I’m back with more readalikes to match some of the midseason replacements TV networks will be putting out this month and next. Some of the shows I mentioned in my two posts this fall were actually pushed forward and are only premiering this month or next, while others I mentioned have already been canceled. :-( But to the best of my ability, these are some of the new shows you can expect to hit your television soon, from networks to cable to streaming. Check out part two next week.
Fresh Off the Boat (ABC) – starring Randall Park
Based on a chef’s memoir, this family comedy is about a Taiwanese family that moves to the United States and opens a restaurant. It takes place in the 1990s, which will be fun for adults and totally hilarious for teens who view that as nearly as historical as the 1890s. Click to watch the trailer.
Readalikes:
- Mismatch by Lensey Namioka
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
- Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang
Man Seeking Woman (FXX) – starring Jay Baruchel
For older teens, this new comedy seems like a raunchier and punnier version of fall’s hit A-Z. If you like it when metaphors come to life or when people hilariously fail at finding love, this is your next show.
Readalikes:
- Will Grayson, will grayson by John Green and David Levithan (2011 Odyssey Award, 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults)
- 24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley (2014 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults)
- Thwonk by Joan Bauer
- The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt
Sense8 (Netflix) – starring Naveen Andrews and Darryl Hannah
This paranormal thriller series has people across the globe unexpectedly linked together after a mysterious death.
Readalikes:
- Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon
- I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers)
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC) – starring Hayley Atwell, James D’Arcy, Chad Michael Murray
The comic book adaptations keep coming! This one differs a bit in that it places a woman and her story front and center, so pair this with some of the more girl power-y comic books and action adventures out there.
Readalikes:
- Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
- Princeless by Jeremy Whitley
- The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks (2014 Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2014 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers)
- Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
The Last Man on Earth (Fox) – starring Will Forte, January Jones, and Kristen Schaal
Yup, just what it sounds like. Forte will star as the only man left after an apocalypse, with flashbacks from his life including the other actors mentioned. Should be funny and irreverent. Click to watch the trailer.
Readalikes:
- Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2014 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers)
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
- Half Lives by Sara Grant
I’ll be back next week with some more for you. Happy reading – and watching!
–Hannah Gómez, currently reading The Body Book by Cameron Diaz
