The Blacklist
James Spader gets the role of his dreams in this promising new drama series: His Red Reddington is an international criminal mastermind playing a game in which he holds all the cards. Nabbed by the FBI, Red begins giving up criminal associates one by one, agreeing to help snare every crook on his “blacklist”—provided he’s allowed to work exclusively with a particular female agent. Monday, Sept. 23, at 10 p.m., NBC
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Sometimes extraordinary threats call for very human heroes. Joss Whedon, director of the mega-grossing 2012 film The Avengers, has pushed various Marvel Comics superheroes to the sidelines in this hyped new series about the special spy agency they serve. Clark Gregg reprises his Avengers role as Agent Phil Coulson. Here he’s assembled a team of sleuths who use plain old human ingenuity to battle supernormal global threats. Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m., ABC
The Michael J. Fox Show
Television has missed Michael J. Fox. In this triumphant comeback series, the beloved 20th-century sitcom star plays a dedicated father who returns to his news anchor chair after being sidelined by Parkinson’s. Though the show doesn’t dwell on the disease—which Fox has battled since the early 1990s—references to it are both joking and honest. Yes, this is a sitcom, but few others are as heartwarmingly real. Thursday, Sept. 26, at 9 p.m., NBC
The Crazy Ones
The world of advertising is mad enough. Throw in Robin Williams and the nuttiness expands exponentially. Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar play a father-daughter ad team whose unconventional methods frequently ruffle important clients. Williams gets fairly free rein—which is both a good and a bad thing. But executive producer David E. Kelley also created Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, and his participation alone makes this a series to watch. Thursday, Sept. 26, at 9 p.m., CBS
Homeland
Last season’s finale of Homeland ended with a bang. In the aftermath of that major explosion, things we thought we knew become clouded—about Damian Lewis’s war hero turned terrorist turned congressman, about Claire Danes’s bipolar CIA officer, and about the relationship between the two. The mysteries deepen in season three, but one thing is a constant: Homeland remains the best drama on television.Sunday, Sept. 29, at 9 p.m., Showtime
Other highlights
Genealogy Roadshow
This new series, an Antiques Roadshow spinoff, visits a new city each week as it helps participants resolve various family legends.Monday, Sept. 23, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
Hello Ladies
Longtime Ricky Gervais collaborator Stephen Merchant plays a gangly Englishman who just might be the world’s worst pickup artist. Sunday, Sept. 29, at 10:30 p.m., HBO
Masters of Sex
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan portray the research team Masters and Johnson in a new series about a duo who ushered in a revolution. Sunday, Sept. 29, at 10 p.m., Showtime
