Kirsten Dunst stars in "Fargo"

Two in Sioux: What does it take to land a whole lot of incredible talent for the second season of an anthology series? Well, a whole lot of awards and nominations seems to do the trick.

"Fargo's" first season on FX was an awards show darling, earning two Golden Globes, Emmys for Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Casting and Outstanding Miniseries, and pulling in 12 additional nominations. Is it any wonder that the second season of the show, inspired by the 1996 film of the same name, seemingly had no trouble signing up some A-list talent?

Premiering Monday, Oct. 12, on FX, "Fargo's" second season will feature a new story, a new city and a new cast, while still retaining the classic Coen brothers black comedy that made the original film famous.

Ted Danson, of course, barely needs an introduction. He's spent the past few years starring in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," spent more than 10 years in the 1980s comedy "Cheers," and on the big screen was in 1998's "Saving Private Ryan."

Next to Danson's long-running career, Patrick Wilson may seem like a newcomer -- but to write him off as one would be a mistake. The star of "The Conjuring" (2013) is also a Tony Award nominee twice over, and he earned both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his role in the HBO miniseries "Angels in America."

The awards keep on coming with Jean Smart. The three-time Emmy winner starred in the popular sitcom "Designing Women," brought lots of laughs in "Frasier" and kept them rolling in "Samantha Who?"

Add Kirsten Dunst ("Spider-Man," 2002), Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation"), Jesse Plemons ("Friday Night Lights") and Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), and the level of talent attached to the series borders on incredible.

As for the new location, season 2 of "Fargo" takes it to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The year is 1979, and a police officer (Wilson) who has just returned from Vietnam is assigned to protect a rather famous presidential candidate who's making a stop in the city.

A new story, a new city and a lot of new but familiar faces: "Fargo's" second act is ready to make as much of a splash as its acclaimed first season did. It premieres Monday, Oct. 12, on FX.

Back to the 'Roots': A E Networks is remaking a classic. In 1977, "Roots," a miniseries about the life of a slave, was nominated for an astonishing 37 Emmys and won nine of them. It was a cultural phenomenon, and now A E is remaking it as a new, eight-hour miniseries set to premiere in 2016 across the cabler's many channels.

A remake of a 40-year-old classic is sure to attract some big names in acting, and "Roots" is no exception. Filming is underway in New Orleans and South Africa, and the cast continues to grow.

Headlining the cast are Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker ("Platoon," 1986) and Anna Paquin ("The Piano," 1993). The pair will be joined on screen by a diverse group of actors, including Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix," 1999), Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors"), Derek Luke ("Captain America: The First Avenger," 2011), Anika Noni Rose ("Dreamgirls," 2006) and Chad L. Coleman ("The Walking Dead").

It's not just in front of the camera that the talent will be on display. Each night of the four-night event will be headlined by a different director, and with Emmy winner Thomas Carter ("Coach Carter," 2005) and Satellite Award nominee Phillip Noyce ("Salt," 2010) on board, the bar just keeps getting set higher.

The original "Roots" was an astounding success story, and the bar couldn't be set higher for the remake. With A-list actors and equally talented directors, though, hitting those expectations just might be an achievable goal. "Roots" will premiere next year across A E Networks channels.

A 'Crazy' switcheroo: One channel's loss is another one's gain. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," set to premiere on The CW on Monday, Oct. 12, was originally green-lighted by Showtime, which even produced a pilot episode, before ultimately deciding not to move forward with the musical comedy.

The CW, it seems, saw something in the show that Showtime didn't.

Rachel Bloom ("Robot Chicken") stars as Rebecca, a single woman who bumps into her old high school boyfriend (Vincent Rodriguez III, "Hostages") on the streets of New York. Her interest in him is immediately rekindled to an unhealthy degree, and she follows him across the country to his new home in California.

Other cast members include Donna Lynne Champlin ("Law & Order"), Santino Fontana ("Frozen," 2013), Vella Lovell ("OM City") and Pete Gardner ("Eagleheart").

Does The CW have a new hit on its hands, or was Showtime right to ditch a lemon of a show? Either way, this "switcheroo" will probably pay off for one of the channels.

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" premieres Monday, Oct. 12, on The CW.