Media

For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

The fall TV season is here, such that it is.

91.7 WVXU | By John Kiesewetter

Published September 13, 2023 at 10:12 AM EDT

Kelsey Grammer reprises his Frasier Crane role in the new Frasier on Paramount+ starting Thursday Oct. 12, and airing on CBS Tuesday, Oct. 17. — Kelsey Grammer reprises his Frasier Crane role in the new *Frasier* on Paramount+ starting Thursday Oct. 12, and airing on CBS Tuesday, Oct. 17.

With writers and actors on strike, the broadcast networks are rolling out fall lineups filled with competition shows and other reality programming, lots of reruns and a few new one-hour dramas.

In the past I've called September TV's biggest month.

Not this year.

Due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the broadcast networks are struggling to fill their fall lineups.

Viewers will see shows from cable (Kevin Costner's Yellowstone) and streaming services (Frasier, FBI: True); foreign imports (NCIS: Sydney; Ghosts U.K., Transplant); reruns from last year; lots of reality competition shows (Buddy Games, Snake Oil, Raid the Cage, Loteria Loca) and a handful of new episodes for returning shows (Quantum Leap, Magnum P.I., The Simpsons, Family Guy, Transplant).

It's so bad that ABC has pulled Dancing With The Stars back from Disney+ on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and launches a senior citizens' version of its dating franchise, The Golden Bachelor, Sept. 28. And CBS is adding the syndicated Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen to late nights starting Monday, Sept. 18.

Amid the clutter, a few new shows worth checking out:

FRASIER: CBS' revives Kelsey Grammer's Fraiser Crane character from NBC's Cheers (1984-93) and Frasier 1993-2004). Frasier returns to Boston with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) to hang with college professors and his nephew. The broadcast debut is Tuesday, Oct. 17, after the premieres on Paramount+ the previous Thursday.

Fox publicists describe "Krapopolis" as the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters trying to run one of the world’s first cities while also trying their best to not kill each other in the process."

KRAPOPOLIS: Fox's long-awaited animated series about ancient Greek humans, gods and monsters — originally scheduled to premiere last November — finally arrives Sunday, Sept. 24, after Fox's NFL doubleheader. The Simpsons, and Fox's popular Sunday animation block, return Oct. 1 with new episodes because production of animated shows requires more than a year.

THE IRRATIONAL: Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order, The Flash) plays a behavioral scientist who uses his expertise to help law enforcement and government agencies solve crimes starting Thursday, Sept. 28 on NBC.

FOUND: Shanola Hampton (Shameless) stars as a public relations specialist whose team tracks down missing persons in a drama NBC delayed from last February. It premieres Tuesday, Oct. 3 on NBC.

For the most part, it will be a very odd fall TV season.

Late night comics Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show, remain in reruns. But Jennifer Hudson and Drew Barrymore have resumed their daytime talk shows. For daytime TV changes, see my "Extra! Extra! Read About Fall TV Daytime Schedule Changes."

The 75th annual Prime-Time Emmy Awards, which traditionally open the fall TV season, have been postponed from Monday Sept. 18 to Monday Jan. 15 due to the strikes.

Here is the fall TV calendar. New series premieres in BOLD ITALIC.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

8 p.m.: Big Brother, CBS. Live.

9 p.m.: BUDDY GAMES, CBS. Longtime friends gathered at a summer camp compete in an assortment of "absurd physical and mental challenges in the outdoors" and bunk together in a lake house, CBS says.

10 p.m.: The Challenge: USA, CBS. Season premiere.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

8 p.m.: WWE Friday Night Smackdown, Fox. New.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

8 p.m.: NCIS, CBS. Rerun.

9 p.m.: 48 Hours, CBS. Season premiere.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

10 a.m.: Meet The Press, NBC. Kristen Welker takes over as Meet The Press host from Chuck Todd. She's the 13th moderator for the show since it premiered in 1947.

1 p.m.: Baltimore Ravens at Bengals, CBS. Home opener.

7:30 p.m.: 60 Minutes, CBS. Season premiere.

8:30 p.m.: Yellowstone, CBS. Kevin Costner's critically acclaimed drama from sister Paramount cable network comes to CBS this fall. CBS will air the first season in order, starting with the 2018 premiere.

MONDAY, SEPT. 18

Bryon Allen's syndicated Comics Unleashed has been added to CBS' late-night schedule this fall. — Bryon Allen's syndicated *Comics Unleashed* has been added to CBS' late-night schedule this fall.

7:15 p.m., ESPN Monday Night Football, New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers, ESPN, Fubo, YouTubeTV, NFL+.

8 p.m., ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC, Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, ABC, Fubo, YouTubeTV, NFL+.

12:37 a.m.: Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, CBS. Bryon Allen's roundtable with comedians fills the late-night void from James Corden leaving his Late Late Show in April.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 19

8:00 p.m.: Name That Tune, Fox. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: I Can See Your Face, Fox. Season premiere

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23

7:30 p.m.: Big Ten on CBS, Iowa at Penn State, CBS.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24

7 p.m.: 60 Minutes, CBS. New.

8 p.m.: Yellowstone, CBS. Second and third episodes from 2018.

"Yellowstone," which debuted in 2018 on Paramount+, stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley and Cole Hauser. It makes its broadcast television premiere this fall. — "Yellowstone," which debuted in 2018 on Paramount+, stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley and Cole Hauser. It makes its broadcast television premiere this fall on CBS.

8 p.m.: KRAPOPOLIS, Fox. An animated series about ancient Greek humans, gods and monsters was held from last November.

10 p.m.: Big Brother, CBS. New.

MONDAY, SEPT. 25

7:15 p.m., ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC, Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ABC, NFL+.

8 p.m.: ESPN Monday Night Football, Los Angeles Rams at Bengals, ESPN, simulcast on WLWT-TV, NFL+.

8p.m.: The Voice, NBC. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: N.C.I.S., CBS. 20th anniversary mini-marathon.

8 p.m.: Kitchen Nightmares, Fox. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, Fox. Season premiere.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 26

8 p.m.: The Voice, NBC. New.

9 p.m.: America’s Got Talent, NBC. Performance finale.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27

New CNN Max streaming service launches as 24-hour channel on Max, run by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.

8 p.m.: Survivor, CBS. 90-minute season premiere.

8 p.m.: The Masked Singer, Fox. Season premiere.

8 p.m., Celebrity Jeopardy!, ABC. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: America’s Got Talent, NBC. Performance finale rerun.

9 p.m.: America’s Got Talent, NBC. Season finale.

9 p.m.: SNAKE OIL, Fox. A panel must decide if Shark Tank-like pitches are real or fake. David Spade hosts.

9 p.m.: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, ABC. Season premiere.

9:30 p.m.: The Amazing Race, CBS. 90-minute season premiere.

10 p.m.: The $100,000 Pyramid, ABC. Season premiere.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28

Gerry Turner, 72, is ABC's first Golden Bachelor. — Gerry Turner, 72, is ABC's first *Golden Bachelor.*

8 p.m., THE GOLDEN BACHELOR, ABC. Widower Gerry Turner, 72, seeks a mate.

8 p.m.: People’s Choice Country Awards, NBC.

8 p.m.: Hell's Kitchen, Fox. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: Bachelor in Paradise, ABC. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: LEGO Masters, Fox. Season premiere.

10 p.m.: The Irrational, NBC. Rerun.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29

8 p.m., Shark Tank, ABC. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: Fire Country, CBS. Rerun.

9 p.m.: Dateline NBC, NBC. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: 20/20, ABC. Season premiere.

10 p.m.: Blue Bloods, CBS. Rerun.

SUNDAY, OCT. 1

7 p.m.: America's Funniest Home Videos, ABC. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: The Simpsons, Fox. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC. Season premiere for Disney movies.

8:30 p.m.: Krapopolis, Fox. Time period premiere.

9 p.m.: Bob's Burgers, Fox. Season premiere.

9:30 p.m.: Family Guy, Fox. Season premiere.

MONDAY, OCT. 2

8 p.m.: The Price Is Right at Night, CBS. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: LOTERÍA LOCA, CBS. Game show based on a traditional Latin game of chance, similar to Bingo.

10 p.m.: NCIS, CBS. Rerun.

TUESDAY, OCT. 3

8 p.m.: The Voice, NBC. New.

8 p.m.: Big Brother, CBS. New.

9 p.m.: FBI: TRUE, CBS. Broadcast premiere for Paramount+ series about FBI agents talking about their investigations and arrests.

10 p.m.: FOUND, NBC. Shanola Hampton (Shameless) stars in a public relations specialist who finds missing persons.

10 p.m.: FBI, CBS. Rerun.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

9 p.m.: Quantum Leap, NBC. Season premiere.

10 p.m.: Magnum, P.I., NBC. Season premiere.

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

9 p.m.: Transplant, NBC. Season premiere.

10 p.m.: Dateline NBC, NBC. New.

MONDAY, OCT. 9

8 p.m.: The Price is Right at Night, CBS. New.

9 p.m.: Loteria Loca, CBS. New.

10 p.m.: NCIS, CBS. Rerun.

THURSDAY, OCT. 12

FRASIER, Paramount+. Frasier has re-entered the building! First two episodes drop for Kelsey Grammer's sequel sitcom set in Boston.

Freddy Crane (Jack Cutmore-Scott) moves in with his father Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in the new Paramount+ sitcom Frasier set in Boston. — Freddy Crane (Jack Cutmore-Scott) moves in with his father Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in the new Paramount+ sitcom *Frasier* set in Boston.

TUESDAY, OCT. 17

9:15 p.m.: FRASIER, CBS. First two episodes of the rebooted Kelsey Grammer's sitcom set in Boston from Paramount+ air on the sister broadcast network.

FRIDAY, OCT. 13

8 p.m.: The Price is Right at Night, CBS. New.

9 p.m.: RAID THE CAGE, CBS. Contestants on a clock see how many items they can grab from a prize vault.

10 p.m.: Blue Bloods, CBS. Rerun.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29

9 p.m., The Gilded Age, HBO. Second season premiere.

THURSDAY, NOV. 2

8 p.m.: Big Brother, CBS. New.

9 p.m.: Young Sheldon, CBS. Rerun.

9:30-p.m.: Ghosts, CBS. Rerun.

10 p.m.: SEAL Team, CBS. Season premiere; returning to CBS from Paramount+.

FRIDAY, NOV. 3

8 p.m.: The Wall, NBC. Season premiere.

8 p.m.: Let's Make A Deal Primetime, CBS. Season premiere.

9 p.m.: Raid the Cage, CBS. New.

10 p.m.: Blue Bloods, CBS. Rerun.

SATURDAY, NOV. 4

7:30 p.m.: SEC on CBS college football game, CBS.

SUNDAY, NOV. 5

8:20 .p.m.: Sunday Night Football, Bills at Bengals, NBC.

SATURDAY, NOV. 11

8 p.m.: National Women's Soccer League Championship Game, CBS.

10:30-p.m.: Bob Hearts Abishola, CBS. Rerun.

MONDAY, NOV. 13

10 P.M.: NCIS: SYDNEY, CBS. Olivia Swann (DC's Legends of Tomorrow) stars in an eight-episode import from Australia.

THURSDAY, NOV. 16

8 p.m., Bengals at Ravens, Amazon Prime Video simulcast on WCPO-TV.

8 p.m.: Young Sheldon, CBS. Rerun.

8:30 p.m.: Ghosts, CBS. Rerun.

9 p.m.: GHOSTS U.K., CBS. English series premieres with two half-hour episodes.

10 p.m.: SEAL Team, CBS. New.

MONDAY, DEC. 4

8 p.m.: ESPN Monday Night Football, Bengals at Jaguars, ESPN and simulcast on WLWT-TV.

SATURDAY, DEC. 23

4:30 p.m.: Sunday Night Football on Saturday, Bengals at Steelers, NBC.