Fall season's 10 must-see TV shows, from 'Murphy Brown' to 'The Conners'

Ken Burns co-directed this two-hour love letter to the Minnesota institution, blending its history with modern examples of medical miracles. Tom Hanks and Sam Waterston provide the voices of the Mayo brothers, but it's the nursing Sisters of St. Francis who emerge as true superstars. (8 p.m. Sept. 25, TPT, Ch. 2)

Medical dramas come and go, but this one is already earning favorable comparisons to "ER." The top-notch cast is led by Ryan Eggold ("The Blacklist") as a mega-hospital's new chief, speed-walking from one case to the next without ever dropping his George Clooney-esque bedside manner. (9 p.m. Sept. 25, KARE, Ch. 11)

After a 20-year break, Candice Bergen and most of the old gang are back to take down "fake" news, Donald Trump and bad secretaries. Brown is now a morning-show host, battling a conservative anchor who happens to be her son. (8 p.m. Sept. 27, WCCO, Ch. 4)

Jodie Whittaker becomes the first female Time Lord in the show's 55-year history, a moment so monumental that the BBC has moved the series to a higher-profile Sunday slot. Whether that means an upgrade to its time-traveling phone box is yet to be seen. (Oct. 7, time TBA, BBC America)

Peddling freak shows and parading elephants may now be politically incorrect, but this four-hour documentary makes the case that going to the Big Top was as American as baseball and jazz. (8 p.m. Oct. 8, TPT, Ch. 2)

Matthew Weiner's follow-up to "Mad Men" is wrapped in mystery. We're told the series will consist of stories about folks who believe they are descendants of the Russian royal family. Diane Lane, Isabelle Huppert and Noah Wyle join the ride. (Oct. 12, Amazon)

Roseanne Barr's acting was never the main reason to watch "Roseanne," but it's startling to think the sitcom will go on without her. Still, one of the finest episodes featured John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf trying to manage on their own. (7 p.m. Oct. 16, KSTP, Ch. 5)

Kiernan Shipka ("Mad Men") plays the title character, who must choose between serving the Dark Lord or slurping milkshakes with hunky Harvey. Comparisons to "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" are inevitable, but the tone is closer to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "True Blood." (Oct. 26, Netflix)

Interest in this once groundbreaking series had dramatically dropped. Then Kevin Spacey got axed. Viewers weary of President Frank Underwood may very well check back in to see how Robin Wright handles the seismic shift in power. (Nov. 2, Netflix)

Chuck Lorre, co-creator of "Two and a Half Men" and "Big Bang Theory," digs deeper in his most grown-up project to date. Michael Douglas plays an acting coach whose love life and prostate have seen better days. Don't be surprised if Alan Arkin, as his exasperated agent, wins an Emmy. (Nov. 16, Netflix)