As Fresno State students search for sources of entertainment outside of class, many may be wondering what sort of new TV will arrive this fall. One highly anticipated show that could be appearing on many viewers’ radar is FOX’s “The Gifted.”

Based as an extension of FOX’s “X-Men” universe, the show focuses on a family caught in the middle of a war between mutants, people with special abilities, and humans.

The father figure of the series will be played by Stephen Moyer. Moyer’s character, Reed Strucker, works as a district attorney prosecuting cases against criminal mutants.

Moyer is no stranger to the “X-Men” universe. His former True Blood co-star and real-life wife, Anna Paquin, starred as Rogue in the original movie series.

Meanwhile, Amy Acker will play Caitlin Strucker, Reed’s wife and the mother of the two children who are central to the plot.

Acker, who previously starred in “Person of Interest,” said she was drawn to this role because of the “family” aspect of the show.

“I like that in a lot of fantasy-superhero-sci-fi shows people are really cast out from their family,” Acker said. “I just thought it was kind of interesting that, this time, the family decides that they’re not going to send their kids away. They’re going to support them.”

The series kicks off when the Strucker family discovers that their children possess mutant abilities that immediately make the family a target. The Strucker children, Lauren and Andy, are respectively played by Natalie Alyn Lind and Percy Hines White.

“When you first watch the show, my character is the normal teenager who is going through normal teenage problems,” Lind said. “As the series continues, you learn that Lauren has this secret that she is secretly a mutant.”

On the other side of the mutant/human war is Jace Turner, a government agent tasked with rounding up mutants.

Turner will be played by Coby Bell, who many may recognize from his last series regular role on “Burn Notice.” Like Acker, Bell has long been a fan of the comic book genre and had two very specific requests for his own imaginary mutant powers.

“My fallback answer for that has been to be able to create pancakes out of my finger,” Bell said. “The more I think of it though, I think my mutant power would be to do the dishes with my mind.”           

“The Gifted” premieres on FOX on Monday.

Brandon Rowe interviewed “The Gifted” cast at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.