Select TV premieres stand out, promising quality entertainment

School is beginning anew, which means no one wants to waste precious homework or Netflix binge time wading blindly through heaps of sub-par TV trailers. Fortunately, a handful of upcoming premieres stand out among the usual "meh" crime dramas and twenty-something sitcoms that ABC Family flings onto the screen year after year. So here's a rundown of the fall season's most unique and promising new shows in order of appearance, starting early this September:

"Houdini:" A two-part biography on the History Channel wouldn't usually hold much appeal for the average viewer under 50, but introduce some of the most head-spinning magic tricks of all time, throw in some star power to sweeten the deal and, voilà, the miniseries becomes an instant easy sell. This one stars Academy Award darling Adrien Brody as the legendary illusionist, along with Kristen Connolly of "House of Cards" (2013- present) and Evan Jones of "8 Mile" (2002) and "A Million Ways to Die in the West" (2014). Premieres Monday, Sept. 1 on The History Channel.

"Utopia:" Even the most cynical of "unscripted" program viewers have to admit the premise of this reality show has some potential: 15 people, likely with varying degrees of difficult personalities and conflicting ideals, are shoved together for a full year in the middle of nowhere to build their own utopian society. This season's bound to feature outlandish characters, but at least one person's likely to resort to cannibalism. Premieres Sunday, Sept. 7 on Fox.

"Gotham:" This is just one project in a long line of trendy attempts to flesh out the 2D magic of DC Comics into living, breathing characters on the small screen — see the new NBC drama "Constantine" (2014-present) or the CW brainchild "The Flash" (2014-present) for proof. "Gotham," however, stands out as a fresh foray into the previously untapped territory of the city's pre-Batman dark side. Not that we've ever seen a bright side in Gotham City. This story is told through the eyes of Jim Gordon, so at least it's a nice break from Bruce Wayne's broodiness. Premieres Monday, Sept. 22 on Fox.

"Scorpion:" As if you needed any more proof that nerds are taking over Hollywood, here comes a show about the world's brightest techie and his Justice League of brainiacs teaming up to thwart the government's deadliest threats. It will be tough to keep the dialogue from slipping into familiar high-threat-analytical-government-drama territory, but "Scorpion" seems more whimsical than its predecessors, with Katharine McPhee adding a welcome light-hearted flair (although she plays the hot waitress, not one of the geniuses, naturally). Premieres Monday, Sept. 22 on CBS.

"Gracepoint:" This new investigative killer-thriller isn't actually new at all — it's a direct UK immigrant à la "The Office" (2005-2013) and "Shameless " (2011- present), featuring the exact same eerie port side setting, whodunit storyline and even main character, David "Dr. Who" Tennant. But who's complaining? Its mother series, "Broadchurch" (2013- present) was a runaway critical success. And with a supporting cast including Jacki Weaver and Anna Gunn from "Breaking Bad" (2008-2014) the American version might live up to its legacy. Premieres Thursday, Oct. 2 on Fox.

"Jane The Virgin": This CW comedy follows a young, virtuous woman who's waiting until marriage to sleep with her fiancée. Except, in a totally plausible turn of events, Jane is accidentally inseminated with her ex's sperm by her doctor, that same ex's sister, getting her pregnant — standard medical malpractice. Also, that ex is her boss, and he's dying of cancer. This show is so insanely TV-worthy in its premise that it will be up to the writers to keep it funny without being totally absurd. Either way, "Jane The Virgin" wins the award for most creative plot line of the season. Premieres Monday, Oct. 13 on The CW.