This is the big week for broadcast TV to roll out the big guns including the top comedy ("The Big Bang Theory" moves to Mondays on CBS), the top drama ("NCIS" on Tuesday") and the top reality program ("The Voice on NBC Monday).
Cable is wrapping up a few summer series including "The Lottery" on Lifetime (Sunday), "Ray Donovan" and "Masters of Sex" on Showtime (Sunday), "Dallas" on TNT (Monday) and "Outlander" on Starz (Saturday).
CBS is also closing shop its two big summer series: "Under the Dome," which lost a significant number of viewers year over year, on Monday and "Big Brother" on Wednesday.
Among other broadcast shows coming back include Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" and NBC's "The Blacklist" on Monday; NBC's "Chicago Fire" and CBS's "Person of Interest" Tuesday; CBS's "Survivor" and NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" Wednesday; Fox's "Bones" and ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" Thursday; CBS's '"The Amazing Race" and ABC's "Shark Tank" Friday; NBC's 'Saturday Night Live" Saturday and ABC's "Revenge" and Fox's "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" Sunday.
A few notable new shows hit the airwaves, too, including CBS's "Scorpion," Fox's "Gotham' and ABC's "Forever" Monday; CBS's "NCIS: New Orleans" Tuesday; ABC's "Black-ish" Wednesday; and ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder" Thursday.
This covers Monday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Sept. 28
MONDAY
"The Big Bang Theory" 8 p.m. CBS (eight season debut) — Amy and Leonard take a surprise road trip to Arizona to retrieve Sheldon.
"Dancing With the Stars " 8 p.m. ABC — Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton on "Fresh Prince") is already an early favorite to win but Lea Thompson with her ballet background could battle him.
"Gotham " 8 p.m. Fox (new series) — Det. James Gordon joins a pre-"Batman" Gotham. This is the most promising new fall broadcast series, based on critics' reactions.
"The Voice " 8 p.m. NBC (sixth season debut) — Welcome Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani to the judges' panel.
"Dallas " 9 p.m. TNT (third season finale) — Christopher scrambles to find Elena.
"Scorpion " 9 p.m. CBS (new series)— Computer genius Walter O'Brien and his equally brilliant friends investigate high-tech crimes.
"Sleepy Hollow " 9 p.m. Fox (second season debut) — Ichabod is buried alive in a coffin.
"The Blacklist " 9 p.m. NBC (second season debut) — Bobby tries to save lives in the wake of a family kidnapping.
" Forever " 10 p.m. ABC (new series) — A New York City medical examiner attempts to uncover the truth behind his inexplicable immortality.
"Under the Dome " 10 p.m. CBS (second season finale) — The discovery of a potential exit from the Dome - finally!
TUESDAY
"Dancing With the Stars" 8 p.m. ABC (special night) — Nobody eliminated tonight could be as bad as Lolo Jones was last week.
"NCIS" 8 p.m. CBS (12th season debut) —Gibbs and McGee travel to Russia to escort home an NCIS computer engineer who is connected to classified intel.
"The Voice" 8 p.m. NBC — More blind auditions.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 9 p.m. ABC (second season debut) — Coulson settles into his new role as head of S.H.I.E.L.D..
"NCIS: New Orleans " 9 p.m. CBS (new series) — Because the world needs another "NCIS." Scott Bakula stars.
"Chicago Fire " 10 p.m. NBC (third season debut) — Mindy and Danny try find the balance between work and romance.
"Forever " 10 p.m. ABC (time slot debut) — Henry and Jo go on a rogue investigation to disprove a police theory.
"Person of Interest " 10 p.m. CBS (fourth season debut) — Finch, Reese, Shaw and Root adapt to new identities
"Sons of Anarchy " 10 p.m. FX — An important alliance is secured for the club.
WEDNESDAY
"The Mysteries of Laura" 8 p.m. NBC — Online dating leads to a woman's murder, so Laura tries to bait the killer by using an Internet dating site and going to nightclubs undercover.
"Hell's Kitchen" 8 p.m. Fox — The chefs prepare a breakfast menu for culinary-school graduates
"The Middle" 8 p.m. ABC (sixth season debut) — Frankie is mistaken about when school begins, so Sue and Brick start classes one week late.
"Survivor" 8 p.m. CBS (29th season debut) — Watch for John Rocker and his girlfriend Julie McGee in the mix.
"The Goldbergs" 8:30 p.m. ABC (second season debut) — Adam takes the next step in his blossoming relationship with Dana by creating a mix tape.
"Law & Order: SVU" 9 p.m. NBC (16th season debut) — Benson adjusts to being a foster mom to baby Noah.
"Modern Family" 9 p.m. ABC (sixth season debut) — Alex returns from a humanitarian mission.
"Red Band Society" 9 p.m. Fox — Leo has a meltdown when Jordi's surgery takes a surprising turn.
"Big Brother" 9:30 p.m. CBS (16th season finale) — The jury picks a winner.
"Black-ish" 9:30 p.m. ABC (new series) — Anthony Anderson's comedy about a successful black family he worries has lost its black roots.
"The Bridge" 10 p.m. FX — Marco becomes invaluable to Fausto.
" Franklin & Bash" 10 p.m. TNT — Romantic complications swirl around Peter's mother (Jane Seymour) and Jared.
"Top Chef: Duels" 10 p.m. Bravo — A culinary showdown features Stephanie Izard and Kristen Kish
THURSDAY
"Bones" 8 p.m. Fox (10th season debut) — Booth is in jail and awaiting trial
"The Biggest Loser" 8 p.m. NBC — The contestants test their nutritional understanding before competing in an endurance challenge.
"Grey's Anatomy" 8 p.m. ABC (11th season debut) — Meredith finds her life in chaos both at work and at home.
"Project Runway" 9 p.m. Lifetime — The clothiers seek their muse in the form of a complete stranger found on the streets of New York City.
"Scandal" 9 p.m. ABC (fourth season debut) — Fitz begins his second term with a plan to make positive changes for the nation.
"How to Get Away With Murder " 10 p.m. ABC (new series) — Viola Davis plays a ruthless defense attorney and no-nonsense law professor at a Philadelphia university who picks a group of her best students to work at her firm and soon find themselves entangled in a real-life murder conspiracy.
"Parenthood " 10 p.m. NBC (sixth season debut) — Sarah and Zeek head to Las Vegas to celebrate Zeek's birthday.
FRIDAY
"The Amazing Race" 8 p.m. CBS (25th season debut) — Eleven teams start in New York, go to the Virgin Islands.
"Shark Tank " 8 p.m. ABC (sixth season debut) — A couple from Fort Worth hopes to interest the Sharks in their unique way to swaddle a baby
"Hawaii Five-O " 9 p.m. CBS (fifth season debut) — The island of O'ahu is put on lockdown when Five-0 hunts a terrorist who is using weaponized drones on civilians.
"Blue Bloods " 10 p.m. CBS (fifth season debut) — Baez gets injured while escorting confiscated drugs.
"CMT Crossroads " 10 p.m. CMT — John Legend and Lee Ann Womack.
"The Knick " 10 p.m. Cinemax — Racial tensions ramp up on the street and at the Knick when a cop stabs a black man.
"Z Nation " 10 p.m. Syfy — The survivors make their way through the mean streets of Philadelphia.
WEEKEND
"Cedar Cove" 8 p.m. Saturday Hallmark — Jack conceals his relapse from Olivia just as she invests more deeply in their relationship
"Doctor Who" 9 p.m. Saturday BBCA — The terrifying Skovox Blitzer prepares to destroy mankind.
"Outlander" 9 p.m. Saturday Starz (first season finale) — Claire attempts to adapt to her new marriage.
"Hell on Wheels" 9 p.m. Saturday AMC — Cullen goes head-to-head with the new marshal.
"Iyanla Fix My Life" 9 p.m. p.m. Saturday OWN — Follow-up special on the Atlanta man with 34 kids from 17 women.
"Saturday Night Live" 11:29 p.m. Saturday NBC (40th season debut) — Chris Platt hosts.
"Madame Secretary" 8 p.m. Sunday CBS — Elizabeth has her hands full with a crisis in Yemen.
"Once Upon a Time" 8 p.m. Sunday ABC (fourth season debut) — A frightened Elsa makes a snow monster to protect herself.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" 8:30 p.m. Sunday Fox (second season debut) — Jake learns that one mafioso escaped a sting, so he teams up with Charles to go after the gangster.
"Boardwalk Empire" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO — Luciano encounters an old foe in Chicago.
"Family Guy" 9 p.m. Sunday Fox (13th season debut) — The Griffins find their way to Springfield, where they meet "The Simpsons" and Homer plays host to his new "albino" friends.
"Ray Donovan" 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime (second season finale) — Mickey hatches a new plan.
"The Good Wife" 9 p.m. Sunday CBS — Alicia scrambles to hold onto the firm's biggest client.
"Resurrection" 9 p.m. Sunday ABC (second season debut) — The town welcomes back from the dead powerful matriarch Margaret Langston after more than a 30-year absence.
"CSI" 10 p.m. Sunday ABC (15th season debut) — Finlay deals with a bomb planted in her car.
"The Lottery" 10 p.m. Sunday Lifetime (first season finale) — The president announces the winners of the Lottery.
"Manhattan" 10 p.m. Sunday WGN — An unexpected visitor arrives on the Hill.
"Masters of Sex" 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime (second season finale) — Masters and Johnson passes the results of their studies on to the world.
"Revenge" 10 p.m. Sunday ABC (fourth season debut) — Emily hosts a party full of surprises.
"The Strain" 10 p.m. Sunday FX — Eichhorst launches an attack against the pawn shop.
About the Author
