Fall's Best New TV Bets: CBS

Madam Secretary | Tea Leoni returns to television as the Secretary of the State in this political drama. The series will explore both her personal and professional life as she strives to balance both aspects of her life. There is major talent both behind and in front of the camera on this one. Morgan Freeman is an executive producer and Bebe Neuwirth and Keith Carradine will be co-starring.

Leoni is an exceptional actress and having her on a TV series is a major coup for television in general.  She has a naturalism that should appeal to viewers and as she’s proven in her film roles, she’s a powerhouse in quite moments. If “Madam Secretary” can strike a chord with the audience that loved “The West Wing”, it could be a hit. 

Premieres: Sept. 21 & Airs Sundays @8pm EST

Scorpion | Based on the life of Walter O’Brien, a computer genius and hacker known by the name “Scorpion”, the series is a lax adaption of his cyber adventures. Having researched the real man, his life reads like a movie so sticking with the facts would’ve been just as, if not a lot more, fascinating than a fictionalized telling.

The show follows Walter (Elyes Gabel) as he accrues a global team of fellow tech gurus to defend the world against the sinister threats facing people in the modern era. It sounds like a blend of “The Social Network” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” minus their edgy demeanor. If the series stays true to whom O’Brien is; this could be a fascinating character study. Recently CBS hasn’t exactly created a definitive or flashy character like other networks. “Scorpion” might be able to change that. Premieres: Sept. 22 & Airs Mondays @9pm EST