Fall brings colder weather, sweaters, pumpkin-flavored treats, and new television shows to binge-watch. Historically, TV networks used the autumn season to launch their new programming because it coincided with big advertising agencies’ spending schedules after a slow summer of reruns.
Today, thanks to cable TV and streaming, the rules have altered, but the fall still maintains its dominance—especially since audiences have been so well trained. Although the 2025 fall television lineup is drama-heavy, there’s still a little something for everyone. Many well-loved universes, such as Stephen King’s It, are expanding yet again, and Netflix’s enduringly popular Stranger Things is concluding.
From documentaries to comedies to familiar procedural dramas, let’s take a deeper look at some of this autumn’s television offerings.
Comedies
For those who want to laugh, streamers Peacock and Hulu have your back.
The former is presenting The Paper, a mockumentary spin-off of The Office starring Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore. Oscar Nuñez is also reprising his role as Oscar Martinez.
Twenty years later, the same documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin employees around has turned its focus on the Toledo Truth Teller. This Midwest newspaper is trying to make a comeback in a struggling industry. All 10 episodes of the first season were dropped on Peacock on September 4.
Hulu’s offering is Chad Powers, starring Glen Powell in the title role. The series was inspired by Eli Manning, who went undercover at Penn State’s football tryouts. Powell took the idea and ran with it, creating the character Russ Holliday, whose bad behavior compromised his college football career. He decides to use the alias Chad Powers to get back into the game. This sitcom will premiere on the streamer on Tuesday, September 30.
Documentaries
For those who want to learn, PBS has long been a source of education. This fall is no exception, although the future beyond that is uncertain.
Kissinger, a two-part documentary series directed by Barak Goodman, premieres on October 27 and 28 as part of the American Experience roster. It centers on the complicated legacy of Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state and national security adviser under Presidents Nixon and Ford.
The American Revolution, directed by Ken Burns, focuses on our country’s beginnings. This six-part series precedes the approaching 250th anniversary of the historic event. The series premieres on November 16. It is important to note that future PBS documentaries are in jeopardy because of the loss of federal funding.
Some new drama out of something old
Given the current volatile state of the industry, it is a safe—albeit sometimes uninspired—creative choice to use existing intellectual property to lure audiences in. Many networks and streamers have chosen to take this route in fall 2025. (Technically, The Paper falls into this category.) Procedural drama fans will love new versions of Law & Order and 9-1-1.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent premiered on Wednesday, September 24, on the CW. 9-1-1: Nashville hits the ABC airwaves on October 9 and stars Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, and LeAnn Rimes.
CBS has two spin-offs this fall. Sheriff Country follows a character first seen in Fire Country; she’s now a newly appointed small-town sheriff, played by Morena Baccarin. Boston Blue continues Danny Reagan’s story from Blue Bloods, but with a new beginning in Boston. Both premiere on October 17.
Horror fans, get ready for some jump scares. The same creative team behind the recent It movies is doing a prequel series on HBO. Bill Skarsgård is reprising his role as Pennywise the Clown in It: Welcome to Derry. In time for the Halloween holiday, this series premieres on October 26.
Another HBO offering lives in the same universe as Mare of Easttown. Task follows FBI agent Tom Brandis, played by Mark Ruffalo, as he tries to put an end to escalating, violent robberies of drug houses.
New dramas
If you’re craving something new, Netflix dropped the thriller Black Rabbit on September 18. It stars Jude Law as Jake Friedken and Jason Bateman as Vince Friedken. The two brothers once owned a nighttime hot spot together, but Vince’s complicated life took him away. When Jake lets him back in, everything gets chaotic, to say the least.
Apple TV+’s Pluribus is perfect for science fiction fans and is set to premiere on November 7. It was created by Vince Gilligan, who is best known for Breaking Bad. Carol Sturka, a tortured writer played by Rhea Seehorn, must save the world from an epidemic of happiness.
FX’s The Lowdown is equal parts dark comedy, crime drama, and neo-noir. Created by Sterlin Harjo, best known for Reservation Dogs, this series is loosely based on real-life citizen journalist and historian Lee Roy Chapman, who shed light on hard truths about the Tulsa Race Riots. Ethan Hawke stars as journalist Lee Raybon, who puts uncovering the truth ahead of his messy personal life. The first two episodes dropped on Hulu on September 25, and the remaining six will be released weekly.
What if you could stop violence before it happens? This was the premise of a 2019 Cosmopolitan article about an impressive secret investigator. It is also the inspiration for the Apple TV+ series The Savant. Details around this series have been limited, but viewers do know that Jessica Chastain will play the title character and investigator whenever the series premieres. In the wake of the recent assignation of Charlie Kirk, Apple has decided to delay this release indefinitely.
The final chapter of Stranger Things
For Stranger Things fans, the 2025 fall television season is bittersweet. Audiences want to know how the beloved Netflix series ends, but it is always hard to say goodbye. The final season consists of eight episodes that will be released in three parts. The first four drop on November 26. The following three will double as Christmas presents. The finale will finish out the year strong on New Year’s Eve.
The action in Season 5 begins in 1987, about a year and a half after the preceding season. Vecna has unleashed destruction on Hawkins, Indiana, by opening multiple gates into the Upside Down. Now it is up to the gang to make things right.