LOS ANGELES— What’s fall got to do with the fall TV season? Summer had yet to roll up its Labor Day beach blanket when two major series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and “House of the Dragon” arrived.
While the broadcast pattern of a strict September-to-May season has been undermined by streaming and cable efforts to keep audiences in thrall year-round, there remains a certain industry loyalty to tradition — and the expectation that people watch more TV when days grow shorter and colder.
That means viewers still have new shows to sample and favorites to rediscover, including some that have been gone too long. (OK, “The Crown” is worth the two-year wait.) To help sort through the clutter, here’s a curated list of series that have proven their entertainment value or show promise.
“The Crown”
Season five tackles the British royal family’s Roaring ‘90s, when Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s ill-fated marriage boiled over into bitter public recriminations. The real-life reign of Queen Elizabeth II ended with her death at age 96 in September, but her character (newcomer Imelda Staunton) remains the drama’s steady center. Respect also is due to the power behind the TV throne, “The Crown” creator Peter Morgan, who compellingly weaves together history (with some storytelling adjustments) and the imagined nuances of life behind palace doors. Helen Mirren, who won a best actress Oscar for 2006’s “The Queen,” written by Morgan, calls him a fearless writer with a “real sense of the importance of research holding the whole thing up.” Debuts Nov. 9 on Netflix.