broadcast TV, where our favorite shows returned in September as opposed to today’s streaming schedules that can leave us hanging for a few years (looking at you, Crown). So, like many of our other well-worn patterns, come fall we instinctively begin scanning for new content to consume. Luckily, there are plenty of shows, movies and books coming our way to satisfy our need for new. We scanned the horizon so you don’t have to. 

Welcome to Flatch, Season 2

FOX, September 29

With all the (deserved) attention focused on Abbott Elementary, you might have missed this sitcom that also utilizes “The Office”-style mockumentary format, regularly breaking the fourth wall. A supposed study of a small town in Ohio to determine if people in small towns are happier, Flatch has the exact cast of characters you would expect in such a place. You can watch the first season on Hulu and we guarantee you will be charmed (with a side of belly laughter).

Hocus Pocus 2

Disney+, September 30

As grown-ups, we see scary sh*t everyday so when it comes to movies, we don’t actually want to be terrified. Accordingly, we were thrilled to see that the Sanderson sisters were back. Bette, Kathy and Sarah Jessica are reprising their roles, this time with the story centered on friends who summon them to modern day Salem.

The White Lotus, Season 2

HBO, October

If you missed the first installment of this show, we give you permission to immediately dip out of this newsletter and run to your nearest screen. Like the first season, this second season features Americans behaving badly at a fancy resort—this time in Sicily. Jennifer Coolidge will reprise her role as Tanya McQuoid, but otherwise it’s entirely fresh faces. One name we spotted is Michael Impirioli, someone we haven’t seen enough of since his “Sopranos” days.

The Family Outing: A Memoir

October 4

Memoirs are having a moment and frankly, we’re here for it. Jessi Hempel no doubt has plenty of insights to share after years as a tech reporter or at the helm of her excellent podcast Hello, Monday. But this book instead turns inward to family. Hempel was the first member of her family to come out as gay—but hardly the last. 

Magpie Murders

PBS, October 16

As people who worked our way through every Agatha Christie movie lately, we are happy to see a renewed interest in murder mysteries (two others grace this list). But no one quite does it like “Masterpiece Theater.” Here, a book editor is given a transcript of a murder mystery—only the last chapter is missing—and she must become a sleuth herself. 

Amsterdam

November 4

Another murder mystery entrant on our list, David O. Russell’s latest has far too many stars to even name. Set in the 1930s, the story centers on three characters—played by Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington—who witness a murder and then become prime suspects so they must solve it to vindicate themselves.

Novelist as a Vocation

November 8

If you saw last year’s award winning Japanese film “Drive My Car,” you’ll know it was based on a Murakami short story. We have long been super fans of his novels and short stories, but we are excited (maybe because we write all the time) for this book where he reveals his creative process tackling subjects like idea generation and how he draws his unique characters.

Pinocchio

Netflix, December

Believe it or not, this is just one of the two “Pinocchio” movies out this year. Disney will give the story the live action treatment, but we are betting that this Guillermo del Toro, stop motion animated version will be the more interesting contender. Based on the trailer, it seems clear that he will take a darker look at the beloved classic.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Netflix, December 23

We loved “Knives Out” (and not only because of Chris Evans in that fisherman’s sweater) and at the time, we thought Daniel Craig’s quirky detective Benoit Blanc was meant for Poirot-level greatness. Luckily, Netflix felt the same way. We can’t wait to sink into this, come holiday time.