Readalikes for Fall TV Premieres – Part I

One of my favorite things about the end of summer (if you can have such a thing) is looking forward to fall television premieres! Nearly as much fun is guessing which ones won’t make it past a couple of episodes. But ultimately, there are always a few new shows that you really want to root for and that stand a good chance of making it. I’ve looked at some of those and have come up with a list of readalikes so that brand new fans can have an arsenal of new stories to discover. This is part I; look for the second half next week (click here).

promise-of-amazingA – Z (NBC) – Starring Cristin Miloti and Ben Feldman
A When Harry Met Sally-type comedy set at an online dating company, this is about the evolution of the relationship between Andrew and Zelda. Expect sweeping romantic gestures and office hijinks. Watch the trailer here.

Readalikes:

  • The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
  • Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt
  • Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill
  • Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
  • To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

 


fresh-off-the-boatBlack-ish (ABC) – Starring Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, and Tracee Ellis Ross
This comedy is about an affluent African American family whose patriarch (Anderson) is uncomfortable when his children seem a little too assimilated and not in touch with black culture. Expect some hilarious missteps and misunderstandings, as well as some sly social commentary on socioeconomics. Watch the trailer here.

Readalikes:

 

dorothy-must-dieEmerald City (NBC)
Inspired by (what else?) The Wizard of Oz (more the film than the book), this show will center around 20-year-old Dorothy, who herself will be centered in the middle of a war between Oz and another kingdom. Think SyFy’s Tin Man.

Readalikes:

 

pop-princessEmpire (Fox) – Starring Terence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, and Gabourey Sidibe
This drama is another entry into the current popular trend of musical TV shows. It is centered around a family-owned hip hop empire that must grapple with prison, homosexuality, and a debilitating illness. Watch the trailer here.
Readalikes:

  • Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
  • It Chicks series by Tia Williams
  • Harlem Hustle by Janet McDonald
  • Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn
  • Exile by Kevin Emerson

 

moonshineGotham (Fox) – Starring Benjamin McKenzie and David Mazouz
Nobody seems to be tired of comic book adaptations yet, so this new series will explore the origin story of James Gordon, future ally of Batman. Expect a dark procedural with nods to future important characters of the original series. Watch the trailer here.

Readalikes:

 

beautiful-decayiZombie (The CW) – Starring Rose McIver, Rahul Kohli, and Malcolm Goodwin
Another comic book adaptation, this series follows a zombie who works in a morgue so that she can have easy access to the brains she reluctantly eats. Then she starts to experience the memories of the corpses she consumes.

Readalikes:

There are even more new TV shows to take a look at next week! What are you looking forward to this fall?

–Hannah Gómez, currently reading Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

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Hannah Gómez

Hannah Gómez is a former independent school librarian and now works remotely as a librarian consultant/teacher. She also teaches fitness and writes things. She is on Twitter @shgmclicious

2 thoughts on “Readalikes for Fall TV Premieres – Part I”

  1. I love this post!!! It’s giving me so many new books to check out and an awesome book display idea. Thank you!!

  2. I hope your display is successful! I love the idea, but a similar display last year at work didn’t go well. I think I didn’t pick the right shows and movies. This might work better because then the books and the shows are both new and ripe for discovery!

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