Fall 2011 TV: Paranormal, Sci Fi, and Fantasy

Many new series will premiere during the fall 2011 television season. In addition to the usual sitcoms, reality shows, and medical and legal dramas, there are several new series for fans of science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal.

The Secret Circle
The CW is adding another supernatural show to its lineup this fall. Britt Robertson stars in The Secret Circle, based on L.J. Smith's book series about a coven of witches.

The show debuts September 15 at 9pm Eastern, after the second-season premiere of The Vampire Diaries.

Terra Nova
Stephen Spielberg's Terra Nova is finally on FOX's schedule after having been postponed more than once. The series starts out more than one hundred years in the future--2149, to be exact. Jason O'Mara and Shelley Conn star as Jim and Elisabeth Shannon, who have three children. Because of the dire future of the planet, the Shannon family is sent back to Terra Nova, a prehistoric colony inhabited by people from the future. The idea is that going back 85 million years should save the human race, which isn't doing well in 2149; the question is whether they can survive prehistoric times.

Terra Nova premieres in a special two-hour episode on September 26 at 8pm Eastern.

Grimm
Imagine living in a world in which the fairy tales you heard as a child were warnings about real-life monsters. That's what happens to Nick Burkhardt, a homicide detective in Portland, Oregon. When he starts seeing some really strange things, he finds out he has a special mission in life. He's a Grimm--someone who's supposed to hunt monsters.

Grimm stars David Giuntoli; it premieres October 21 at 9pm Eastern on NBC.

Once Upon a Time
Grimm isn't the only new series about fairy tales; Once Upon a Time has its own take on the genre. This show stars Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, who finds herself in Storybrooke, a strange New England town inhabited by characters from fairy tales. In fact, her son believes she's the long-lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

Once Upon a Time premieres October 23 at 8pm Eastern on ABC.

The Fades
Those with access to BBC America are in luck; the channel will air its first original series this fall. With only six one-hour episodes, The Fades stars Iain De Caestecker as Paul, a teenager who begins to have terrifying visions of an apocalypse brought about by Fades (spirits).

At this time, there is no information on the premiere date or the show's regular timeslot.