10 TV stars to watch for this fall

We are a little over a month away from the end of the broadcast television season, and we’d rather not talk about it — since so much of it was forgettable.

The TV networks will be announcing their fall lineups in mid-May, and several series have already been given places on the schedule. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

But there are some stars and shows that sound like they might be worth watching, if only because of their creators’ pedigree. In an effort to start off the week on a high note, I’ve come up with some things and people to look forward to come September.

Benjamin McKenzie, ‘Gotham’

The sandy-haired heartthrob still has his fans from his early days on “The O.C.” But McKenzie proved he was more than just eye candy for the pre-Instagram generation when he segued from that soap into the gritty LA cop drama “Southland.” Unlike many soap actors who got by on their brooding good looks, McKenzie successfully transitioned to leading-man material. When he premieres this fall as the young Commissioner Gordon in “Gotham,” he will have the full backing of the Fox publicity machine behind him. The series is based on characters from the DC Comics universe, including Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) and Catwoman (Carmen Bicondova).

Greta Gerwig, ‘How I Met Your Dad’

The thinking woman’s Zooey Deschanel is starring in “How I Met Your Dad,” which is all-but-a-lock on the fall schedule. The show tells the kind of story that made “How I Met Your Mother” a staple on CBS, but from a woman’s perspective. Brand-new characters and a brand-new voice on a network that has the largest number of loyal viewers.

Vince Gilligan, ‘Battle Creek’

Gilligan, creator of “Breaking Bad,” is not a household name like Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, but the phenomenal success of that series has made him the hottest producer in town. His 2002 spec script, about two wildly different detectives who join forces to clean up Battle Creek, Mich., was instantly ordered to series on NBC. Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters star and David Shore (“House”) is the expert showrunner.

Rainn Wilson, ‘Backstrom’

The ungainly, hilarious star of “The Office” switches gears in this Fox procedural based on the mysteries by Swedish novelist Leif G.W. Persson. It centers on an overweight, offensive detective (Wilson) whose self-destructive behavior is getting in the way of his job. Thomas Dekker and Dennis Haysbert also star.

Will Forte, ‘The Last Man on Earth’

It took a star-making performance in Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” to show that “Saturday Night Live” alum Forte deserved his own series. He has it in this Fox comedy about the last man on the planet.

Ellie Kemper, ‘Tooken’

Shooting in New York, this NBC comedy is a Tina Fey/Robert Carlock production about a woman who leaves a doomsday cult and starts her life over again in the city. Kemper played Erin on “The Office.”

Patricia Arquette, ‘CSI Spinoff’

One of the reasons “Medium” lasted as long as it did was because female viewers identified with Arquette’s portrayal of an average mom. She is the star of yet another spinoff — can’t we just call them stepchildren? — of the once-mighty “CSI.” This one is not set in a city, like the bygone New York and Miami iterations. Arquette will play Avery Ryan, queen of the FBI’s cyber-crime division in friendly Quantico, Va. She has a crazy job: solving crimes where the criminal is faceless, operates online and the ramifications are global. The series is inspired by the work of cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken.

Andrea Martin, ‘Working the Engels’

One of the funniest people on the planet (and a two-time Tony winner), Martin stars in this crazy NBC comedy about the Engel family, who decide to pay off their late father’s debts by working in his law firm. One tiny problem: Most of them are not lawyers. Her “SCTV” cohorts Martin Short and Eugene Levy are two reliable guest stars.

John Mulaney, ‘Mulaney’

The former “Saturday Night Live” writer stars in this autobiographical Fox comedy about a comedian who deals with his boss (Martin Short) and his friends and neighbors.

Natasha Lyonne, ‘Old Soul’

Tina Fey’s better half, Amy Poehler, created this comedy about a young woman who is trying to find herself while working as the aide to a group of elderly people. Lyonne most recently starred in “Orange is the New Black.” Her co-stars are not too shabby: Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Rita Moreno.