Fall TV Roundup, Week 5

We're in early October and the onslaught of new series is in full swing. This week The CW joins the fray. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new series this fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
9JKL, Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS (Premiered October 2)
About: It's fair to wonder how the CBS comedy block on Mondays is going to fair in a few weeks when "The Big Bang Theory" moves back to Thursday nights. Veteran "Kevin Can Wait" isn't strong, and "Superior Doughnuts" didn't have a huge following last year. Then there's the new shows. "Me, Myself, and I" slid in its few weeks on the air. But "9JKL" might be the true weak spot. I mentioned last week that I didn't care for much of anything about the pilot. Shockingly, the second episode was possibly worse. It wasn't funny, the pacing was off, and the storytelling was painful. This is easily the worst of the new shows I've seen so far in the fall of 2017, and that's saying something.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: F

The Gifted, Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered October 2)
About: This series, set in the world of the X-Men but not featuring any of the famous characters from the movies, is the latest attempt by FOX to get a big viewer number by playing into the superhero craze. It's a saturated market, though. FOX already has a couple series based on comic books, ABC does, too, and CW has most of its lineup devoted to superhero stories. So that's a lot to compete with, which requires a show to stand out. "The Gifted" offered two solid episodes to start, building a world while referencing the familiar. And fans of the "X-Men" franchise will likely be somewhat interested. unlike this fall's other new superhero series, "Inhumans," which was a dud, this one has some promise. But it's a long way from great and compelling. And there comes the challenge in this saturated market. I like the genre and the idea, so I'm willing to give it a couple more hours to develop. Other casual viewers might not be a as willing. This show isn't bad, but it isn't yet great or compelling, and just being OK isn't enough to find and maintain a strong audience in this crowded TV environment.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C

Valor, Mondays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 9)
About: This is the third of the new fall series that has a heavy military combat theme, joining "The Brave" on NBC and "Seal Team" on CBS. But this isn't done the same way as those series. The idea is similar. This one centers on a pair of special forces helicopter pilots who survive a harrowing mission where fellow soldiers were left behind and there is more to the story than first appeared. Now the pilots are going to be part of a rescue mission, but they still don't trust the story given to their superiors. That, of course, is the serious side of the plot. Being a CW show, this is also a series about pretty young people having wild relations, and there's a complicated love triangle. And that was all in the pilot! Gotta hit the demo, of course. While I'm sort of making light of it, that's to be expected from the CW. Did I mention that the lead pilot is an attractive young woman who is at the center of the love triangle between two fellow soldiers? And she's the first, and only, female combat pilot. So, yeah, a lot's going on here. That being said, I was more interested in the basic story hook of "Valor" than the other two military shows, even if I didn't love some of the way the pilot was put together. The question is how it proceeds from here.
Pilot Grade: C+

Tuesday Nights:
The Mayor, Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 3)
About: This new comedy, starring Brandon Michael Hall, as a young rapper who runs for Mayor of a small California town as a means of boosting his profile. A funny thing happens along the way, he is authentic and understands the problems of the community more than most and ends up winning the election. Then, of course, he's forced to actually figure out how to be the Mayor. I thought this seemed like an interesting idea, and it was one of the shows I most eagerly anticipated this fall. And the pilot delivered. I like Hall in the main role, and Lea Michelle as his Chief of Staff and Yvette Nicole Brown as his mother were also quite good. I really enjoyed the pilot and I'm hoping this series can keep it up. This is one of the best new shows I've see so far this fall.
Pilot Grade: A-

Kevin (Probably) Saves The World, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 3)
About: This is the show that probably generated the most questions heading into the fall. The trailer was interesting, but how would the show work? Then the pilot was re-cast and re-shot in part, which isn't a great sign. Still, I liked the talent involved, especially Jason Ritter and JoAnna Garcia Swisher in the lead roles. I watched the pilot and I'll admit there is a lot going on here. That being said, it was also an engrossing and delightful hour of TV in a lot of ways. It wasn't perfect, and given the odd nature of the story there is still plenty of time for this to head off the rails. (In fact, I couldn't help but wonder if it would have made a good, self-contained movie). But I think there's some promise here, and it's something different than what's on TV. So I'm feeling a little hopeful at this point.
Pilot Grade: B

Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 26)
About: This is the latest iteration of the "Law & Order" franchise, one devoted to true crime cases. This isn't a bad idea, and it could work. But this case isn't that interesting, and its characters aren't that interesting. At least not through the first two episodes. There wasn't enough here to keep me hooked. Edie Falco is a good performer, and she elevates this material, but it's not enough. The best true crime series aren't solely focused on the crimes and the trials. There are larger than life personalities and interesting cultural issues being explored. That feels missing from this fairly straightforward treatment. I could see this series working better for another case, but this iteration just doesn't have it. Even an eight-episode season feels too long.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Wednesday Nights:
Seal Team, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered September 27)
About: This series probably gives you everything you'd expect if you're a typical CBS viewer. There's a straightforward plot of the week and plenty of flag waving patriotism. In the pilot, what interested me most was the possible exploration of the deep personal cost for these Seals. It wasn't featured enough in the pilot, and scaled back even more in the second episode. This feels like the Navy Seals version of "Criminal Minds" at this point, with a team and a mission each week, and the occasional peek into the personal lives of the central characters. That's fine, I guess, but it wasn't a compelling hook for me. This kind of a story feels better as a feature film, or a highly serialized personal story, rather than a more procedural format. It felt dull despite the material, and I didn't think there was strong enough character development through the first two weeks.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Liar, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Sundance (Premiered September 27)
About: This one has a strong cast and an interesting premise. Two single people have a great night out that ends with romance. One wakes up the next morning excited about a great date and a new relationship. One wakes up believing she was raped. Both are utterly convincing in their beliefs about the night, but someone is lying. Who is it? Through two episodes, we're not really much closer to answering that question. If this was a cable series that aired during the thin summer months, I could see sticking it out to get to the answer. But given the crowded TV landscape, decisions have to be made. I like the cast and the basic idea, and I enjoyed the pilot presentation. But episode two was a little dull, and I wasn't hooked enough to make time for yet another series.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Thursday Nights:
Will & Grace, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 28)
About: This isn't a new show, per se, but rather the continuation of a series that hit its prime in the early 2000s and ended its run in 2006. The pilot spent some time undoing that series finale to be able to continue the show as it had been, then spent a protracted time taking shots at the Trump administration. It felt cheap and easy, and not like something you're looking for when you flip on a sitcom. (Though, to be honest, I wasn't a fan of the original show and it might always have been this political.) The second episode settles into more of a familiar rhythm, but the jokes felt a little stale and like the structure from a bygone era. And the episode, once again, devolved into a long political statement, this time about the history of the fight for equality in the gay community. I'm not the target audience for this, clearly, but I also can't help but wonder if those flaws are the reason this episode dropped a full ratings point. Maybe this is what fans wanted when the show came back, but I'm out after two flaccid half hours.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Ghost Wars, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered October 5)
About: SyFy has been going hard in original content in recent years, and "Ghost Wars" is just the latest addition to their Prime Time collection. This one comes with some stars, as the series features Vincent D'Onofrio and Meat Loaf, and was timed well to premier in October, the month of Halloween. This plays a bit more like a horror series than a sci-fi series, per se, but the pilot was a bit too confusing and flat to really matter. There might be the germ of a good idea here, but it didn't work for me. This feels like a niche audience series, so it might work in that sense. But the pilot was not compelling.
Pilot Grade: D

Sunday Nights:
Wisdom of the Crowd, Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS (Premiered October 1)
About: This is the latest series about a tech billionaire who tries to save the world after a personal tragedy. This one is about a Social Media app developer who turns his product into a crowd sourcing crime solving app in the wake of the death of his daughter. I talked about my issues with the pilot and the ideas the series fronts, and the second episode didn't make it any better. Were it not for "9JKL," this would be the worst new show I've see this fall. That's not a compliment. The second episode was so dry I fell asleep in the middle and had to come back to it. Not a great sign.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: D

Ghosted, Sundays at 8:30 p.m. on FOX (Premiered October 1)
About: This FOX comedy is a buddy sort of "X-Files" light about a pair of guys (Craig Robinson and Adam Scott) that form an unlikely team working for a secret government agency to battle supernatural crime. The pilot was OK, and quirky enough to have some charm. I wasn't wild about all aspects, but I was curious to see where it would go. The second episode was oddly a Halloween themed episode a few weeks early. (I'm wondering if they'll be off the air for baseball soon). But it felt like a bit much for a second episode, and the story felt a little too repetitive, as did the jokes. I like the cast, and the idea isn't bad, but it wasn't clever enough to develop a good hook.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C

10 Days in the Valley, Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 1)
About: This serialized crime drama features Kyra Sedgwick's return to series TV. I like her, but I wish she had better material. This show is about a writer/producer for a TV series whose daughter goes missing. It seems to be tracking in a slowed down pace (each episode taking place over a day in the investigation). She originally thought her estranged ex-husband grabbed the girl (and I'm not ruling him out), but it's clear by the end of the second episode she's been kidnapped. But why, and by who? That's what the series is about. But through two plodding episodes, I just don't care. There's simultaneously a lot going on here (including a lot of potential shady suspects) and not enough happening. I feel like no progress was made in two hours, and I don't really care about the red herring cliffhangers that the show is throwing out. This is a noble attempt, but a real misfire.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

White Famous, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiers October 15)
About: This new Showtime comedy premiers on Sunday, but the first episode is available now for free online. It stars Jay Pharoah, formerly of "Saturday Night Live," as an actor and comedian trying to achieve a new level of fame in Hollywood. It's based in part of the career of Jamie Foxx, who serves as a producer and was a guest star in the premier. It also comes from producer Tom Kapinos, who was one of the creative forces behind "Californication," the long-running comedy on Showtime. I wasn't a fan of that show and its crass storytelling style. I feel like that's part of what fed into my read on "White Famous," which I found uneven and tedious. The pilot didn't work for me at all, and if it's a template for the series I can't see myself buying in.
Pilot Grade: D