What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! September 6 - 12, 2020 BY KYLA BREWER TV Media A fter months of un- certainty, it's almost time to welcome some old friends back into our homes. TV fans are hoping to see lots of their favorite characters in the up- coming fall season, even though premiere dates haven't been nailed down quite yet. The major networks and popular cable channels are banking on established hits to get them through the fall and winter, much to the delight of fans who haven't been able to enjoy new content for a while due to the industry-wide shut- down caused by COVID-19. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, along with cablers such as HBO, AMC and FX, have an- nounced a range of offerings that include comedy, drama, reality TV, horror and more. Even with all the resources the networks and cable giants have, the fall season will be a challenge. Industry pundit and former Fox and NBC exec- utive Preston Beckman was quoted in a May washington- post.com article as saying: "It will be an opportunity to rede- fine a lot of television." Stability is the name of the game at NBC. With only one new series, the spinoff "Law & Order: Organized Crime," starring Christopher Meloni ("Oz") as Elliot Stabler, the network's fall schedule is banking on its predecessor, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," starring Mariska Hargi- tay ("ER"). For 22 seasons, Hargitay has played Olivia Benson, who's now the com- manding officer of an elite squad of detectives who inves- tigate crimes such as sexual assault and child abuse. The show is one of the longest- running prime-time dramas ever and is the longest-run- ning U.S. live-action series currently on television. In July, NBC released its new lineup, which optimisti- cally includes "The Voice," "This Is Us," "Brooklyn Nine- Nine" and the Chicago fran- chise: "Chicago Med," "Chica- go P.D." and "Chicago Fire," though it's unclear whether Mariska Hargitay stars in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Fall's familiar faces continued on page T10 TV FEATURE