The 5 Best New Dramas of Fall TV

Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) are no strangers to TV, but they're better than ever as detectives in Fox's Broadchurch remake. The miniseries opens with a bleak murder in a seaside town. It's a whodunit rife with suspects and mysterious happenings, and even if you've seen Broadchurch, you might be surprised by this new version.

When it starts: Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9 p.m. on Fox

Despite How to Get Away With Murder's unusual Google issue, the show is almost guaranteed to be a hit. Shonda Rhimes is behind it, Viola Davis is committed to giving a great performance, and the two have made a really interesting product. The series begins with an unexplained murder scene, then flashes back to months earlier when law professor Annalise Keating (Davis) gets a fresh class of students. The show is definitely filled with Rhimes tropes as the mystery unfolds, but that's not a bad thing. It's steamy, it's twisty, and Harry Potter's Alfred Enoch is real cute as one of Keating's idealistic students.

When it starts: Thursday, Sept. 25, at 10 p.m. on ABC

As far as shows based on kids who live in the youth wing of a teaching hospital go, Red Band Society is certainly one of the most amusing. Octavia Spencer stars in the series about a group of unlikely friends who come together under the care of nurses and one sexy doctor (Dave Annable). It's inspired by a true story, and though we've seen our share of hospital dramas, this one feels really original for primetime. The kids are all unique, and even the one in the coma is entertaining in his own way — he narrates the show so you get to hear what he thinks.

When it starts: Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9 p.m. on Fox

If you think The Flash looks really cute based on the series premiere pictures, you're right — but it's also action-packed. The adorable Grant Gustin stars as Barry Allen, aka The Flash, an ordinary scientist who gets endowed with superspeed. He's adorable, the dialogue is whip-smart, and it's just as good as The CW's other DC Comics-inspired series, Arrow, but it's more light and upbeat.

When it starts: Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. on The CW

Gotham is one of the Fall's most anticipated new shows, and it's worth the buzz. Ben McKenzie (The O.C., Southland) plays James Gordon, an up-and-coming detective in the Gotham City Police Department. He's just getting used to his new partner, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), when young Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered and he vows to clean up the streets. The crime drama is a lot of fun if you're familiar with Batman's stable of villains, but even if you're not, the visuals of the city are fantastic and McKenzie is surprisingly edgy as Gordon.

When it starts: Monday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. on Fox