Fall TV Roundup, Week 13


In these weekly posts I look at all the new shows of the fall. I review the pilot and second episode. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
State of Affairs, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered November 17)
About: This is the latest drama from NBC to get the cushy post-"Voice" slot. It is Katherine Heigl's return to TV, where she plays a CIA analyst who prepares the daily briefing for the President. There's also a lot of other ongoing stuff she's dealing with in the wake of the death of her fiancé, who happened to be the President's son. It's complicated. The first episode really wanted to play up the fact that Charleston Tucker (Heigl) was self-destructive in her personal life. She drank a lot, rarely slept, and had a lot of random hook ups. That was dialed back 1,000 percent in the second episode, and it was actually a better show. I don't know if this will be a great, good, or even overly compelling show, but I liked the second episode a lot more than the pilot. I can see the potential here — though it's mostly a case-of-the-week format — for something interesting. I liked what Heigl brought to the role, and the second episode had an interesting story. This isn't as good as "The Blacklist," the show it's temporarily replacing, but it could be a decent hit for NBC.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: B

Saturday Nights:
The Missing, Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz (Premiered November 15)
About: This is a co-production with the BBC, where it has been airing since late October. The limited series focuses on a missing child in 2006, and how the search has continued for him in 2014. It's also about the people involved — his parents, investigators, etc. — and how the unending search has taken a toll on them. James Nesbitt takes the lead role here, and does a great job of conveying a range of emotions. There are a lot of interesting characters and sub plots as well. Through two episodes the show has done a good job of building the ongoing mystery and laying the groundwork for what promises to be a great limited series. Starz lucked into this series, bringing it over from England, and it's working for them. In a fall that's seen ups and downs for HBO and Showtime, this is a quality series for an up-and-coming pay cable network.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

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