Fall TV Roundup, Week 3

We've arrived at the new Fall season for networks. Last night was the beginning of the onslaught, as you'll see below. Buckle up, it's gonna be a wild ride the next couple months. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted (and sometimes unscripted) shows this Fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
Bob Hearts Abishola, Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS (Premiered September 23)
About: Chuck Lorre has created a number of comedies for CBS, and this latest finds Bob (Billy Gardell), who suffers a heart attack as the series begins. And in its wake he takes stock of his life, including falling for his nurse, Nigerian immigrant Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku). This would hardly be the first show to feature an unconventional love story at its heart, but the pilot was a little dry. Gardell found success with Lorre and CBS before in "Mike and Molly," but this one feels like a bit more of a stretch. I enjoyed the lead performances in the pilot, but it's tough to say where this is going. I thought the pilot was more enjoyable than I expected, so we'll see if it can develop into a nice little comedy behind "The Neighborhood" on Monday nights.
Pilot Grade: C

All Rise, Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered on September 23)
About: This latest courtroom drama from CBS stars Simone Missick as Lola Carmichael, a prosecutor who has just become a Superior Court Judge. In the cold open we meet her, learn a bit about her world and her approach to her job in a seemingly wild opening that is about right for all that follows. Missick is a talented actress, and was one of the best parts of "Luke Cage," but this series feels a bit forced, or at least the pilot did at times. The cases seemed a little too much to believe, too. And, often, I felt the whole thing was stiff and had a quality that made me think this will be a stretch for a series. Perhaps episode two will be a little more grounded.
Pilot Grade: C-

Prodigal Son, Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered September 23)
About: This has one of the most wildly ambitious concepts of the Fall, featuring a strong cast led by Tom Payne, Lou Diamond Phillips and Michael Sheen. It's about a Serial Killer, who is caught and remains a presence in the life of his son who, 21 years later, is a profiler set to catch killers. So, yeah, there's a lot going on here. Payne was great on "The Walking Dead," and he's great here. Sheen is also a very talented actor. This feels a bit like a show that wants to be a weekly version of "Manhunter"/"The Silence of the Lambs." How long that will work remains a question, especially since the hook of the pilot is that a copycat is following Sheen's killer profile work. I didn't want to like this show, and I won't go so far as to say I did. But it was pretty interesting, and I liked it more than I expected. I'm curious to see where it goes in episode two.
Pilot Grade: C+

Bluff City Law, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 23)
About: There feels like nothing more cliche than the story of the person who returns home, is offered a job and declines. Like, we know that you're going to come around and accept because there would be no show (or movie) without it.... And yet, "Bluff City Law" leans into this cliche as the first act of its pilot, which feels slow and protracted. But when we finally get to it, this is about a daughter (Caitlin McGee) returning to work with her father (Jimmy Smits) despite their differences in the wake of her mother's death. And they are crusading, Erin Brockovich Style, to save a father dying of cancer after a company callously buried the truth. There's a lot happening here, and a lot of cliches. However, I liked McGee and Smits, and there is something here that might work. I know the title refers to Memphis, but it's one of the oddest of pilot season, which doesn't help. And this hasn't been a great time slot for NBC, despite "The Voice" as a lead in. The pilot was predictable but it was sometimes enjoyable. Episode two will tell the tale of whether this one can rise above the cliches.
Pilot Grade: C+

Wednesday Nights:
AHS: 1984, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on F/X (Premiered September 18)
About: I once wrote a communication essay on the evolution of slasher films, so I've always been somewhat drawn to the genre. "American Horror Story" has been going for quite some time now, and it makes sense that they'd finally put their spin on the slasher genre. In the newest version, "1984," is set at a summer camp where a tragedy befell the counselors years earlier. Now the camp is re-opening, and the killer has escaped a mental hospital just in time to wreak havoc. If you're a fan of the genre, you will recognize the set up to "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween" in the same pilot, which was kind of fun. The cast, which includes Emma Roberts, is decent and I liked the construct of the pilot. I'm also waiting to see how it twists since there wasn't enough runway to make nine more episodes on the typical slasher template after what we saw. Either way, it should be a fun journey.
Pilot Grade: C+

Thursday Nights:
Perfect Harmony, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC (Premiers September 26)
About: Thanks to American Airlines and my flight to South Carolina Sunday, I was able to see this pilot early. And I'm glad I did. I was excited about the potential of this comedy and it dropping on to the NBC Thursday Night slate. The pilot did not disappoint. Bradley Whitford is great in the lead role here, and Anna Camp is great as well. In fact, I really liked the cast and the premise, and I thought it was executed really well. There were plenty of laughs in the pilot and I thought this was really fun. I'm very excited to see where it goes from here.
Pilot Grade: A-