September 2015 TV premieres, movies, specials, finales

September 2015 TV premieres signal the Fall TV season in a big way. “Empire,” “Scandal” and “Gotham” return, while new shows “Minority Report,” “The Player” and “Limitless” debut.

The season kicks into high gear after the Sept. 20 Emmy Awards telecast on Fox. The following two weeks bring dozens of new and returning series to the screen. Before that onslaught, some lower profile debuts come to Acorn TV (“Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime,” Sept. 3), Amazon (“Hand of God,” Sept. 4) and FXX (the return of “You’re the Worst,” Sept. 9).

September also signals a new late-night landscape when Stephen Colbert takes over CBS’s “Late Show” on Sept. 8 and Trevor Noah becomes the new anchor of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” on Sept. 28.

I’ve got my eye on “The Bastard Executioner,” the new medieval drama from “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter. It premieres Sept. 15 on FX, and promises plenty of sword-fighting, English and Welsh accents and the liberal chopping off of heads. I think it’s going to be awesome.

Peruse the lengthy list below (which I will continue to add to) and don’t forget, October brings another rush of new and returning shows. Yes, your DVRs will be working overtime.

September 2015 TV premieres

(All times Central)

Tuesday, Sept. 1

1 p.m.

• “Stripped Sessions,” Red Bull TV (series premiere, episodes 1 and 2; acoustic performances from up-and-coming artists; same time Sept. 3)

8 p.m.

• “In Their Own Words: Queen Elizabeth,” PBS (special; profile of British queen)
• “Hotel Impossible,” Travel (season 6 premiere)
• “Tyrant,” FX (season 2 finale)

9:30 p.m.

• “Drunk History,” Comedy Central (season 3 premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 2

8 p.m.

• “Taylor Swift: America’s Sweetheart,” Reelz (special; a look at the singer)

9 p.m.

• “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” Bravo (season 8 premiere)
• “Suspicion,” Investigation Discovery (series premiere; people who suspected imminent danger)
• “Celebrity Wife Swap,” ABC (season finale)
• “Mr. Robot,” USA (season finale)

 

Thursday, Sept. 3

9 a.m.

• “Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime,” acorn.tv (U.S. premiere; based on the Agatha Christie stories, BBC mystery series follows exploits of amateur sleuths Tommy and Tuppence Beresford; video trailer above)

7 p.m.

• “Celebrating Joan,” E! (special; tribute to Joan Rivers)

8 p.m.

• “Impractical Jokers LIVE Punishment Special,” truTV (100th episode; featuring high-wire walk five stories above New York City streets)
• “Mistresses,” ABC (season finale)
• “The Real Housewives of New York City: Secrets Revealed,” Bravo (special; new footage from season 7)

9 p.m.

• “Beyonce: Fierce and Fabulous,” Reelz (special; a look at the singer)
• “Rookie Blue,” ABC (season finale)

Friday, Sept. 4

2:01 a.m.

• “Hand of God,” Amazon (all episodes premiere; judge believes God is helping him find his daughter-in-law’s rapist; video trailer above)

8 p.m.

• “Bering Sea Gold,” Discovery (season 5 premiere)
• “Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church,” Showtime (doc; the legend’s July 1970 performance at the Atlanta Pop Music Festival)

Saturday, Sept. 5

1 p.m.

• “Lake Guys,” GAC (series premiere; brothers build projects to enhance lakeside living)

8 p.m.

• “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” Disney XD (series sneak peek)

9 p.m.

• “CMT Instant Jam: Darius Rucker,” CMT (concert special)

10 p.m.

• “Kevin Hart Presents: Lil Rel Howery: RELevant,” Comedy Central (standup special)

 

Sunday, Sept. 6

2 p.m.

• “Law & Order All-Star” marathon, SundanceTV (Labor Day weekend marathon; through 1 a.m. Monday)

7 p.m.

• “Arthur & George,” PBS (“Masterpiece” premiere; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, takes on a real-life criminal case; video trailer above)
• “Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood,” VH1 (season premiere)

8 p.m.

• “The Last Ship,” TNT (season 2 finale)
• “Stewarts and Hamiltons,” E! (two-night season finale, part 1)

9 p.m.

• “Snapped: She Made Me Do It,” Oxygen (2-part series premiere; true-crime series)

Monday, Sept. 7

2:01 a.m.

• “Natural Born Monsters” preview, VOD—Weather Channel (1st 3 episodes; See Sept. 21 for show details)

3 p.m.

• “Law & Order All-Star” marathon, SundanceTV (Labor Day weekend marathon; through 2 a.m. Tuesday)

8 p.m.

• “Pickle and Peanut,” Disney XD (series premiere; animated comedy starring Jon Heder and Johnny Pemberton as best friends)
• “Fast N’ Loud,” Discovery (season premiere)
• “How to Make Love to My Wife,” Discovery Life Channel (special; “a dud in the sack attempts to please his wife”)
• “Stewarts and Hamiltons,” E! (two-night season finale, part 2)

9 p.m.

• “For My Man,” TV One (series premiere; stories of women who have been arrested for crime committed in the name of love)
• “Ladies of London,” Bravo (season 2 premiere)
• “Rusted Development,” Discovery (season 2 premiere)

Tuesday, Sept. 8

2:01 a.m.

• “The Awesomes,” Hulu (season 3 premiere)

10 a.m.

• “The View,” ABC (season 19 premiere)

Noon

• “The Chew,” ABC (season 5 premiere)

7 p.m.

• “Cake Boss,” TLC (season 7 premiere)

8 p.m.

• “In Their Own Words: Muhammad Ali,” PBS (special; profile of the boxer)
• “Playing House,” USA (season 2 finale)

9 p.m.

• “9/11: The Lost Hero,” Destination America (special; meeting Jason Thomas, who rescued 2 police officers from 9/11 rubble but remained anonymous for 5 years afterward)
• “A Season with Notre Dame Football,” Showtime (series premiere; season-long coverage of the team)
• “Extreme Weight Loss,” ABC (season finale)

10 p.m.

• “@midnight with Chris Hardwick,’ Comedy Central (new time period through Sept. 17)

10:35 p.m.

• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” CBS (series premiere; Stephen Colbert takes over)

 

Wednesday, Sept. 9

2:01 a.m.

• “Sports Jeopardy!” Crackle (season 1 championships of live game show air Sept. 9-16)

8 p.m.

• “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” TLC (season 2 premiere)
• “Extant,” CBS (season finale)

9 p.m.

• “The League,” FXX (7th and final season premiere)
• “Key & Peele,” Comedy Central (series finale)
• “Suddenly Royal,” TLC (series premiere; blue collar American researches ancestry to discover he is heir to the throne of the British Isle of Man)
• “Last Comic Standing,” NBC (season finale)

9:30 p.m.

• “You’re the Worst,” FXX (season 2 premiere; trailer above)

Thursday, Sept. 10

2:01 a.m.

• “Longmire,” Netflix (season 4 premiere)

7:30 p.m.

• “Thursday Night Football,” NBC (season premiere; Pittsburgh at New England)

9 p.m.

• “Craig Ferguson: Just Being Honest,” Epix (standup special)

9:30 p.m.

• “Comedy Bang! Bang!” IFC (midseason finale)

Friday, Sept. 11

7 p.m.

• “Think It Up,” ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox (special; star-studded fundraiser for Entertainment Industry Foundation’s new national education initiative)

9 p.m.

• “Z Nation,” Syfy (season 2 premiere)
• “20/20,” ABC (season premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 12

7 p.m.

• “The Murder Pact,” Lifetime (movie; friends plot to keep murder witness silent)

8 p.m.

• “Johnny Cash: American Rebel,” CMT (doc premiere)

9 p.m.

• “Ferrell Takes the Field,” HBO (special; Will Ferrell plays every baseball position for 10 different teams at 5 different ballparks on the same day)

Sunday, Sept. 13

11 a.m.

• “Dr. Cool and Pride: The Big Show,” WTTW-Ch. 11 in Chicago (series premiere; educational and musical show for 5- to 9-year-olds)

7 p.m.

• “La Banda,” Univision (network premiere; reality-competition judged by Ricky Martin, Laura Pausini and Alejandro Sanz to put together Latino music group)
• “Si Se Puede,” Telemundo (series premiere; featuring Hispanic celebs and based on NBC’s “I Can Do That”)

8 p.m.

• “House of DVF,” E! (season 2 premiere)
• “Sister Wives,” TLC (season 6 premiere)
• “2016 Miss America Competition,” ABC (special)

9 p.m.

• “Project Greenlight,” HBO (season 4 premiere)

9:40 p.m.

• “Doll & Em,” HBO (season 2 premiere; Sept. 20 episode begins at 9:35 p.m.)

Monday, Sept. 14

6 a.m.

• “News One Now,” TV One (time slot premiere)

8 a.m.

• “Dr. Phil,” WCIU-Ch. 26 in Chicago (season 14 premiere; also airs at 3 p.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2 in Chicago)

Noon

• “Hollywood Today Live,” WPWR-Ch. 50 in Chicago, Fox TV stations in other cities (local premiere; Mon.-Fri. entertainment news and variety show)

1 p.m.

• “FABlife,” WLS-Ch. 7 in Chicago (series premiere; lifestyle talk show featuring Tyra Banks, Chrissy Teigen, Joe Zee, Lauren Makk and Leah Ashley; where to watch in your town)

6 p.m.

• “Crazy Talk,” Oxygen (series premiere; M-F talk show featuring Tanisha Thomas of “Bad Girls Club” and Ben Aaron of WNBC’s “New York Live” about crazy TV clips)

7 p.m.

• “Dancing with the Stars,” ABC (season premiere)
• “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC (season finale)

8 p.m.

• “Walt Disney,” PBS (“American Experience” premiere; life and legacy of Walt Disney; concludes Sept. 15; see video below)

9 p.m.

• “#Dancebattle America,” ABC (special; dance competition)

 

Tuesday, Sept. 15

TTBA

• “Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures,” Vimeo (series streaming; Jim Henson’s Creature Shop brings a surreal fantasy universe to life)
• “EastSiders,” Vimeo (season 2 streaming; comedic look at hip millennial population of LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood)

2:01 a.m.

• “The Mindy Project,” Hulu (season 4 premiere; episodes appear weekly, not all at once)

7 p.m.

• “In Their Own Words: Jim Henson,” PBS (special; profile of the Muppets creator)
• “Labor Games,” TLC (game show premiere; camera crew offers parents-to-be currently in labor an opportunity to win prizes before baby is born)

8 p.m.

• “Yukon Men,” Discovery (season 4 premiere)
• “Dancing with the Stars: First Dances,” ABC (season premiere)

9 p.m.

• “The Bastard Executioner,” FX (series premiere; 14th century warrior takes identity of an executioner at behest of a divine messenger; click here for more “Bastard Executioner”)
• “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris,” NBC (series premiere; variety special)
• “Rebel Gold,” Discovery (series premiere; treasure hunters retrace search for the Confederate treasury, which was lost in 1865 and is estimated to be worth $20 million)

10 p.m.

• “Flipping Virgins,” HGTV (series premiere; expert helps house-flipping novices)

Wednesday, Sept. 16

9 p.m.

• “South Park,” Comedy Central (season 19 premiere)

9:30 p.m.

• “Moonbeam City,” Comedy Central (animated series premiere; absurdist, retro-futuristic 80s cop extravaganza; video trailer below)

Thursday, Sept. 17

6:30 p.m.

• “Thursday Night Football Pre-Game Show,” CBS (season premiere)

7:25 p.m.

• “NFL Thursday Night Football,” CBS (season premiere; Denver at Kansas City)

8 p.m.

• “Matt Franco’s Got Magic,” NBC (special; 2014 “America’s Got Talent” winner gets his own magic special)

9 p.m.

• “Graceland,” USA (season 3 finale)
• “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll,” FX (season 1 finale)

Friday, Sept. 18

2:01 a.m.

• “Keith Richards: Under the Influence,” Netflix (doc premiere; Rolling Stones guitarist gets his moment)

11:30 a.m.

• “Dora and Friends: Into the City!” Nick (season 2 premiere)

7 p.m.

• “Descendants Wicked World,” Disney & digital platforms (animated short-form series premiere; set in the world of Auradon and Isle of the Lost from “Descendants” movie)

7:31 p.m.

• “ABC Fall Preview Special,” ABC (look at new fall shows)

9 p.m.

• “Tanked,” Animal Planet (season premiere)
• “Atlanta Plastic,” Lifetime (season finale)
• “Cutie and the Boxer,” PBS/WTTW (“POV” premiere; chaotic 40-year marriage of famed “boxing” painter Ushio Shinohara and artist Noriko Shinohara)

9:30 p.m.

• “We Have Issues,” E! (series premiere; competitive comedy debate with Julian McCullough and Annie Lederman)

Saturday, Sept. 19

7 a.m.

• “Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” Disney Junior (season 4 premiere)

7 p.m.

• “Ungodly Acts,” Lifetime (movie; wife of cult leader found dead, leading police to suspect husband)

8 p.m.

• “Doctor Who,” BBC America (season premiere)

9 p.m.

• “Alaska Monsters,” Destination America (season 2 premiere)
• “Vet School,” Nat Geo Wild (series premiere; behind-the-scenes at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine)
• “CMT Crossroads: REO Speedwagon and Sara Evans,” CMT (special)

10 p.m.

• “Steve Rannazzisi: Breaking Dad,” Comedy Central (standup special)

Sunday, Sept. 20

3:30 p.m.

• “Countdown to the Red Carpet: 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards,” E! (special)

5 p.m.

• “Live From the Red Carpet: 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards,” E! (special)

7 p.m.

• “67th Primetime Emmy Awards,” Fox (special)
• “Arthur & George,” PBS (limited series finale)
• “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” E! (season premiere)

8 p.m.

• “Dash Dolls,” E! (series premiere; the Kardashians’ employees get a show now)

9 p.m.

• “Alaska Haunting,” Destination America (series premiere; ghostly encounters in Alaska)
• “House of DVF,” E! (time period premiere)

Monday, Sept. 21

7 p.m.

• “Gotham,” Fox (season 2 premiere)
• “Castle,” ABC (season premiere)
• “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS (season 9 premiere)
• “The Voice,” NBC (season premiere)

7:30 p.m.

• “Life in Pieces,” CBS (series premiere; family dramedy)

8 p.m.

• “Minority Report,” Fox (series premiere; based on the film, but years later and the pre-cogs are free and one is working with the police; video trailer above)
• “Scorpion,” CBS (season 2 premiere)

9 p.m.

• “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS (season 7 premiere)
• “Blindspot,” NBC (series premiere; amnesiac covered in tatts that give FBI clues to crimes)

9 p.m.

• “Natural Born Monsters,” Weather Channel (series premiere; creatures that have adapted to extreme weather and environments)
• “Don’t Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie),” PBS (“POV” premiere; undocumented immigrant Angy Rivera struggles with two secrets)

Tuesday, Sept. 22

Streaming

• “The Parallax Theory,” Vimeo (6-part series streaming; young physicist warns of imminent cataclysmic meteor strike to no avail)

7 p.m.

• “The Muppets,” ABC (series premiere; The Muppets star in their own reality TV show)
• “Scream Queens,” Fox (series premiere; death comes to campus)
• “NCIS,” CBS (season 13 premiere)
• “Gorongosa Park: Rebirth of Paradise,” PBS (limited series premiere; efforts being made to restore Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique)

7:30 p.m.

• “Fresh Off the Boat,” ABC (season 2 premiere)

8 p.m.

• “Dancing with the Stars: The Results,” ABC (season premiere
• “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS (season 2 premiere)

9 p.m.

• “Limitless,” CBS (series premiere; based on the film, man takes pill that makes him super smart)
• “Bazillion Dollar Club,” Syfy (series premiere; 6 startups try to turn their ideas into businesses)
• “Senora Acero,” Telemundo (season 2 premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 23

2:01 a.m.

• “Sports Jeopardy!” Crackle (season 2 premiere; live game show hosted by sportscaster Dan Patrick)

7 p.m.

• “The Middle,” ABC (season premiere)
• “Survivor,” CBS (90-minute season 31 premiere)
• “The Mysteries of Laura,” NBC (season 2 premiere)
• “Rosewood,” Fox (series premiere; pathologist in Miami works with police to solve crimes)

7:30 p.m.

• “The Goldbergs,” ABC (season premiere)

8 p.m.

• “Empire,” Fox (season 2 premiere; sneak peek video above)
• “Modern Family,” ABC (season premiere)
• “Law & Order: SVU,” NBC (season premiere)

8:30 p.m.

• “black-ish,” ABC (season 2 premiere)
• “Big Brother,” CBS (90-minute season finale)

9 p.m.

• “Nashville,” ABC (season premiere)

10 p.m.

• “TripTank,” Comedy Central (season 2 premiere)

 

Thursday, Sept. 24

7 p.m.

• “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC (season premiere)
• “Heroes Reborn,” NBC (series premiere; they’re back because the world still isn’t safe)

8 p.m.

• “Scandal,” ABC (season premiere)
• “The Blacklist,” NBC (season 3 premiere)

9 p.m.

• “How to Get Away with Murder,” ABC (season premiere)
• “The Player,” NBC (series premiere; Las Vegas security specialist gets sucked into high stakes game of life and death)

9:30 p.m.

• “Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe,” Lifetime (series premiere; weekly talk show)

Friday, Sept. 25

7 p.m.

• “Last Man Standing,” ABC (season premiere)
• “The Amazing Race,” CBS (season 27 premiere)

8 p.m.

• “Shark Tank,” ABC (season 7 premiere)
• “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS (season 6 premiere)
• “Margaret Cho: psyCHO,” Showtime (stand-up special; video trailer above)

9 p.m.

• “Blue Bloods,” CBS (season 6 premiere)
• “Art and Craft,” PBS/WTTW (“POV” premiere; story of art forger Mark Landis)

Saturday, Sept. 26

2 p.m.

• “Global Citizen Festival,” NBC and its news networks (special; concert highlighting the United Nations’ new global goals, a 15-year plan to end extreme poverty worldwide)

7 p.m.

• “Fame Kills,” Reelz (series premiere; look at the dark side of pursuit of fame)
• “Welcome to the Family,” TV One (movie; internet producer has to learn how to balance her personal and professional lives)
• “Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story,” Lifetime (movie; reality TV producer’s wife found dead and he becomes suspect)

8 p.m.

• “American Dream/American Knightmare,” Showtime (“Sho Close Up” doc premiere; life of Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight)
• “Brian Regan: Live,” Comedy Central (standup special)
• “Behind the Screams,” Reelz (series premiere; stories behind iconic scary movies)

8:30 p.m.

• “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” Disney XD (series premiere; Guardians come into possession of dangerous artifact)

9 p.m.

• “48 Hours,” CBS (season 28 premiere)
• “Archer” mini marathon, FXX (6 episodes in a row; Archer’s greatest loves)

Sunday, Sept. 27

6 p.m.

• “Dark Swan Rises: A Once Upon a Time Fan Celebration,” ABC (special; look at the series before the season 5 premiere)

6:30 p.m.

• “60 Minutes,” CBS (season 48 premiere)
• “Bob’s Burgers,” Fox (season premiere)

7 p.m.

• “Once Upon a Time,” ABC (season 5 premiere)
• “The Simpsons,” Fox (season premiere)

7:30 p.m.

• “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Fox (season premiere)

8 p.m.

• “Blood & Oil,” ABC (series premiere; young couple seeks fortune in South Dakota oil boom)
• “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS (2-hour series finale)
• “Indian Summers,” PBS (“Masterpiece” premiere; in colonial India of 1932, the British party hard at the summer retreat of Simla; video trailer above)
• “Family Guy,” Fox (season premiere)

8:30 p.m.

• “The Last Man on Earth,” Fox (season premiere)

9 p.m.

• “Quantico,” ABC (series premiere; FBI trainees thrown into middle of deadly conspiracy)
• “Heroin USA: A Soledad O’Brien Special Report,” Al Jazeera America (doc premiere; the “new face” of the growing heroin epidemic in suburban America)

Monday, Sept. 28

8 p.m.

• “San Francisco 2.0,” HBO (doc premiere; with digital gold rush, young tech elite are flocking to the city known as a bastion for the counter culture, forcing San Francisco to reinvent itself)

9 p.m.

• “Booze Traveler,” Travel (season 2 premiere)

10 p.m.

• “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” Comedy Central (series premiere; Trevor Noah anchors)

 

Tuesday, Sept. 29

7 p.m.

• “Grandfathered,” Fox (series premiere; man learns he has a son and a grandson)
• “iHeartRadio Festival Night 1,” CW (special)

7:30 p.m.

• “The Grinder,” Fox (series premiere; actor who played lawyer on TV joins family’s real-life law firm)

8 p.m.

• “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” ABC (season 3 premiere)
• “Scream Queens,” Fox (time period premiere)

9 p.m.

• “Adam Ruins Everything,” truTV (series premiere; host Adam Conover employs comedy, history and science to dispel misconceptions about things)

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/conman

Wednesday, Sept. 30

Streaming

• “Con Man,” Vimeo (series streaming; Wray Nerely, the co-star of cult but canceled sci-fi series “Spectrum,” hasn’t become a big star like the show’s lead; video trailer above)

7 p.m.

• “iHeartRadio Festival Night 1,” CW (special)
• “The Secret Tapes of the O.J. Case: The Untold Story,” LMN (doc; new insights into verdict of the O.J. Simpson criminal trial 20 years ago and into “disturbing facets of O.J.’s personality” through his never-before heard statements)
• “Doped: The Dirty Side of Sports,” Epix (doc premiere; journey through the biggest doping headlines and controversies)

8 p.m.

• “Criminal Minds,” CBS (season 11 premiere)
• “E.O. Wilson: Of Ants andMen,” PBS (doc premiere, check local listings; life and ideas of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist)

9 p.m.

• “Code Black,” CBS (series premiere; tough doctor puts student docs through their paces)
• “Chicago P.D.,” NBC (season premiere)

10 p.m.

• “Big Freedia,” Fuse (season 4 premiere)

10:30 p.m.

• “Transcendent,” Fuse (doc series premiere; following a group of transgender cabaret performers in San Francisco)