We Ranked All the New 2017 Fall TV Shows—Find Out the Best and Worst New Offerings

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW are taking a swing at some new shows, but not all of the swings are hits

By TV Scoop Team Sep 15, 2017 8:10 PMTags
Fall TVCBS, CW, FOX, ABC

What do two comic book shows (on two different networks), a spinoff prequel and two reboots have in common? They're all shows part of broadcast's 2017 fall TV line-up.

This season, the offerings from the networks are a mixed bag full of comedies—both intentional and unintentional—superheroes, military dramas and one deliciously soapy reboot.

For every "oof" show there's a "Hey, this is actually entertaining" show and we're here to tell you which shows are worth your time. Below, check out our ranking of the new fall shows, from worst to best. Please note: Will & Grace was not included, since it's not new and NBC did not send any episodes to review.

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2017 Fall TV Spoiler-rama
THE WORST NEW SHOW 18. Marvel's Inhumans (ABC)

When It Premieres: Friday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m.

What It's About: A super-powered royal family come to Earth to escape a coup. There's a giant teleporting dog that's probably the best thing about this mess. Anson Mount, Serinda Swan, Ken Leung, Eme Ikwuakor, Isabelle Cornish, Ellen Woglom and Iwan Rheon star.

What We Thought: "A hero who can't speak because his voice is powerful enough to destroy planets. A giant teleporting dog. A secret city on the moon in danger of being exposed to Earth. If you want balls-to-the-wall insanity, Inhumans has it in spades. If you want thoughtful writing and production value worthy of the Marvel name, well, you might want to look elsewhere."–Billy Nilles

17. 9JKL (CBS)

When It Premieres: Monday, Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m.

What It's About: Mark Feuerstein stars in this comedy based on his life living next door to his parents and brother in a New York City apartment building. Linda Lavin, David Walton, Liza Lapira, Albert Tsai, Elliott Gould and Matt Murray also star.

What We Thought: "These tenants should be evicted from the schedule."—Billy Nilles

16. Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS)

When It Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m.

What It's About: Jeremy Piven stars as a tech genius who starts a crowd-sourced crime fighting app. Richard T. Jones, Blake Lee, Natalia Tena, Monica Potter and Jake Matthews also star

What We Thought: "WoC (Cool if we are on acronym basis already?) made a smart move in making the show rooted in the emotional despair of a man (Piven) whose lost his daughter than in the technological aspect of the information-sharing app at its center, but is his thirst for vengeance/justice enough to sustain an entire series? I'm not sure. Oh, and I'll take about 80 percent more screen time for Monica Potter, please and thank you." —Tierney Bricker

15. The Orville (Fox)

When It Airs: Thursdays at 9 p.m.

What It's About: Seth MacFarlane stars as the captain of a starship. It wants to be Star Trek, but…yeah. Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Mark Jackson, J. Lee, Halston Sage and Chad L. Coleman also star.

What We Thought: "Based on trailers and commercials, Fox would like you to believe this is like Galaxy Quest. It is not. The tone for Seth MacFarlane's latest TV project is all over the place. The jokes, when they do come, fall flat."–Chris Harnick

14. Valor (The CW)

When It Premieres: Monday, Oct. 9 at 9 p.m.

What It's About: The series follows an elite unit of helicopter pilots who carry out clandestine missions. Matt Barr, Christina Ochoa, Charlie Barnett, W. Tre Davis, Corbin Reid, Nigel Thatch and Melissa Roxbourgh star.

What We Thought: "I think Christina Ochoa is a star in the making. Unfortunately, I think she'll have to wait for her next starring vehicle for that to happen. Valor is a strange fit for the CW brand. A valiant swing, but still a miss for me."—Billy Nilles

13. The Brave (NBC)

When It Premieres: Monday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: The series follows an elite Special Ops squad tasked with undercover missions. Anne Heche, Mike Vogel, Demetrius Grosse, Noah Mills, Sofia Pernas, Tate Ellington, Natacha Karam and Hadi Tabbai star.

What We Thought: "So many military dramas, so little DVR space! NBC has tried to get a political/military show going for quite some time, but The Brave might be its best offering of that lot, boasting a diverse cast and not relying on a high-concept hook to reel viewers in. Plus, it's debuting in a time-slot with viewers up for grabs, so it might just find itself becoming one of the fall's success stories. " —Tierney Bricker

12. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC)

When It Premieres: Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: Kevin (Jason Ritter) returns home and encounters a meteor and then starts seeing a heavenly being who tells him he needs to save the world. Kimberly Hebert Gregory, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, J.August Richards, India de Beaufort, Chloe Easti and Dustin Ybarra also star.

What We Thought: "This spiritual series, which tasks title character Kevin with having to find 35 worthy souls to help save the world (at least I think that's what the quest is), will live or die based on Jason Ritter's winning charm. He bounces off his supporting cast with ease, generating instant chemistry, but the "guardian angel making him look crazy" schtick could get old fast. Hopefully the show can find a way to avoid that because there could be something really special here if done right."—Billy Nilles

11. SEAL Team (CBS)

When It Premieres: Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.

What It's About: Just like the title suggests, it's a show about Navy SEALs.  David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, Jessica Pare and Toni Trucks star.

What We Thought: "I was fully ready to dismiss this show because it just seemed like dudes being manly dudes (and I can't recognize faces in military uniforms so I get real confused during war shows), but there's something very compelling and warm about this show that I wasn't expecting. And who doesn't love a David Boreanaz on their TV screen?"—Lauren Piester

10. Ten Days in the Valley (ABC)

When It Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: Kyra Sedgwick stars as a harried TV writer (for a police drama) whose daughter goes missing from her house. The title refers to the search for the missing kid. Erika Christensen, Abigail Pniowsky, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Francois Battiste, Felix Solis, Josh Randal, Kick Gurry, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Ella Thomas also star.

What We Thought: "I feel like ABC's been looking for a successor to Revenge (but season one Revenge, not the rest of the seasons of Revenge) and I feel like this soapy and ridiculous-yet-totally-watchable thriller starring Kweeeeen Kyra might just be their best shot." —Tierney Bricker

9. Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC)

When It Premieres: Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: Edie Falco stars as defense attorney Leslie Abramson in the ripped-from-the-headlines miniseries about Lyle and Erik Menendez. Heather Graham, Miles Gaston Villanueva, Gus Halper and Josh Charles also star.

What We Thought: "Sure, there are over the top elements—it's a Law & Order series after all and that's what viewers have come to embrace from the franchise—but you put Edie Falco in anything and audiences (including me) will follow. Also, the wigs. The wigs!"—Chris Harnick

8. SWAT (CBS)

When It Premieres: Thursday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: Shemar Moore returns to the world of CBS procedurals in a high-octane action drama about, yes, cops in Los Angeles. Stephanie Sigman, Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Lina Esco, Kenny Johnson, Peter Onorati and David Lim also star.

What We Thought: "This show is like a Fast and Furious movie mixed with serious topical issues. Sometimes the pilot handles the mix well and sometimes it doesn't, but there's potential here if they can figure it out."—Lauren Piester

7. Me, Myself and I (CBS)

When It Premieres: Monday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 p.m.

What It's About: The series follows Alex through three eras of his life, as played by Bobby Moynihan, Jack Dylan Grazer and John Larroquette. The show bounces around in time to the different storylines. Brian Unger, Jaleel White, Kelen Coleman, Skylar Gray, Christopher Paul Richards, Mandell Maughan, Reylynn Caster, Sharon Lawrence and Ella Thomas also star.

What We Thought: "An interesting concept that was executed well in the pilot, but how it will work as a TV show remains to be seen."—Chris Harnick

6. The Good Doctor (ABC)

When It Premieres: Monday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.

What It's About: Freddie Highmore stars a a young, autistic, brilliant doctor whose abilities are constantly questioned. Antonia Thomas, Nicholas Gonzalez, Chuku Modu, Beau Garrett, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff and Tamlyn Tomita also star.

What We Thought: "Everything about this show in theory sounds annoying, because the 'doctor who's bad with people but good with medicine' has been done to death (and by the same creator, too). But The Good Doctor is actually sweet and thoughtful and comforting and the pilot might have made me cry just a little bit. Add in the hot doctors sleeping with each other and that's everything I need from a medical drama."—Lauren Piester

5. Young Sheldon (CBS)

When It Premieres: Monday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m., before moving to Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. after football

What It's About: It's Sheldon Cooper, before he was The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper. The series follows Sheldon (Iain Armitage) in his early years with adult Sheldon, Jim Parsons, providing narration. Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Raegan Revford, Montana Jordan and Annie Potts also star.

What We Thought: "CBS was wise to snatch up Iain Armitage after Big Little Lies made us fall in love with him. He's pitch-perfect here as the title character, and the whole Wonder Years-vibe scratches an itch I didn't know I had."—Billy Nilles

4. Ghosted (Fox)

When It Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8:30 p.m.

What It's About: Adam Scott and Craig Robinson are drafted from the day jobs (or lack of day jobs) to join a clandestine government agency and investigate the paranormal. So…it's The X-Files. Kind of. Amber Stevens West, Ally Walker and Adeel Akhtar also star.

What We Thought: "Unlike another show in Fox's lineup, this show is exactly what it looks like it is, and that's all I wanted it to be. It's funny, it's bromantic, and it's just a little bit insane in the best way." —Lauren Piester

3. The Gifted (Fox)

When It Premieres: Monday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m.

What It's About: It's X-Men, but without the main movie X-Men. The series follows a family (human parents, mutant kids) who join the mutant underground on the run from the government. Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Coby Bell, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind and Percy Hines White star.

What We Thought: "Full disclosure: I was SO skeptical of this show when it was announced. I've been reading X-Men comics for basically my entire life and the movies have yet to really get the merry mutants right, so a TV version made me really uneasy. That said, The Gifted pilot was entertaining and intriguing enough for me to move on to episode two. Bring in more familiar characters with easy TV powers and I'll be happy." —Chris Harnick

2. Dynasty (The CW)

When It Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9 p.m.

What It's About: You may recall the big hair, gaudy gowns and insane fights from the original show, but this is Dynasty in 2017. The hair is toned down, the fashion is fierce and the fights look as insane as ever. The Carringtons are back with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Sallie Patrick at the helm. Grant Show, Nathalie Kelley, Elizabeth Gillies, James Mackay, Alan Dale, Sam Adegoke, Robert Christopher Riley and Rafael de La Fuente also star.

What We Thought: "Now THIS is the heir to the sudsy wham-glam-thank-you-ma'am throne I've been waiting for since Gossip Girl left us, and of course, it hails from the same creative team (Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, doing what they do best here). Dynasty is in-your-face decadence and excess, TV's new version of cotton candy; you know it's not adding any nutritional value, but it tastes just as good as it looks. (Calling it now: Kelley is this season's breakout star, with Gillies hot on her Louboutin heels.)" —Tierney Bricker

THE BEST NEW SHOW 1. The Mayor (ABC)

When It Premieres: Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 9:30 p.m.

What It's About: Brandon Michael Hall is young rapper Courtney Rose who stages a mayoral campaign as a stunt…but then he's elected. Lea Michele is his new chief of staff and Yvette Nicole Brown plays his mother. Bernard David and Marcel Spears also star.

What We Thought: "Without a doubt, this is the best new comedy of the season. Brandon Michael Hall is poised to be the year's breakout star as Courtney Rose, the upstart rapper whose mayoral campaign publicity stunt proves more successful than he bargained for. The idea is fresh, the comedy is sweet and charming, and Yvette Nicole Brown, as Courtney's mom Dina, has never been better. The Mayor absolutely has my vote." — Billy Nilles

Which new shows are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!

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