Pilot Roundup, Week 5

Here's a look at pilots and second episodes. The fall season keeps rolling and new shows keep slowly leaking out. Plus, our casualty list is up to Four shows (Charlie's Angels, How to Be a Gentleman, The Playboy Club, and Free Agents).

Monday Nights:

Hart of Dixie, 9 p.m. on the CW

Synopsis: Interesting idea from the CW. This show is billed as coming from the creators of "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl," and while Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are executive producers of this series, they aren't the writers. At least not on the pilot episode. The show does star Rachel Bilson ("The O.C.") in her return to series TV, but this show feels a little slow at times and kind of like a "Doc Hollywood" type set up. In this case, a young hot-shot doctor from New York City comes to a small town in Alabama to get "family practice" experience. That's plausible. She ends up staying because she's charmed by the town and finds out the doctor she's replacing was really her dad.... also "plausible." There are some charming moments, and Bilson has a nice quality in the lead, but it's hard to see what the long-term appeal will be here. It's mildly entertaining and sort of fun, but there's nothing here that grabs you and hooks you.

Grade: B-

Enlightened, 9:30 p.m. on HBO

Synopsis: Wow, I guess they can't all be winners for HBO. This is a new show from Mike White and Laura Dern, who takes the starring role. If you want a great, blow-by-blow comedy take on watching the pilot for this wacky show, check out the review on www.grantland.com. Is this show supposed to be a comedy? I assume it is, but there were no jokes or humorous moments. Is this supposed to be a drama? Probably not, which is good because it's too ridiculous a set up to take seriously. Were the creators trying to say something about life? I assume so — there were a few moments of serene music and some weird dialogue about a sea turtle — but I'm not sure what they were trying to say or why. This show is a hot mess, and I can't see any future or upside for it. There are no likeable characters, this is a confused premise, it's not funny, and there just isn't enough here to take it seriously. In short, I thought it was terrible.

Grade: F

Tuesday Nights:

Last Man Standing, 8 p.m. on ABC

Synopsis: In the 1990s, Tim Allen and his sitcom "Home Improvement" were a TV staple. That show ended in 1999, but now Allen is back with a similar premise in "Last Man Standing." The show features a manly man — who works for a hunting/fishing outdoor supplies company — navigating the treacherous home waters with his wife and three daughters — ranging from being a single mom in her 20s to high school. This feels like a slight tweak on a familiar formula that brings the narrative forward. (In "Home Improvement" Allen had three sons that were a bit younger). I was prepared to be bored by this show, however, the pilot was actually decently funny. This kind of classic comedy does feel like it comes from a bygone era, but it still works. This has been a big year for comedies, and this show isn't great but it is comfortably amusing.

Grade: B

Wednesday Nights:

American Horror Story, 10 p.m. on FX

Synopsis: Well, the pilot for this show was creepy and strange, but didn't give us a great impression of what the show would be about. From a clarity standpoint, the second episode was much more concrete. There are some things to like about this show, but there are also some things that I am not sure will work long-term. I still like the cast — especially Connie Britton — and I like what they are trying to do, I just remain torn about the show as a whole. It is an interesting experiment, but how long will audiences tune in for this format? And, better yet, how long can the producers keep this going without changing up the central cast? It's not going to be believable to see the same three people tortured and frightened every week...

Pilot Grade: C

Second Episode: C+