2014 Fall TV Preview: the Returning Shows on FOX

AMERICAN DAD returns Sunday, September 14 at 9:30PM

American Dad moves to TBS later in 2014. It’ll end the FOX run earlier in the fall. The ‘official’ season begins September 21, but two unaired episdoes will air the 14^th in what’s packaged as a ‘micro-season.’ Somewhere between the 14^th and the 21^st, Roger will pass the bar exam, which will no doubt inspire a new generation of boys and girls to pursue law school.

NEW GIRL returns Tuesday, September 16 at 9PM

Liz Meriwether told Zap2It about the creative struggles of coupling Jess and Nick, which interests me more than whether or not Jess and Nick will re-couple. Meriwether speaks honestly about the struggles of writing, the challenges of show running, in interviews I heard with her. I like that she’s not the pompous sort who boasts ‘Oh, we have an infinite number of stories.’ Well, Veena Sud, no one wanted infinite stories of Cold Case. (Note: I may not remember who said that thing about infinite stories for his or her procedural). Jess and Nick will be single for awhile, which allows the writers more freedom to write more freely with the characters instead of restricting both to one another .

THE MINDY PROJECT returns Tuesday, September 16 at 9:30PM

#301 of The Mindy Project has the title “We’re A Couple Now, Bitches” and I think that’s fantastic. I’ve no idea whether or not the show stopped stumbling around. The title refers to the coupling of Mindy and the abrasive gentleman I met in the “Pilot.” One season three promo shows the two fighting about who plays the submissive role in the bedroom and who plays the dominant role. This, I learned, is not their first roll in the hay together.

SLEEPY HOLLOW returns Monday, September 22 at 9PM

New monsters, including the Pied Piper and some brotha named the Kindred, will bother about with Abbie and Ichabad Crane. The Kindred was created as a mirror image of the Headless Horseman, so he’ll bother about with Abbie and Crane in the non-violent non-obnoxious way. The writers put Benjamin Franklin in the story. Franklin will help Crane and Katrina in their love quest or quest for love or for familial reunion (or all that).

BONES returns Thursday, September 25 at 8PM

A beard for David Boreanaz. Yes. Booth’s bearded because Booth went to prison. Booth went to prison on capital murder charges for killing FBI agents. While in jail, Booth will fight. Booth’s imprisonment tears asunder happily-ever-after with Bones. There’s a conspiracy to untangle, an innocent man to redeem, and love to rekindle. Boreanaz will play all of it wonderfully.

THE SIMPSONS returns Sunday, September 28 at 8PM

The Simpsons movie was released seven years ago, which sparked a new surge in Simpsons’ interest. I make it a yearly tradition to watch the new season until I inevitably stop following the second episode of the season. FXX’s Simpsons marathon produced a renewed energy among the fandom until the latter half of the series began during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The 26^th season premiere will feature a beloved character’s death and Krusty’s possible retirement. I will again try to watch a full season of The Simpsons, but other things may distract me.

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE returns Sunday, September 28 at 8:30PM

Spencer Crittenden, Harmontown’s very own Dungeon master, Dan Harmon’s assistant, star of the forthcoming Harmontown documentary, producer of the tentatively titled Harmonquest, and actor last seen in Community’s “VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing,” will stop by the precinct for nonsense. I think that’s all anyone needs to know about season two. Spencer’s the man.

FAMILY GUY returns Sunday, September 28 at 9PM

A Simpsons cross-over with Family Guy episode kicks off season thirteen. That’s sort of unbelievable. I don’t know why. The idea of Stewie and Bart scheming together or Peter and Homer eating potato chips together seems so very strange. Oh, they’ll brawl, and will not share potato chips.

BOB’S BURGERS returns Sunday, October 5 at 7:30PM

Gene will stage a musical in the premiere, according to Bob’s Burger’s wiki page. The title of the episode is “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl.” Never expect an episode to start at 7:30. Fans will switch to FOX and the Sunday football crew talking footbaw and man’s time.