Fall TV Roundup, Week 16


We've reached the 16th and final week of recaps for new fall TV shows. Most places have put new shows on hold for the holiday, but Netflix rolled out a pair of new series on Friday. As always, I have reviews of the pilot and second episode of new scripted series from this fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Streaming Series:
Travelers, Now streaming on Netflix (Debuted December 23)
About: This Canadian series is exclusive to Netflix in the U.S. It stars Eric McCormick as the leader of a group of time travelers. They come from the future where the Earth has been somewhat destroyed by man. As a response, these time travelers are coming back to try and save the future. There's tons of them, all operating independently. But it's how they get here that's fascinating. At the moment someone is set to die, the travelers can enter that person's body and take over their mind, erasing the person who used to be. It's a clever conceit, but one that raises plenty of questions. It gives an interesting set up, though. Most of the pilot was centered on setting up the premise as our main team inhabited their hosts. The second episode followed a first mission and further established their world. This is a series that was more interesting than I expected, and features a strong lead performance from McCormick. There's plenty of potential here for something unique, especially for those who are fans of the genre.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Trollhunters, Now Streaming on Netflix (Debuted December 23)
About: This is an ambitious series from Netflix, a new cartoon from Guillermo Del Toro, based on one of his novels. It's an animated series that features the voice talents of Kelsey Grammar and Steven Yeun, late of "The Walking Dead," among others. But it's also going to be most famous as the final project for Anton Yelchin, who recorded all of his voice lines just before his death. It was important for Del Toro that he kept Yelchin as the star. This series offers 26 episodes for its season, and it remains unclear what will happen with a possible second season. It's a fascinating project for what it is and will likely be fun for its intended audience. Otherwise it's just OK.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

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