Winter TV Roundup, Week 19

We're nearly to May, but we're still getting new Winter/Spring TV offerings. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series during the back half of the TV Season. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
Gentleman Jack, Mondays at 10 a.m. on HBO (Premiered April 22)
About: HBO has long had a strong presence on Sunday nights. Of late, they're looking to expand their original content to Monday nights, too. In this new one, Suranne Jones stars as Anne Lister, who returns to her home in West Yorkshire in 1832 and makes a splash. The pilot laid out the world and the characters, including Lister's different way of looking at the world that made her a curiosity in the male-dominated culture of the time. Jones is quite good in the role, and those who like period pieces and these kind of stories will likely be drawn to the narrative. However, the first episode was a bit dry and if this isn't your favorite genre, then it might not hook you in.
Pilot Grade: C

Tuesday Nights:
Bless This Mess, Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiered April 16)
About: This new comedy starring Dax Shepard and Lake Bell features a couple who decide to give up their fast-paced life in the city for life at a farm in Iowa. Yes, you read that correctly. Bell and Shepard are talented performers and there is some potential for fun here. The pilot moved at a good pace and seemed to set the story up well. The question is how much faith ABC has in the comedy, given its premiere date and the fact there are only six episodes in the season. It's also fair to wonder how this premise will be sustained over the long haul, or if this will morph into a more small town family comedy. The pilot wasn't perfect, but it was entertaining and left me intrigued.
Pilot Grade: C+

Fosse/Verdon, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on F/X (Premiered April 9)
About: This docudrama is about the fraught relationship between Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams serve in the lead roles, and the series tracks their decades long relationship, which included romance, marriage and a productive creative partnership. The first episode seemed to focus on Fosse, specifically the time he spent making "Cabaret," perhaps his most famous film. The second episode focused more on Verdon, and her work on "Damn Yankees," the production where they met and came together. The performances are good, but the story still jumps around too much for my liking, and I wasn't hooked by the narrative. This is a project that is impressive in scope, but ultimately for more of a niche audience.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
Ramy, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered April 19)
About: This latest comedy from Hulu focuses on comedian Ramy Youssef, who plays a young Muslim man trying to balance his faith with life in contemporary America. Ramy is a decent lead and comedian, and this is the kind of show that will give a voice to a certain segment of America. The first two episodes flowed at a decent pace, seeming to touch on issues relevant to that community. For a broader audience, this might not hold the appeal it will for those that can more closely identify with the issues tackled by the main characters. But it's great that streaming platforms like Hulu exist to give these stories a chance to be told.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Lunatics, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered April 19)
About: This is a new comedy from Netflix that features comedian Chris Lilley, who plies his writing and characters to this new mockumentary series on a set of many different quirky characters, half of whom are women. This is meant to be really funny, but there is little about this I found appealing. Maybe I don't understand Australian culture well enough,  but this just didn't work. It was a chore to watch and completely unappealing in terms of characters and story. And at over 30 minutes each, the episodes feel overly long for this type of comedy.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: D