- Most exciting newcomer: English Teacher
- Most anticipated new cast member: Frasier
- Best couple: Abbott Elementary
- Most popular: Tracker
- Most intriguing new era: Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage
- The new classic: Ghosts
- Best dressed: Elsbeth
- Most action-packed: The Equalizer
- Grandest finale: Yellowstone
Welcome to the It List Fall Guide edition, where we share our picks for the best in entertainment. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases that we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.
As the weather gets chillier, the changing of the leaves often coincides with the changing of channels. Fall is peak television season.
Many of the most-watched shows are gearing up to air new episodes, and it can get overwhelming to keep up with them all. You don’t have to, though — Yahoo Entertainment broke down all of our most-anticipated series yearbook style, by superlatives.
Most exciting newcomer: English Teacher
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When: Season 1 of English Teacher airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
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What to know: A gay educator at a Texas high school reckons with personal and professional challenges.
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Why you should be watching: Will and Grace actor and TikTok phenom Brian Jordan Alvarez has basically created his own Abbott Elementary, with an edge.
Most anticipated new cast member: Frasier
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When: The first two episodes of Season 2 of the Frasier revival stream Sept. 19. on Paramount+.
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What to know: After ending in 2004, the show is back to follow snobby former psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) into his “third act” in Boston, where he’s getting to know his estranged son.
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Why you should be watching: After making a guest appearance last season, Frasier’s beloved radio station co-worker Roz Doyle will be a recurring cast member.
Best couple: Abbott Elementary
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When: Season 4 of Abbott Elementary premieres Oct. 9 and airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
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What to know: The Emmy-winning series follows bright-eyed teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and her eccentric colleagues, like her mentor (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and the chaotic principal (Janelle James).
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Why you should be watching: Janine and Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) might not technically be a couple yet, but the slow-burn romance finally ignited in the Season 3 finale, so the new season will likely address the fallout.
Most popular: Tracker
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When: Season 2 of Tracker premieres Oct. 13 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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What to know: Justin Hartley stars as a lone-wolf survivalist who roams the country seeking rewards and helping people solve mysteries.
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Why you should be watching: The first season was the most-watched of the entire 2023 to 2024 season. Another first-year show hasn’t achieved that honor since Survivor in 2000.
Most intriguing new era: Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
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When: Season 1 of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage premieres Oct. 17 and airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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What to know: Young Sheldon aired its final episode in May, but the Big Bang Theory spin-off is getting a sequel of its own that follows Sheldon Cooper’s older brother and his wife.
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Why you should be watching: Montana Jordan and Emily Osment star in the first program in the franchise to forego the inclusion of supergenius Sheldon. We’ll see if it packs the same punch — but it seems viewers are already attached to the young Texas parents.
The new classic: Ghosts
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When: Season 4 of Ghosts premieres Oct. 17 and airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
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What to know: Homeowners Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) coexist in a massive country estate with an eclectic group of ghosts, from a saucy lounge singer to an upbeat ‘80s scout troop leader.
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Why you should be watching: The ensemble comedy is based on a British series, but has come to be a beloved TV staple in its own right — kind of like The Office, but with less cringe humor and more haunted chaos.
Best dressed: Elsbeth
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When: Season 2 of Elsbeth premieres Oct. 17 and airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
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What to know: The dramedy spin-off of The Good Wife takes on a slightly lighter tone, following Carrie Preston’s unconventional lawyer character, Elsbeth Tascioni.
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Why you should be watching: Though Elsbeth’s wardrobe is certainly colorful and quirky, it’s the way the show takes the rote procedural formula and dresses it up in fascinatingly fresh ways each episode that makes it a must-watch.
Most action-packed: The Equalizer
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When: Season 5 of The Equalizer premieres Oct. 20 and airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
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What to know: The crime drama, which is a reboot of a 1985 series, stars Queen Latifah as a single mom and street vigilante who pursues her own redemption while helping others seek justice.
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Why you should be watching: The emotional cliffhanger from the last season has us on the edge of our seats just as much as the show’s high-octane stunts.
Grandest finale: Yellowstone
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When: Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 premieres Nov. 10 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.
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What to know: The contemporary Western drama follows conflicts among the ranch-owning Dutton family, the nearby Indian reservation, the national park and land developers.
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Why you should be watching: The ultra-popular show hasn’t aired a new episode since January 2023, and its final season couldn’t be any more anticipated — even without the family’s patriarch, Kevin Costner, who has moved on to focus on his movie franchise.
