You can't always count on the weather to signal the start of fall in Southern California. You can, however, count on the culture.

Particularly after the August doldrums, the profusion of movies, TV series, albums, books and events in September and beyond is as refreshing as an autumn breeze — even this year, when the ongoing Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes means studios are delaying prominent projects and the concert craze around Taylor Swift and Beyoncé will be behind us.

We're here to help you plan how to spend your precious free time as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, with features and guides from across The Times' entertainment & arts desk. Sure, it might be pushing 90 when you read this. But welcome to fall.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.