Summer TV Roundup, Week Five

In this space each week I review the new shows for the summer. I review the pilot and second episodes. If you don't see a new show listed below, please check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
Murder in the First, Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT
About: TNT is going all in with new dramas. This show, a cop show paired with "Major Crimes," follows one murder and the hunt for the killer throughout the season. It's hardly the first show to try this format, and I doubt it will be the last. In fact, I know it won't because we have "Gracepoint" debuting in September on FOX. This show comes from Steven Bochco, the man between "NYPD Blue," "Hill Street Blues," and "LA Law." The show has a lot of TV veterans working on it, as well. It stars Kathleen Robertson and Taye Diggs as a pair of cops with stuff going on in their personal lives and a case they can't crack. Robertson has a tough relationship with her ex-husband and son, while Diggs' character is enduring the death of his wife. In the midst of that, they have a case to crack. The case, to this point, centers on an arrogant young man, played by "Harry Potter's" Tom Felton, as the CEO of an Internet company poised to go public. The pilot introduced the characters, began with a murder, and ended with a second murder. My thought is that second murder might be the focal point of the investigation, but we'll have to see as it develops. The previews for the second episode also indicate some voice overs from the point of view of the victim, which wasn't the case in the pilot. Whether that's a marketing ploy or part of the show going forward remains to be seen. The pilot was fine, but it didn't give me a great feel for the show. There's some good actors in the show, but it's hard to tell — at this point — how they fit. Usually with shows of this kind you want a big hook, such as with "The Killing," or set up a slow burn, which is what worked with "Broadchurch." I didn't get either of those things from this pilot. Sometimes a drama doesn't give you its best in the pilot. In the winter, I was luke warm on the pilot for "True Detective," which turned into one of the best shows of the year so far. Time will tell which direction we go with "Murder in the First."
Pilot Grade: C+

Tuesday Nights:
The Wil Wheaton Project, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on SyFy
About: This is a variety news show aimed at people obsessed with sci-fi, fantasy, and horror TV shows and movies. Wheaton is a fanboy himself, and it shows in his half hour weekly special. He recaps episodes, news, and adds some humorous spin and features. The first episode was a little uneven, but it felt like Wheaton found more of a groove — and had some more fun — in the second episode. If you're a fan of this genre, this could be a great weekly check in spot for news and notes with a fan's slant. But it feels very much like a niche genre show that won't be for everyone. The idea is interesting, but I felt like the second episode was a little boring, for me. But it might be a hit for the SyFy audience.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C-

The Night Shift, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC
About: This is a show about doctors and nurses working the night shift at a trauma center in San Antonio. The pilot introduced a lot of characters, a lot of potential arcs, and mixed in some medical action. The second episode was more of the same, but it did a great job of building on the characters and building on the continuing stories. The show has a good ensemble cast, a good flow, and good potential. NBC hasn't had a great medical show on the air since "ER," and while this isn't the same kind of show as "ER" it has good potential. Ironically, this might be one of the better new shows on NBC in recent years and it's been dumped in the summer. This feels like a show that has the potential to blossom into something good. All the pieces are there, and it's on the right track.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B

Wednesday Nights:
Jennifer Falls, Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on TV Land
About: This is another sitcom from TV Land that is being paired with the network's hit, "Hot in Cleveland." The show stars Jamie Pressly as a high-powered career woman who loses her job and is forced to move back in with her mother and work at her brother's bar. It's a familiar set up for a show. We've seen plenty of sitcoms about people falling on hard times and having to make their way with eccentric family members. This show has a good cast — with Ethan Suplee playing her brother, Jessica Walter playing her mother, and Missi Pyle playing her best friend. The pilot felt uneven. There were moments that were amusing, and moments that felt cliche. We'll see where the show goes from here, but this doesn't feel original, and it doesn't feel like anything remarkable in a crowded TV landscape. There was little compelling about the pilot. Often a pilot for a sitcom and struggle because of all the plot and characters it has to set up, and that could be the case here. But, to this point, the show is lacking a hook.
Pilot Grade: C

Friday Nights:
Crossbones, Fridays at 10 p.m. on NBC
About: Neil Cross is a talented writer and show runner in England. He worked on "MI-5," and created the wonderfully complex and alluring "Luther." Bringing him to NBC to craft a pirate drama about Blackbeard starring John Malkovich seems like a winner on paper. But in practice, "Crossbones" is rather dull. In the winter, Starz gave us "Black Sails," a pirate tale told with all the trappings of Starz. I found it difficult to sit through. "Crossbones" treads the same territory, only with network limitations. It, too, is boring. The other drawback for these shows is that, though they are pirate tales, most of the "action" takes place on land. Malkovich is a fine actor, but he doesn't have the appeal needed to carry this kind of show as a leading man. Again, on paper it seems like a good idea, there just isn't a lot to this show.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Sunday Nights:
Halt and Catch Fire, Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC
About: AMC is on a quest for its next set of great dramas. In the Spring it felt like "Turn" had the potential to become a modest hit for the network. Now comes "Halt and Catch Fire," a show set in the world of computers in the 1980s. The show derives its name from a command that could be given to early computers that would, basically, set their programming on fire. It's fitting for the world of the show. It's about a group of misfits that are united by a common vision of creating something incredible. People have drawn comparisons to the world of "Mad Men," one of AMC's most popular and most decorated shows. I think there are certain ways it feels similar, but a myriad of ways that this is different. I thought the pilot was a bit uneven, but it held the promise of being something unique. The second episode felt like a bit of an improvement in that we learned a little more about the characters and their motivations. They're staring to become a team, and that could be very interesting. I'm not all in, but I think there is enough here to make this show interesting. It has a couple weeks to try and gain traction before Sunday nights become very crowded. It remains to be seen if all the talent in the cast will coalesce into an interesting show, or whether it will go down a different rabbit trail.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B