As we do at the beginning of each fall, we previewed the 475 television series coming that season that you should watch. (OK, we managed to curate it down to 45 buzzy ones.)
But now that the fall TV season is in full swing, what are the shows that The Daily Beast’s Obsessed team is actually watching—and, maybe more important, loving? We asked some of our writers and editors to let us know what they think are, if not the best series of the fall so far, then at least the ones that they’ve been having the most fun keeping up with.
Here are our picks (in alphabetical order):
The Fall of the House of Usher
Thanks to excellent series such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan is the reigning king of Netflix horror, and he reaffirms that status with The Fall of the House of Usher, a terrific new eight-part nightmare that’s inspired by various tales by Edgar Allan Poe. The story of a Big Pharma family undone by greed, hubris and malevolent fate—here embodied by a terrific Carla Gugino—it’s a sinister Halloween-season standout that serves up grim, gruesome just desserts with amusing and terrifying style. —Nick Schager
FBoy Island
FBoy Island is FBack, and we at The Daily Beast’s Obsessed (but especially me, your resident recapper) are F-ing thrilled. What is it about Elan Gale’s chaotic beachside dating extravaganza that makes it feel so distinct from the rest of its genre? Is it Nikki Glaser, our host and tough-but-fair supervisor of the Bro Chateau? Or maybe it’s the dopey, generally harmless men this show tends to cast, all of whom possess a certain bro-y je ne sais quoi. Or maybe it’s the teamwork the show’s format inspires, as three women collectively try to weed out the gold-digging “FBoys” from the golden-hearted Nice Guys. Whatever it is, this season’s got it all—fan-favorite alumni, a former Bachelorette, and at least one very silly fight over one contestant’s awful vibes. See y’all on the island! —Laura Bradley
Gen V
Through three seasons, Prime Video’s The Boys has warped superhero genre cliches and conventions for outrageous R-rated humor and pointed political satire, and the franchise continues its hot streak with Gen V, a spin-off that focuses on a collection of Compound-V-enhanced teens at a university for the extraordinarily gifted. Imaginatively melding teen drama, conspiracy-laden mystery and over-the-top action, it’s as assured and engaging as its predecessor, and suggests that Eric Kripke is just getting started fleshing out his insane and profane fictional universe. —NS
The Golden Bachelor
As stoked as some longtime members of Bachelor Nation might’ve been to witness 71-year-old retired restaurateur Gerry Turner’s “journey to find love” on The Golden Bachelor, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Once we met the women, however, I was sold. Each and every golden bachelorette on this series is an absolute hoot—from Sandra with her high credit score, to fitness instructor and dancer Leslie (who once dated Prince), to the frontrunner and self-described “fun-monger” Faith. More importantly, the emotional intelligence on display in this series is a cut above the rest. You know what they say: With great age comes great wisdom, and also, you’ll be very good at describing your wants and needs on a dating show. Come for the romantic dinner dates and hot air balloon rides, and stay for Gerry’s almost supernatural charm. —LB
The Great British Baking Show
Soggy bottoms, saucy puds, and Paul Hollywood handshakes! The Great British Baking Show has returned for Series 14, in which a new host has joined the tent. British comic Alison Hammond hosts alongside Noel Fielding this season, adding some much-needed feminine energy and humor to the tent. I’ve been falling in love with all of the bakers as the season nears its midpoint, but Saku has my heart. As a way to welcome in the weekend, GBBS airs every Friday on Netflix—I enjoy watching it with fluffy muffins warming in my oven, ready to shout “TGIF!” as soon as the day ends. —Fletcher Peters
Lessons in Chemistry
If you haven’t heard of Lessons in Chemistry, where have you been the past two years? Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel skyrocketed to the tippy top of the NYT Bestsellers list last year when it was released, and now, has become an Apple TV+ mini-series starring Brie Larson. It’s hard to describe the plot, which is a blend of drama, romance, mystery, and comedy, but in basic terms: A young woman chemist falls for her counterpart at the sexist lab at which they both work, their relationship ends tragically, and years later, she uses her chemist experiences to start a cooking show on a local news network. Think Madame Curie meets Ina Garten, if that makes any sense at all. —FP
Love Is Blind
The recently concluded fifth season of Netflix’s “social experiment” Love Is Blind was probably its messiest ever. And while fans are divided on whether or not that’s a good thing, watching these desperate singles try and fail to find their soulmate is inarguably entertaining. It’s impossible not to gasp and guffaw at these ridiculous people fighting over their newly anointed baes, who they met IRL literally two days ago. And after marathoning all 10 hours (and a reunion special) of this season, you’ll find it easier and easier to answer the question of “Is love truly blind?” No spoilers, but don’t get your hopes up on that one. —Allegra Frank
The Morning Show
We love a show that rallies—nay, compels—its fans to breathlessly seek each other out after each episode to ask in disbelief, “Did you see what happened last night?!” They’re a rare breed these days, akin to sighting a Sumatran rhino in the wild, a Kashmir gem, or, well, Reese Witherspoon floating in space. In Season 3, The Morning Show continues its tradition of urgent storytelling about hot-button issues mixed with absolutely bonkers, soap-opera twists—the most ridiculous of which become elevated thanks to how stellar the acting is from its starry cast (Jennifer Aniston! Jon Hamm! Witherspoon!). The series is a reminder that even “serious” dramas can, and maybe should, be fun. —Kevin Fallon
Rick and Morty
Seven seasons in, Rick and Morty hasn’t changed much—which is a good thing. That’s despite co-creator and lead voice actor Justin Roiland’s departure, the result of some heinous domestic abuse and grooming charges. Even with new performers at the helm, the Adult Swim sitcom remains a hilarious, madcap, sci-fi romp unlike anything else on TV. Yeah, the Rick and Morty fanbase’s reputation isn’t a great one, which has turned people off in the past. But if you’re looking for something consistently silly (yet thematically complex!), try getting over your biases; this cartoon is a reliable pick. Plus, there’s a guy named “Mr. Poopybutthole”—what else do you need? —AF
Southern Charm
Despite my early hesitations, this season of Southern Charm is shaking up to be one of the best in years, even if some of the cast feels like they’ve been randomly air-dropped into a social circle they don’t really fit into. As much as the F-boy shenanigans on this show make me want to pull my hair out, there’s something about watching men (who constantly brag about how straight and manly they are) fight with each other like Real Housewives that’s endlessly entertaining. Emotional vampire Austen Kroll is proving to be one of the best casting choices ever made on Bravo. And the love triangle he’s orchestrated this season is unfolding in an extremely chaotic and satisfying way—maybe because there’s a male victim involved in Shep Rose. Between the show’s late-winter setting that looks like fall and the juicy, Scandovalian gossip, I can’t think of more comforting fall viewing at the moment —Kyndall Cunningham
Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen
Bravo’s mainstays are filing on all cylinders this fall. The Real Housewives of Orange County aired its best season in years, Salt Lake City is fully bananas (meant as the highest of praise), and even Southern Charm is worth watching. Tying that all together is Watch What Happens Live, which is seeing the sun shining on the Bravo playground and giddily skipping in to play. The Bravolebs have been dropping juicy gossip, celebrity guests have been making headline news with their appearances (Julie Chen Moonves came with a kettle of tea to spill), and there’s been no shortage of viral moments—chief among them the glory of Reba McEntire talking about poppers with Troye Sivan. Where else on TV would that happen? —KF
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