Kids, when I was growing up, my family had a regular subscription to the TV Guide. And this is back when the weekly publication was in a compact size. It didn’t come like you’d get a regular sized magazine, like Time or Newsweek. It was equivalent to the size of a Reader’s Digest.

Is that even still a thing? We used to have a subscription to that, too. I subscribe to nothing these days. Maybe I should. It’ll give me something to look forward to other than junk mail.

I digress. The point of all that was to say that I loved it when the new TV Guide arrived each Monday. I mean, I liked TV shows as a kid, but I honestly grabbed the guide for the crossword puzzle in the back. I loved working those puzzles each week.

Aside from the crosswords, I looked forward to one annual issue of TV Guide in particular. And that was the Fall Preview issue.

It came out at some point in late summer, just before the new season of television started on the networks. And it was twice the size of the typical edition of TV Guide. Still had the same size crossword puzzle, but the front end was packed with info about all the new TV shows coming on and where the returning programs left off before the summer break.

It was exciting to read about all the new things coming to the major networks.

As an adult, I can’t honestly remember the last time I looked through a TV Guide. Is it even still published? Do they still do a Fall Preview issue? What’s the point? Because… you know… the internet.

What’s on CBS tonight? Google it. What new shows are premiering next week? Google it. What shows are getting canceled from last year? Google it.

Just because I don’t get a TV Guide these days doesn’t mean I don’t still get excited about a new TV show. And I say that at the start of this new television season because, for the first time in a very long time, I have cable.

I have the ability to watch a show as it’s airing live on the network that’s presenting it. No more waiting until the next day to catch it on Hulu or whatever network app is needed to be able to enjoy said program. I have cable… but no DVR. That would cost extra and since I’m not actually paying for cable myself, I don’t really want to deal with the extra. So I’m stuck with commercials. But it’s kind of refreshing after spending all this time binge watching Netflix and not knowing who’s running for what office in the upcoming elections.

That sure was a lot of intro just for a list of things I’m watching this fall. Please leave all constructive criticism in the comments below, thank you.

• All Rise – I don’t typically make room for courtroom dramas anymore. I mean, they’re all mostly the same. But I’ve gotten on board with this one because I might be a little in love with Simone Missick, who plays newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael. I didn’t know who this actress was before she showed up as Misty Knight on Netflix’s cancelled Luke Cage series. She was great in that and, so far, she’s great in this.
• The Unicorn – And this is the only new sitcom I’m watching this year. Not sure if I’ll stick with it long-term, but the pilot kind of grabbed me. You’ve got this guy who lost his wife of 20 years to cancer (I think). A year after she passed away, his friends convince him that it’s time to get back out there. So far it’s a fairly decent fish out of water type of deal. But it also pulls at the heartstrings with his relationship to his two daughters.
• All of the “Arrowverse” shows – Try and keep up. These include Arrow (obvs), The Flash, Supergirl, Black Lightning, Legends of Tomorrow, and the new Batwoman Before now, Black Lightning has shared no connection to Arrow’s multiverse. However, with the upcoming crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the characters over there will finally cross the dimensional threshold. Honestly, I’ve had trouble maintaining interest in these shows over the last couple years. Part of it was because I could only keep up by watching on the CW app the day after they aired and I hate watching TV on my laptop. So I’ve been waiting to binge the shows when they arrive on Netflix. But even that leaves me… how shall I put this… unfulfilled. I get it, though, these shows on the CW are not aimed at me. They’re aimed at younger audiences who typically watch the CW. So I may only be sticking around for these shows long enough for the “Crisis” to pass. Because, and let me be clear about this, I’m more excited about “Crisis on Infinite Earths” than I was about Avengers: Endgame. Especially since Smallville’s Tom Welling and Erica Durance are reprising their roles of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. That makes it all worth it.
• The Goldbergs & Schooled – I freakin’ love The Goldbergs and I love the 80s nostalgia. But there’s a part of me that’s surprised it’s still on. I’m not complaining, but I almost feel like they’ve run their course. Schooled is the 90s themed spin-off that follows one of The Goldbergs’ supporting characters as she becomes a teacher at the school where all the Goldberg kids went in the 80s. It’s not bad, but I’m really only watching it because of The Goldbergs I really don’t think Schooled would have gotten a second season if The Goldbergs hadn’t been picked up for a seventh.
• The Good Place – If you have never watched this show, get caught up on Netflix right now and then watch this fourth and final season. I’m a little sad that the show will be going away, but I’m also thrilled that they get to end things on their own terms. It’s brilliantly written and gets a lot deeper, philosophically speaking, than any sitcom I’ve seen since the Cheers series finale.
• Supernatural – Here’s another one that’s coming to an end this year. But this one is a long time coming. We’re on season 15 with the Winchester boys. You’d have thought it would have been hard to top stopping the apocalypse more than a decade ago. But they’ve found ways to keep on being creative with the supernatural baddies that Sam and Dean take on each year. I can only assume the series will end with the boys driving into the sunset in the Impala while Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” plays.
• The Mandalorian – Okay, so this doesn’t start up until Disney+ starts streaming in November. But that’s still fall, so it counts. And, of course I’m gonna watch this. Because… Star Wars.
• Titans – This is one of the shows that can be found on the DC Universe streaming service. I liked last year’s first season a lot better than I expected to, even though I really only subscribed in anticipation of Young Justice It returned and was fantastic. So, while I wait for that to come back with a fourth season, I fill the time with the adventures of Dick Grayson and his band of sidekicks. Okay, that’s definitely not a fair description of the show. It’s actually fairly well done for what it is. You just have to really want to see it with the subscription cost being what it is. But, you also get access to thousands of digital comics from the DC library. So, there’s that…

I think that’s it. Only two new shows that I’m interested in. And a lot of the returning shows I’m watching feel like they’re coming to an end. I’m gonna have all kinds of freed up time next fall. I should really read more books.

What are you watching this year? Let me know down in the comments!