There’s something about fall that just makes you want to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good TV show, am I right?

So aside from watching new episodes of The Mindy Project and mediocre pilots, it’s a good time to catch up on some shows which may have slipped by you the first time, a few of which I want to discuss here. Because, if you’re like me, sometimes you need to be reminded or turned on to great shows already out there.

Right now I’m working my way through Hannibal, a show I hadn’t managed to find the time to watch. I’m a big fan of some of the Thomas Harris books from which Hannibal Lector, and of course the movies. Some of the books and movies are great (Silence of the Lambs), some are dreadful (Hannibal Rising).

The show is really growing on me, despite some typical police procedural elements that hold it back. First of all, it’s pretty weird, which is a good thing in my book.

Beyond that, I really enjoy the way it relies on visual storytelling, and inventive visual storytelling at that, which goes a long way and really makes the show stand out.

For such a violent, dark show it really is quite beautiful at times, putting you in the same conflicted, fascinated mindset as its main character, Will Graham.

The other show I’m working my way through, playing catch-up, is The Americans, which is now at two seasons and counting, and is smart, sexy and quite a bit of fun.

The show, for those who don’t know, is about two Soviet spies working undercover in the United States during the Cold War. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are great as the two Ruskies, and the show overall is a nice mix of espionage action and domestic drama.

My father is working his way through all 202 episodes of  The X-Files, and I’m a little jealous. Like so many others, I loved The X-Files growing up and it seems like the perfect show to revisit, as I’m sure with my slightly more adult brain I would find new ways to appreciate it. Plus something about cold, dark weather just screams The X-Files marathon.

Let me know what shows you’re catching up on at cinefileblog@gmail.com