This Year’s Must-See Fall TV

OK, so your kids might not get what a big deal it is that Robin Williams is returning to TV after nearly three decades. After all, when they hear the word “Nanu-Nanu,” they might think it's the latest Icelandic pop star. But that’s why Williams’s new David E. Kelley comedy is stacked with star power—Sarah Michelle Gellar (whom they’ll recognize as Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays the straitlaced daughter to her nutty ad exec dad.

Watch It: The Crazy Ones premieres Thursday, September 26, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

Strictly for grown-ups here, please. This Showtime original series follows the travails of real-life groundbreaking sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson—and of course, follows them into the bedroom, too. Starring the always brilliant Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as the researchers who eventually wed, the show explores the psychology of sex—and love.

Watch It: Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime, beginning September 29

Photo via CBS

Another triumphant TV return that’s sure to go straight over the kiddies' heads, this family comedy features the beloved Fox as Mike Henry, a former newscaster—afflicted with Parkinson’s—who decides to head back to work, much to his clan’s comedic relief.

Watch It: Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET, beginning September 26 on NBC

You might call it No Sex and the City. This laugh-out-loud HBO comedy has the mark of The Office all over it—and the pedigree to boot, since it’s produced by Office co-creator Stephen Merchant. In it, Merchant plays that hot mess you’ve definitely run into in your single days. You know, the overeager wannabe who can’t get anything right—but sure will make you laugh. This is HBO, of course, so DVR it for when the kids are tucked into bed.

Watch It: Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO, beginning September 29

With equal parts eye-candy (former New Girl guest David Walton) and mom-meltingness (a cute latchkey kid), NBC’s new comedy _About a Boy—_based on the hit Nick Hornsby novel and adapted by Parenthood creator Jason Katims, who knows his way around a family drama—definitely aims for the sweet spot with the ladies this season. Minnie Driver rounds out the cast as lost boy Marcus’s hot-but-harried mama.

Watch It: About A Boy premieres midseason on NBC.

Whether you’re in the thick of family life or your kids have flown the nest, you’ll relate to Will Arnett’s latest TV venture, the CBS comedy The Millers, about yet another dysfunctional clan. Arnett as Nathan is a recently divorced newscaster who’s set to finally enjoy the single life—until he finds out that his parents, too, have split. And he is also surprised to find that his mom (the ubiquitous-but-awesome Margo Martindale) is moving in with him while his dad (Beau Bridges) lives it up.

Watch It: Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET beginning October 3 on CBS

Photo via CBS

If your teens—or you—can’t get enough of the CW’s swoon-inducing hit The Vampire Diaries, you’ll definitely be tuning in for another dose with the show’s spinoff_, The Originals_, which follows the dastardly Klaus and his clan to New Orleans, a town the badass bloodsucker helped found some 300 years ago. Of course, nothing’s easy in the Big Easy. In NOLA, Klaus finds himself taking on his party-boy protégé Marcel—and reluctantly expanding his family.

Watch It: After a special Thursday night premiere on October 3, The Originals settles in at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday nights

Photo via CW

It’s based on a delicious series by best-selling YA author Melissa de la Cruz, but Lifetime’s new original series The Witches of East End has definite crossover appeal for teens and moms. Like Practical Magic, the sexy and sometimes-sinister drama follows the travails of a family of female witches—some good, some wicked—in the decadent and devious world of the Hamptons. And with a cast that includes Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Rachel Boston, what’s not to love?

Watch It: Sundays at 10 p.m. ET beginning October 6 on Lifetime TV

Photo via Lifetime

This ain’t your mama’s Alice. ABC’s Once Upon A Time spinoff offers an amped-up take on the old Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tale, in which Alice might be an unstable teen or the real deal, chasing after a long lost love. Expect plenty of high stakes drama and quirky _Once-_isms, including former Lost star Naveen Andrews as the devious Jafar (yes, the one from Aladdin). Family-friendly– with some parental guidance—for tweens and up, this could make a fun Thursday night pizza party for you and the kids.

Watch It: Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET beginning October 10 on ABC

As we’ve all learned, royalty is riveting. And the CW’s lush period drama, Reign is no exception. A must-watch for teens and moms alike, this scandal-filled new show centers on a teenage Mary, Queen of Scots and her tangled and tempestuous engagement to the young Prince of France (and the politics that come with it). Expect gorgeous gowns—and people, too, of course. This is the CW, after all.

Watch It: Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET beginning October 17 on the CW

Photo via CW

Got a teenager? Then you’ve likely got a fan of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. And now, one of Rosewood’s most gorgeous—Tyler Blackburn, who plays the troubled Caleb – is moving down the road to Ravenswood, a spinoff series that follows a quintet of teens who find out they’re at the center of a centuries-old curse. Of course, ABC Family’s deliciously dark dramas aren’t just for teens. This is one to watch with your kid—or solo.

Watch It: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET beginning October 22 on ABC Family

Photo via ABC Family

If NBC’s attempting to lure The Vampire Diaries fans over with its new update on the classic Dracula, the network is off to a good start! Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as the title vampire, really gives audiences something to sink their teeth into with this steampunk reimagining of the Bram Stoker tale.

Watch It: Fridays at 10 p.m. ET beginning October 25 on NBC