Do you ever just feel like staying in bed all day watching television? What's that? You have career aspirations and eventful personal lives so you don't ever want to do that? Well then...
Regardless of how you choose to spend your time, you'll eventually find yourself in front of a TV at some point in the near future. Earlier this week, I looked at five returning series that you should be watching for this fall. Today, I'll explore five new shows that are debuting in the coming months that may be worth checking out.
5. "Heroes Reborn"
Premieres: Sept. 24, NBC
I equate the first season of NBC's "Heroes" to eating a meal at Chipotle. It's perfectly enjoyable and even quite good at times. But the rest of "Heroes" felt like the unfortunate aftermath of eating Chipotle. I think we all know what I'm talking about.
But with five years between the original series and the Don't-Call-It-A-Reboot comeback, I'm hoping that showrunner Tim Kring has perfected the recipe. The blend of new cast members (including Zachary Levi, Dylan Bruce and Judi Shekoni) and returning familiar faces (Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg) could be the necessary injection of life this series sorely lacked a few years ago. Plus the darker tone Kring promises is right in line with today's Christopher Nolan-styled superheroes.
Let's all regard this second go-around with cautious optimism at the moment.
4. "Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris"
Premieres: Sept. 15, NBC
Actor, singer and all-around awesome human being Barney Stin-- err, Neil Patrick Harris will attempt to bring back the variety show. While that's a tall order (there's a reason they've been off the air for years), if anyone can do it, it's NPH. We can't in good faith doubt the man that gave us this gem of a scene.
3. "Master of None"
Premieres: Nov. 6, Netflix
You know what else I like to do besides sit around all day watching TV? Laugh. You know who is really good at making people laugh? Aziz Ansari. You know who has a new Netflix comedy show coming this Fall? You guessed it.
Ansari garnered a cult-like following thanks to his recurring role on "Parks and Recreation," but it's his hilarious stand-up specials that launched him into the stratosphere of entertainers. His new series is partly inspired by that aspect of his life and will center on Dev (Ansari), an unsure 30-year-old actor living in New York.
Ansari is so magnetic that watching him make a Panini would likely be entertaining. But freed from the shackles of network television, the ascending comic is poised to deliver big laughs in his new show that also boasts guest visits from H. Jon Benjamin ("Archer"), Claire Danes ("Homeland") and Noah Emmerich ("The Americans").
2. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"
Premieres: Sept. 8, CBS
Admittedly, I've never been a big late night talk show guy. But Colbert's sheer force of personality, quick wittedness and infectious energy are more than enough to get me to tune in.
Beyond discovering who "the real" Colbert is, "The Late Show" catches my eye because of Colbert's willingness to try new things and think outside the box. For decades, late night talk shows have been beholden to the same beaten down formula. If I wanted to watch someone boringly do the same thing over and over again, I'd watch a Tyler Perry movie. But Colbert promises to mix it up a bit and gie viewers something new.
Plus, he's got a murderer's row of guests that include George Clooney, Jeb Bush, Scarlett Johansson, Kendrick Lamar, Vice President Joe Biden, Amy Schumer and more just in the first two weeks. I'm in.
1. "Westworld"
Premieres: 2016, HBO
Okay, I'm technically cheating with this once since its premiere date was pushed back to early 2016. But out of every upcoming show on the docket, not a single one intrigues me as much as "Westworld."
The show is set in a futuristic theme park that houses artificially conscious beings and is being billed as a sci-fi thriller. Aside from that instantly interesting hook, there are several other reasons to be excited about "Westworld."
First, the showrunner will be Jonathan Nolan (Christopher Nolan's brother) who co-wrote hits such as "The Prestige," "The Dark Knight" and "Interstellar." That's a quality resume.
Second, it's based on the 1973 film of the same name which was born from the mind of Michael Crichton, one of the most purely entertaining storytellers of the last 50 years (Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" was based on his book).
Last, it's got an all-star cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Lewis and Jeffrey Wright.
Seriously, what's not to like?
