What to Watch in September 2017

Sometimes you can smell the Oscar aspirations a mile off. This comedic look at the infamous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs checks off all the boxes: inspiring real life events, a dash of feel good social commentary, and generous period piece nostalgia. But considering the directors are Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton of Little Miss Sunshine and their film stars two of America’s most beloved stars, Emma Stone and Steve Carrell, this film might just transcend those awards bait clichés. The clincher is that Slumdog Millionaire’s Simon Beaufoy wrote the script; sometimes Oscar buzz turns out to be earned after all. In theaters September 22; foxsearchlight.com.

Can there ever be too many films about iron British Queens letting humanity slip through their stony façade? Apparently not. After humanizing Elizabeth II, The Queen director Stephen Frears returns to the royal well with this tart tale about Queen Victoria’s platonic love affair with a loyal Indian subject during her golden jubilee. You’re forgiven for wondering if his star, Judi Dench, has ever played Queen Victoria before—she has, in Mrs. Brown, also struggling to restrain her more human passions. But it’s hard to begrudge Dame Dench or a supremely talented workaholic like Frears anything. In theaters Sept. 22; focusfeatures.com.

Amid the flood of awards bait that will only surge higher in the coming months, it’s always good to treat yourself to less sparkling but no less edifying cinematic fare. The winner of this year’s best documentary director prize at Sundance, Peter Nicks offers an even-handed, intimate, and raw look at the Oakland Police Department over two years as it struggles to comply with federal oversight. To even attempt a nuanced and balanced look at modern police work with all its faults and successes in such politically charged times is an accomplishment; to do it well might be a miracle. In theaters September 15; theforcefilm.com.

There’s no question what the T.V. event of September is: just the mention of David Simon’s name can send T.V. aficionados into a frenzy. But that’s what you get for creating The Wire, one of the perennial candidates for best T.V. show ever. From Generation Kill to Show Me a Hero, Simon’s follow-ups rarely miss. However, his new series promises some distinctly Wire-esque territory: The Deuce chronicles the rise of the porn industry and HIV in Times Square between the 60s and 80s. That’s right: 70s Manhattan and David Simon, together at last. Be still thy beating hearts. Premieres September 30 on HBO; hbo.com.

If after David Simon’s premium cable opus you still haven’t gotten your fill of epic social commentary, master documentarian Ken Burns has his latest doozy for you: an 18-hour look at the Vietnam War. Between exhaustive cinematic examinations of everything from baseball to the Civil War, Burns seems determined to assemble a video textbook for America, and Vietnam is an essential chapter. Given Burns’ track record, it’s not unreasonable to expect another masterpiece—and given the current social chaos, an examination of the war that divided America couldn’t be timelier. Premieres September 17 on PBS; pbs.org.

Creator Ryan Murphy isn’t exactly known for subtlety, and no one can accuse his horror anthology American Horror Story of ever holding back throughout its various genre trope iterations. However, this new season earns the prize for daring subject matter: Donald Trump’s election. This season’s story apparently charges right into the heart of America’s political divide—with heartthrob Evan Peters as a jubilant Trump Supporter and Sarah Paulson as a heartbroken member of the resistance—both of whom go crazy in diametrically opposed ways after November 8. As if that didn’t sound frightening enough, the trailer is liberally salted with images of creepy clowns. Premieres September 5 on FX; ahscult.com.

This show has always been one of Netflix’s more intriguing efforts: a Spanish language series aimed at an English language audience. An initially uneven take on Pablo Escobar’s rise and fall actually improved in season two, but without Wagner Moura to lead the series as Pablo, where will it go? Fortunately, the burden falls on Pedro Pascal’s equally charismatic shoulders. His agent, Javier Pena, becomes the story’s through line as it pivots to the growth of the Cali Cartel in the 90s. Yes, it’s a massive reset, but if the series keeps its focus on its cops and robbers’ more human moments, it might just keep rising to the top. Available on Netflix September 1; netflix.com.

No matter your geek status, it’s tough to deny that Star Trek is an iconic franchise and its return to television deserves at least a cursory viewing. So, it’s no surprise that CBS would choose a rebooted series to anchor its new All Access app this fall. Obviously, few details are out there, but with a cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Rainn Wilson, and The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green, the Tiffany network appears to be taking no chances. The one cloud over Discovery’s prospects was the departure of hardcore Trekkie showrunner Bryan Fuller, but footage shown at Comic-con elicited. How has the series turned out? There’s only one way to find out.  Premieres on CBS All Access September 24; cbs.com.