Has network TV programming lost its luster? I’m always excited for the start of fall:

leaves are coming down, the perennial pumpkin spice latte, Thanksgiving, and of course a new group of fall TV shows. Every year, I sit down and watch the shows that are most

anticipated, either with the best plot or the best actors. This fall presents some great

promise across the board, so here’s what I’ll be watching this season.

Airs: Wednesdays at 9pm CDT

My Rating: 9/10

Kiefer Sutherland is back. 24, anyone? You may know his father from playing President Snow in The Hunger Games trilogy. Anyway, Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, who goes from being a low-level cabinet secretary to the President of the United States after a catastrophic attack hits the state of the union. Kirkman faces the enormous challenge of putting the government back together, and all of the societal and mental pressure that goes with it. With great plot development and relevance to this year’s election, Designated Survivor is proving to be a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat show that’s a must watch this fall.

Airs: Tuesdays at 9pm CDT

My Rating: 8/10

Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, and Justin Hartley star in this romantic drama that

follows three couples whose lives are very different, but find ways to intertwine. The show promises to cross between heartwarming, dramatic, and uplifting when necessary. If the show can find the right balance, then it will become a highly watched show in the coming weeks. It could be a crossover between Parenthood and Modern Family. By simultaneously comparing three distinct relationships, This is Us dives deeper into the modern definition of love, and that idea is very timely. With this great storyline, the show is off to a very good start.

Airs: Tuesdays at 9pm CDT

My Rating: 6.5/10

Michael Weatherly, formerly of NCIS, has his own show. Bull follows Doctor Jason

Bull, whose primary task is to influence jury members into voting a certain way on a court case. His job is to learn as much about jury members as possible: their background, tendencies, and emotions. I think that the show could prove to be generic, but its new twist on the conventional legal drama, by covering the jury more than the suspect, makes it an interesting watch this fall.

Premiere: Oct. 27 at 9pm CDT

My Projection: 4/10

Dermot Mulroney and Augustus Prew star in this uninspired medical drama, which

focuses on the use of “high tech” equipment and the elaborate ideas of James Bell. There is practically nothing original about this show, especially in a time where there is almost 100 different TV shows that center around a hospital. Not another one, please. I’m always looking for a new twist on the conventional and generic, but Pure Genius fails to deliver. This show unfortunately heads into its premiere with low expectations.

Airs: Thursdays at 9pm CDT

My Rating: 8.5/10

James Spader and Megan Boone keep going strong in this ever-exciting crime drama.

As a loyal Blacklist fan since the pilot, this show has never lost my attention. Sure, there

were points within its three-year tenure that the show dragged, but you’ll find that with

any mainstream TV show. Spader never loses his edge, playing the notorious crime

figurehead Raymond Reddington, who provides the FBI with dangerous criminals in

exchange for his immunity. Boone plays the complex Elizabeth Keene, who STILL doesn’t know who her father really is. The fourth season seeks to tie up all of the loose ends and maybe put a bow on one of the most creative and complicated TV shows in a long time.