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Most "Law & Order" shows end with the answer to whodunnit, even if the "who" doesn't get convicted by a jury of his or her peers. With the new addition to the "Law & Order" franchise, though, we already know who did it and they've both been convicted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fall TV season begins in earnest this week, with the return of many shows and some pretty high-powered launches of new fare. Chuck Lorre has created a spin-off of the CBS hit "The Big Bang Theory," called "Young Sheldon." Jim Parsons narrates at least the first episode of the prequel, but it has a different flavor from the original show. And Dick Wolf has jumped into the crowded true-crime pool with a series based on the Menendez brothers murders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

You'll probably fall for the mush that is "The Good Doctor," but whether you'll hate yourself in the morning is the question only you can answer after the show premieres on Monday, Sept. 25, on ABC. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"The Brave" is yet another new fall show about a team of elite specialists who put themselves in harm's way to save hostages, kill or capture bad guys, or keep potentially explosive situations from getting worse. In this case, "The Brave" is a team of elite, undercover ops who work for the Defense Intelligence Agency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

CBS is lucky to have "The Big Bang Theory," because it is such a ratings stalwart, the network can move it almost anywhere and viewers will follow. The show has been shifted around so much, it should be on roller skates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mike Judge, creator of "Silicon Valley," has a new show on the horizon. "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off a new season the same night that "So You Think You Can Dance" leaves the TV dance floor. Seth MacFarlane gets lost in space, and it all begins with the Emmys on Sunday, Sept. 17. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For what? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a lot of sex in "The Deuce," the highly anticipated HBO series from David Simon and novelist George Pelecanos. But in almost no time, the parade of male and female nudity and the gritty urban kama sutra become as exciting as torn wallpaper in a Times Square SRO. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Jane Campion gets away with things in "Top of the Lake: China Girl" that few other directors could, including taking extraordinary chances with plot and character that should not pay off but most decidedly do. You'll see that when the six-episode, three-night second season of Campion's drama returns to SundanceTV on Sunday, Sept. 10. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The four hour-long episodes that comprise the Netflix docuseries "Fire Chasers" were filmed a year ago. Together, they tell the story of a single fire season in California, a season that has become, on average, 78 days longer than it had been in the past four decades. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seth MacFarlane's new vehicle, "The Orville," gets a special premiere on Fox on Sunday, Sept. 10, but it is far from being ready for takeoff. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Welcome to Media Rays, Weekend edition. Each Sunday, we'll offer you highlights of the TV week ahead. Check daily Datebook's Media Rays for any updates in the schedule. Happy viewing! [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

You can be certain that no other TV show this season - or any season, most likely - will name-check James Salter within the first minutes of its premiere episode. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Is any crime ever really solved? If you watch a lot of television, you may have good reason to ask that question. From Jack the Ripper to the Petersons, Drew and Scott, television has fed off true crime stories for decades. It doesn't matter whether the case is open, shut or cold, true crime shows keep the story going. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"You're the Worst" ended its third season last year with what would be considered a cliffhanger for any other show. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An afternoon of music and comedy and an "art, activism and love" rally and march are being planned as counter- events to the expected Patriot Prayer Freedom Rally on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Crissy Field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In pop culture, as in nature, getting rid of ticks is not easy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"Disjointed" is an enjoyable mess, available Friday, Aug. 25, on Netflix, that probably makes more sense if you're stoned, which would be appropriate for a comedy about an older Jewish woman who owns a medicinal marijuana store in Los Angeles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Even if your dreams come true beyond anything you ever dared to imagine, you cannot escape your past. Where you came from is part of who you are and who you will always be. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Unless you're a complete comic book geek, the whole Marvel Universe thing can be very overwhelming as it continues its march toward total media domination. Marvel shows can already be found on ABC, NBC, FX, AMC, Hulu, Netflix, Disney XD - I wouldn't be shocked if the Hallmark Channel gets in on the game at some point. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scott Peterson was railroaded. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

NBC's new sitcom "Marlon" is pretty formulaic, so much so that it would be dismissable were it not for the fact that, as the title suggests, Marlon Wayans is the star of the series, which launches on Wednesday, Aug. 16., with back-to-back episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Before you say, "Who needs another version of 'Get Shorty'?," take a gander at the 10-episode adaptation of Elmore Leonard's sublime novel premiering on the Epix subscription channel on Sunday, Aug. 13. It's a beaut. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Someday, television won't have to signal that a show is about a kid on the autism spectrum by calling it "Atypical." A new eight-episode Netflix series of that name, available on Friday, Aug. 11, is a small step toward increased awareness and inclusiveness, but as a comedy, it's marked by good intentions and bad artistic choices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The adaptation of Stephen King's detective novel "Mr. Mercedes" starts out with a bang, but then takes its very sweet time establishing its plot and characters. That's probably because King is not only a producer of the show, but is also on the writing staff, as is novelist Dennis LeHane, credited with writing four episodes: Television often benefits when novelists are allowed to do their thing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"Difficult People," the sassy sitcom that raises self-involvement to new comic heights, is lucky it stuck around till 2017. Not just because it deserved renewal, but also because creator and co-star Julie Klausner has found a whole new vein of pay dirt at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. as the show launches a third season on Hulu on Tuesday, Aug. 8. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"Comrade Detective" was a great idea for an hour-long one-off, or, at best, a more leisurely 90 minutes, but kind of a so-so idea for a six-episode miniseries for Amazon, available on Friday, Aug. 4 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cora Tannetti is a young wife and mother living what seems like an ordinary life, working for husband Mason's (Christopher Abbott) company. And then her life explodes when she commits a seemingly random act of violence while she and her family are at the beach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Television often turns to headline-making, real-life events as a content source. Many of the adaptations are pretty cheesy and even ghoulish, but series like "American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson" and, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, Discovery's gripping "Manhunt: Unabomber," aim for a lot more than just tapping into our fascination with heavily covered events. They're also aiming for quality, and "Unabomber" not only delivers on that score, but offers the story of one man who not only broke the case, but did so in a revolutionary way. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Every time someone decides to adapt an F. Scott Fitzgerald work for film or television, purists are disappointed. That's because Fitzgerald is a far more complicated writer than he seems. Just distilling plot is an automatic disservice and missed opportunity. That approach leads only to melodrama without thematic complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy" will melt the heart of the most hardened cynic. The film, premiering Monday, July 24, on HBO is likely to be the most important hour of the anticipated saturation TV coverage of the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is something both disturbingly nostalgic and oddly futuristic about the new anthology series from Mark and Jay Duplass. Premiering on HBO on Friday, July 28, "Room 104" comprises a series of stand-alone vignettes, all set in the same motel room but with different characters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bob Hilmoe isn't really sure he wants you to know that last week he sat in a San Francisco Botanical Garden field long after the front gates had closed and played a piano all by himself at 9 p.m. "The mosquitoes finally kicked me out," confessed Hilmoe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If you're looking for something to restore your faith in humanity, television is not going to be your first stop. Not anymore. Not for a long time. In general, television writers don't have much good to say about your fellow man and woman. Even the Hallmark Channel confirms we're all a bunch of no-goodniks by the confectionery phoniness of its original programming. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new episode of "Casual" is available on Hulu. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are many things that Disney has perfected, not the least of which is how to create a sequel to a hugely successful film that ended with happily ever after. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The sublime vocalist Catherine Russell has "Harlem on My Mind," the title of her latest album and the theme of her performance on Saturday, July 15, at SFJazz. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Barbara Dane will celebrate her 90th birthday with a special show at SFJazz on Thursday, July 13, with ample evidence of why she's reached the status of living legend. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hey, did you hear? A giant asteroid is about to strike the Earth and we'll all be blown to smithereens. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Even when Freeform was still ABC Family, the channel made a strategically smart effort to modernize its programming. The strategy has resulted in shows such as "The Fosters" and "Pretty Little Liars" that appeal to a younger adult demographic, because if they don't precisely see their own lives reflected in characters and story, they at least see shows that reflect lives and values to which they aspire. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"London Calling" by the Clash and David Bowie's "Fame" introduce the episodes, as William Shakespeare struts around in skinny jeans. If the Bard's plays can be reset in modern times, why not add some contemporary touches to a new show that extravagantly embroiders the life of the world's greatest playwright himself? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Paula West has a request, and it's "Gimme Some Truth." She'll include the John Lennon song when she starts her two-week summer residency at Feinstein's at the Nikko on Thursday, July 6. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"Pure" isn't. In fact, the Canadian import premiering Friday, July 7, on Hulu is a watchable mess. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It's silly season over at HBO these days, as evidenced by the forthcoming mockumentary "Tour de Pharmacy," airing on Saturday, July 8. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What motivates the central characters in the new FX drama "Snowfall"? The answers to that question aren't always clear, which, counterintuitively, is one of the reasons the show almost works. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As illogical as it may sound (because it is), we sometimes forget that history happened in living color. That's because we're so used to seeing early still photography and early 20th century newsreels and other film footage in black and white. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If the new "Broadchurch" is the weakest of the three seasons, it's still legions above the quality and attention to detail of most police procedurals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Kellye Gray went back to her recording roots to make her latest album, "Rendering," assembling a large group of friends and musicians to replicate the creation of her sublime debut album, "Standards in Gray," released 25 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The inspired nuttiness of "GLOW," the new Netflix comedy series about female wrestlers, makes the show entertaining. The focus on women learning to take control of their own lives provides the real grounding for the series, whose 10-episode first season is available on Friday, June 23. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]