Summer TV Roundup, Week 4

We're past Memorial Day, and that means that the summer slate is heating up. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episodes of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
The Hot Zone, Airing nightly at 9 p.m. on NatGeo (Premiered May 27)
About: This limited series airs over three nights beginning last night (Memorial Day). The six-episode series looks at the origin and reaction to Ebola landing on U.S. shores in 1989, mere miles from the Capital in Washington, D.C. The show features a large cast that includes Noah Emmerich, Topher Grace, Liam Cunningham and James D'Arcy, and it's led by Julianna Margulies, who plays Col. Nancy Jax, a researcher who uncovered the outbreak and tried to contain it. The pilot and second episode, which aired Monday, both begin in Africa in the past, showing how some of these virulent strains were first discovered. That adds a component of history and intrigue to the drama. Margulies is great in the lead role, and the whole cast does a nice job. The first two episodes were very compelling and I'm excited to see how this limited series plays out.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Tuesday Nights:
Blood & Treasure, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered May 21)
About: As we move into summer we start to get the summer programming on the networks. That means reality competitions, game shows and, of course, lighter summer series. "Blood & Treasure" is that kind of show, meant to be a fun, light-hearted adventure. It starts with the discovery of a treasure, and quickly moves to a kidnapping and a globe-spanning search. That has the makings of being a fun summer kind of adventure in the vein of movies like "The Mummy" and "National Treasure," unfortunately the first two episodes felt more like the Tom Cruise version of "The Mummy." There was potential here, but I couldn't get into the narrative or the characters. I had hopes, but this feels like the kind of show that got shelved to summer to hide it.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Streaming Series:
What/If, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered May 25)
About: This new anthology series from Mike Kelley ("Revenge") takes a look at the consequences when people make a decision that ripples out into their lives. This first one focuses on a wealthy woman (Renee Zelweger) who offers to invest in a bio company if the founder (Jane Levy) is willing to give a night with her husband (Blake Jenner). If this sounds an awful lot like "Indecent Proposal," it's meant to. In fact, the pilot even makes a joking reference to that subject. There is a solid cast here and a nice look to the production, but I wasn't at all taken with the story (despite the obvious mystery being built in) and the characters. This was a glossy miss for me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-