Emmys Recap + Fall TV Preview

Hello, and welcome back! I don't know about you but this week has been especially exhausting for me. Maybe I'm tired from traveling or maybe because it's still 90+ degrees in the middle of September (yuck). In today's post we'll be briefly recapping Monday's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony and taking a look ahead in a fall TV preview. Hopefully we can summon actual fall weather in the process 🤞.

Hosting awards shows is a thankless job and is almost impossible to execute perfectly. Many people, namely comedians or comedic actors, who you'd think would be prime candidates for host, often shy away from the role, lest they (inevitably) put a foot wrong. So where does that leave us? Networks hiring their own (safe) talent to take the helm and most importantly - help promote their content.

All of this to say, Mariska Hargitay did a perfectly fine job hosting the Primetime Emmys on Monday. Though she seemed a bit nervous, she delivered on everything that was written for her, even the corny skits, which are par for the course for awards shows. I'll shout out John Mulaney as not only one of best presenters but someone who is consistently funny. On to the results!

2026 Emmy Predictions

The 78th annual Emmy Awards air this coming Monday, September 14th at 8pm ET on NBC and Peacock. The primetime ceremony will be hosted by TV queen, icon, & legend Mariska Hargitay. As a TV lover, this is one of my favorite ceremonies of the year. There were two nights of

What else is new?Catherine McDaniel

Widow's Bay winning big was the story of the night. Some people online were complaining online that Widow's Bay is not really a comedy and to that I say, "Well, Tamar, have you watched the show?"

I went 14/19 on the night, which is not too shabby but definitely leaves room for improvement. I will say that I did see a few of the surprise wins coming like Allison Janney and of course:

🎵"It's the most wonderful time of the year"🎵

Like many people who are correct, fall or autumn, is my favorite season. Not just because of the cooler weather (in most places), the changing of the leaves, college football, apple cider, and Halloween, but it's also the time of the year when lots of TV shows come back, primarily on the major networks.

I'm going to break these out by brand new shows and shows that are returning. Both will be listed in chronological order, and I'll put a master list at the bottom. Let's go!

New Shows

Thursday, September 17th

The Traitors: New Blood (NBC, next day Peacock)
This is the version of Traitors with normal people. The original UK version, as well as the Australia and New Zealand versions already do this, so it was only a matter of time before the U.S. joined in^[1]. As of writing this post I have yet to watch the 2-episode premiere, but I'm hearing good things!

Sunday, September 20th

Youth (HBO)
A new comedy starring Sharon Horgan as she navigates the world as a divorcee in her fifties, balancing a dating life and taking care of her family. If you're not familiar with Sharon Horgan, here's a short syllabus: Catastrophe (Prime Video), This Way Up (Hulu), and Bad Sisters (Apple TV).

Thursday, September 24th

A Different World (Netflix)
This 10-episode reboot follows the daughter of Dwayne Wayne^[2] and Whitley Gilbert as she starts her freshman year at Hillman College. (The original series is also on Netflix).

Thursday, October 1st

East of Eden (Netflix)
A modern adaptation of John Steinbeck's famous novel, this seven-episode series stars Florence Pugh. I haven't read the book, but Miss Flo is an excellent actress and I'm looking forward to watching her performance.

War (HBO)
From TVLine.com: "When a tech mogul (Dominic West) and his actress wife (Sienna Miller) split, their divorce sends shockwaves through London's boardrooms, bedrooms and courtrooms." Who doesn't love a good British drama?

Wednesday, October 7th

Carrie (Prime Video)
A new interpretation of Stephen King's Carrie, this time in limited series form. I'm definitely a scaredy-cat, but will be interested to see what Mike Flanagan brings to this story.

Thursday, October 8th

Eternally Yours (CBS, next day Paramount+)
From the creators of Ghost comes this comedy about a family of vampires. Now that What We Do in the Shadows is over, I'm primed for a new ensemble of irreverant bloodsuckers.

Thursday, October 15th

Crystal Lake (Peacock)
Even though I am a scaredy-cat, I really did enjoy Friday the 13th (that ending gagged me!) This prequel series starring Linda Cardellini is sure to be a scary good time.

Returning Shows

Here are the shows that I'm already watching & when the new seasons premiere:

Sunday, September 13th

SNL UK, Season 2 (Peacock)

Tuesday, September 15th

Dancing with the Stars, Season 35 (ABC, next day Hulu)

Tuesday, September 22nd

Best Medicine, Season 2 (Fox, next day Hulu)

Wednesday, September 23rd

Survivor, Season 51 (CBS, next day Paramount+)

Thursday, September 24th

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, Season 5 (Fox, next day Hulu)

Wednesday, October 7th

Abbott Elementary, Season 6 (ABC, next day Hulu)

Thursday, October 8th

Elsbeth, Season 4 (CBS, next day Paramount+)

Thursday, October 15th

The Diplomat, Season 4 (Netflix)

Sunday, November 1st

The Gilded Age^[3], Season 4 (HBO)

Monday, November 2nd

St. Denis Medical, Season 3 (NBC, next day Peacock)
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Denkins, (NBC, next day Peacock)

And, as Bugs Bunny would say, "That's All Folks!" I'll leave a master calendar from TVLine.com below.

Let me know what you're most looking forward watching!