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Fall 2008 Preview - New Shows

By Society & Culture & Entertainment Last updated Wednesday, April/17/2024

Here's what's on tap for Fall 2008 in sci-fi and fantasy TV. More to come on two new series slated for midseason, Dollhouse and Merlin. Already airing: the British monster drama Primeval.

1. Fringe

Premiere: Sept. 9. Airs: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox. J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost and Alias and director of next year's Star Trek, returns to TV with this high-buzz new series described as a cross between The X-Files, Altered States, and The Twilight Zone. Olivia (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate the grisly flesh-eating bacteria deaths of everyone aboard an arriving flight. After her partner, John (Mark Valley, Boston Legal), is nearly killed, Olivia, pushed deeper into "fringe science," seeks out genius Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble, Denethor in The Return of the King); they soon suspect that the airplane deaths were just a part of a larger, sinister secret. Also stars Blair Brown, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Jasika Nicole.More »

2. Knight Rider

Premiere: Sept. 24. Airs: Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (encores Saturdays). On the heels of NBC's hit movie, the cheesy-fun 1980s television series comes returns reinvented as an action series showcasing the new KITT, which NBC touts as "absolutely the coolest car ever created." Aside from the car, Knight Rider stars Justin Bruening (Cold Case) as Mike Tracer, a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger who ended up driving the AI-fitted car through his friendship with the inventor's daughter. Joining him are Deanna Russo (NCIS), Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Veronica Mars), Bruce Davison, and Paul Campbell (the ill-fated Billy on Battlestar Galactica). Appearances by Tracer's father, Michael Knight, played by original series star David Hasselhoff, are expected.

3. Life on Mars

Premiere: Oct. 9. Airs: Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC. This was supposed to be superproducer David E. Kelley's version of the popular British drama, in which a cop suddenly found himself in 1973 after a car crash, causing numerous clashes with the 70s cops as he tried to keep doing his job. But Kelley is reported as having abandoned the show, which is now in the hands of the producers of October Road; and after reviewing the pilot ABC ordered a new format, a new supporting cast, and a relocation to New York. While an overhaul at the pilot stage is never a good sign, there's talent on Mars, including Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Rachelle Lefèvre, Gretchen Mol (Memory Keeper's Daughter), Lisa Bonet (!), and Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos).

4. Sanctuary

Premiere: Oct. 3. Airs: Fridays at 9 p.m. on Sci Fi.Sanctuary started life as eight independently produced webisodes created by Damian Kindler, a writer-producer for the Stargate franchise. Not coincidentally, the Victoran-era-set Sanctuary stars Stargate veteran Amanda Tapping as Dr. Helen Magnus, whose father introduced her to the study of strange and magical beings on Earth. Aiding her are psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne, As If); her ex-lover John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl, Smallville), who's from the far future who has the ability to manipulate spacetime and teleport; and their daughter Ashley Magnus (Emilie Ullerup). Sanctuary was performed in front of green screens, with all sets and effects being added by CGI.

5. True Blood

Premiere: Sept. 7. Airs: Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.Anna Paquin (who played Rogue in the X-Men -- remember her?) stars as a telepathic waitress in this adrenaline-rush vampire drama. Apparently the Louisiana back country is rife with vampires, and the locals sort of deal with it; it helps that the vamps all drink a Japanese synthetic blood mixture called Tru Blood. Of course, handsome, 173-year-old Bill (Stephen Moyer) attracts Paquin's attention, leading to tension in both communities. Sounds like they renewed Moonlight after all. The show comes from Alan Ball, who created Six Feet Under, adapted from Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. Also stars Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, and Sam Trammell.

6. Valentine

Premiere: Sept. 21. Airs: Sundays at 8 p.m. on The CW. The Greek gods are still around, and they've decided that humanity needs their help rediscovering the joys of true love. Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Reaper, Ed) has created this one-hour romantic comedy in which the gods, posing as a human family called the Valentines, do whatever it takes to bring soulmates together, all the while keeping their true identities secret. Leading the group is, of course, Aphrodite (Jaime Murray, who played the twisted Lila on Dexter), aka Grace Valentine; Kristopher Polaha (North Shore) helps out as the love-gun-wielding Eros/Danny. (Seriously, he has a love gun.) Also on hand is Hercules (Robert Baker) and the Delphic Oracle (Autumn Reeser).

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