Summer TV Roundup, Week 17


As we make our way toward September, we're seeing the Summer TV offerings wind down. But the new shows aren't completely gone. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesday Nights:
Carter, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on WGN America (Premiered August 7)
About: This latest series for WGN is a co-production with Canada. It's about an actor (Jerry O'Connell) who, after years of playing a detective on TV, returns to his small home town and gets invited to be an actual detective with the police department. The pilot set up the characters and world, and the second episode settled into the template for the series. O'Connell is a good lead, and affable, but there's not a lot compelling about the series. I've heard it described as a more police procedural version of "The Grinder," the short-lived FOX sitcom. That's somewhat fair, but this one has less humor. It isn't bad if you're in the mood for some light entertainment in the Dog Days of Summer. And its procedural format ensures you can drop in and out based on the case and availability. I liked the episodes OK, but just didn't find them compelling enough to keep me coming back, even in the midst of the slower summer period.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered September 7)
About: As I said last week, with these sports anthology shows featuring a different team each season you need compelling personalities (or a fan rooting interest) to really get hooked. While I thought the pilot episode was light on compelling stories and personalities, the second episode really got me. These Browns have some scrappy guys that you want to pull for, and I thought the second episode was far more engaging. I am all in and might just have to watch some Browns games this season.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B

Streaming Series:
Disenchantment, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered August 17)
About: This new series from Netflix comes from Matt Groening, who created "The Simpsons" and "Futurama." He brings a similar animated style and sense of humor to this Netflix tale about a maligned princess (Abbi Jacobson), a wayward elf (Nat Faxon) and a demon (Eric Andre). The three form an unlikely posse and try to navigate life, and some crazy adventures, in the Kingdom of Dreamland, which is anything but a dream for these three and most of the others who live there. This is a different kind of series for Netflix, which is in the business of building a broad and vast content library that can appeal to everyone. This one will likely have its fans, but I watched the first two episodes of the first season (which spans 10 episodes) and I couldn't get into it. There's plenty of talent involved, but the episodes felt a little long and didn't draw me in.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

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