Fall Shows: Freshman, spin-offs ('The Blacklist', 'Hostages', 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.', 'Sleepy Hollow', 'OUAT in Wonderland', 'The Originals', 'Dracula')

The Blacklist premieres tonight at 10PM EST on NBC.

Kicking off my new interests for this fall's TV slot is The Blacklist, starring James Spader and Megan Boone. Spader plays Red Reddington; an international fugitive who suddenly turns himself in with questionable motives to assist the FBI. He specifically requests his own FBI profiler Liz Keen (Megan Boone) as he aids in capturing some of the world's most coveted bad guys listen on a "blacklist".

The greatness of James Spader has me concertedly tapped in for tonight's premiere. There seems to be plenty of room for twisting suspense, the kind that is able to ensure my investment after the pilot episode. This also seems more worthy of the late Monday night slot than Revolution from last year. Nice adjustment. See just a bit more about NBC's new drama from the latest promo spot below.

                   

Hostages premieres tonight at 10PM EST on CBS.

This one will play out like a 15-episode movie plot. Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott star in this drama-suspense series about a rogue FBI agent who takes a family hostage. The family is that of Ellen Sanders, a doctor who is performing surgery on the President. We know that McDermott's character, Duncan Carlisle, plans on using Sanders' operation to kill the President. Although the whole hostage scenario is a bit cliche, I like McDermott as a presence for this series and the potential for development. See the whole preview for Hostages below.

                     

Sleepy Hollow premiered on FOX last Monday night.

The premiere for the first show on FOX I've watched since 24 had a monster opener last week with a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49 and 10 million viewers. I was one of those 10 million viewers intrigued by this colonial, Headless Horseman semi-horror series. Tom Mison plays Ichabod Crane, a soldier from the American Revolution awoken simultaneously in modern day with an evil he once beheaded. The supernatural elements are appeasing for me (seems like we've got witches and demonic armies coming) but I'm interested to see how reception lasts through the season, particularly with all of the significant historic implications of the plot. Here's the promo for tonight's next episode.

                                          

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres Tuesday at 8PM EST on ABC.

This is a delicate situation for me and any other super hero enthusiast. The great news? Joss Whedon is involved. The bad news? This isn't The Avengers. Our premise includes a reincarnation of Agent Phil Coulson and his assembly of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents taking on new and strange cases. I think Joss Whedon makes this watchable from a visually and technologically entertaining standpoint, and ultimately pulls through on coolness. Check out the official trailer for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. below.

                     

The Tomorrow People premieres October 9 at 9PM EST on The CW.

Even though this show has me crossed between my beloved Heroes and the movie Push with Chris Evans, and even though the CW is probably the sappiest network I watch, The Tomorrow People is on my list for the fall. Based on an original British series, this science-fiction, super human evolution show has something of an X-Men dynamic to it. The trailer shows some of the effects and also the first twist to the plot. 

                      

Dracula premieres October 25 at 10PM EST on NBC.

Look, I'm watching the only vampire shows of respect (True Blood, TVD) so I can't turn my back on this. Two points of encouragement are Jonathan Rhys Meyers, I think he makes a good vampire, and NBC, who has my complete trust since watching last season of Hannibal. The show was shot in Budapest. Apparently, Dracula is going to London posed as an American entrepreneur who wants to bring science to the Victorian society. In reality, he seeks revenge on those who betrayed him centuries ago. He also encounters and falls in love with a woman who could be his reincarnated wife. I think I'll like the darkness of this project. It's a nice risk using Dracula for a TV series, and a nice touch dropping it around Halloween. Check out a trailer for Dracula below.

                      

The Originals will premiere on October 3 after The Vampire Diaries at 9pm EST on The CW.

Keeping the vampire theme running is the first of two spin-offs I'll be watching this fall. Based on the character Niklaus Mikaelson (the hybrid) and his siblings, the original vampires, who wreaked havoc on TVD for the past few seasons. The backdoor pilot showed Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) pregnant with Niklaus' child. Now in New Orleans, the city where Klaus and his family originally made birth, he must take on his protege' Marcel to re-claim what was once his. Niklaus has been one of my favorite characters/villains on TV and his spin-off could become just as coveted as it's predecessor. Check out The Originals promo trailer below.

                      

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland premieres October 10 at 8PM EST on ABC.

My other spin-off comes from writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and the Once Upon A Time original series, which debut its third season this Sunday night. This recapitulation is fascinating as it pertains to the classic story of Alice. Their variation will show her struggles with proving that Wonderland and the genie she fell in love with both exist. If you're not familiar with what Kitsis and Horowitz have created with this brilliant fantasy series, they seem to want you to. Check out the trailer for Once Upon A Time in Wonderland below.