Summer TV Roundup — Week 15

In these weekly posts I look at the new shows of summer (scripted fare). We're getting closer to fall, but the summer newbies keep on coming. I review the pilot and second episode. If you don't see a new show listed below, check previous weeks.

Wednesday Nights:
Ties That Bind, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on UP (Premiered August 12)
About: This latest drama from UP is about a cop, her family, and the two teens she adopts when her brother is sent to jail. It features Kelli Williams ("The Practice") in the lead role, with Luke Perry recurring as her brother. The first two episodes introduced the world and the characters. This is a hybrid show — part family drama and part case of the week. I thought the pilot was a little slow, but the second episode was a bit better. This is nice, family entertainment that fills the warm summer evenings.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Thursday Nights:
Documentary Now, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on IFC (Premiered August 20)
About: This is the latest mockumentary series, starring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. These half-hour episodes are essentially send ups of classic Documentary formats. The first episode was a twist on "Grey Gardens" and the second episode — available on YouTube — was a send up of hard-hitting field journalism in war zones. The episodes were amusing, and both men are talented, but I don't think this is a great or compelling series. It's fine, and mildly amusing, but I think the concept will run out of juice quickly.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Saturday Nights:
Blunt Talk, Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz (Premiered August 22)
About: This new series — from producer Seth Macfarlane and writer Jonathan Ames — is about a crotchety and possibly crazy show host, Patrick Stewart, who runs off the rails in the pilot and has to try and get his reputation and career back on track. That's not a terrible premise. I also have enjoyed Macfarlane's films and I enjoyed Ames' first TV show, "Bored to Death" on HBO. But this show feels like a complete misfire. The first two episodes were made available early by Starz and I thought the pilot was a train wreck. Sadly, the second episode might have been worse. Stewart deserves better than this, and so does the audience.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: D

Sunday Nights:
Fear The Walking Dead, Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC (Premiered August 23)
About: The problem with prequels and spinoffs, or prequels that are spinoffs, is that the audience knows more about what's happening than the characters. Think about that feeling when you watched the first three "Star Wars" films, which filled in the gaps to stories we already knew. That's some of the challenge for "Fear The Walking Dead," which turns the clock back, moves to Los Angeles, and puts a family in a rapidly changing situation. They don't know what's happening. Fans of "The Walking Dead" clearly do. So there's a bit of slowness to this pilot as it tries to build characters, build a world, and have them uncover a mystery that's not a mystery to viewers. Despite that, I have high hopes for this series. It will start with a slow burn, but then we get to see the collapse of society that was yada-yaded by the mothership. I like Kim Dickens and Cliff Curtis in the lead roles, and I think the show is heading toward something interesting. It's just taking some time to get there.
Pilot Grade: C