Fall TV Roundup, Week 6

 

We're in the midst of October, and a groundswell of new content. With the Network premiers right around the corner, it will only get busier. Let these weekly posts be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
Soulmates, Mondays at 10 p.m. on AMC (Premiered October 5)
About: This six-episode anthology series is set in the near future where the gene for the soul has been uncovered, allowing people to take a test to find out who in the world is there perfect match. This opens a sort of Pandora's Box for many. While a bit of a downer, I loved the performances in the pilot. This second episode was intriguing because it was more of a straightforward revenge tale that unfolds through the guise of this twist in the world. It isn't really about the test or the twist in the world. It's well done, but it was also something of a downer. I have a feeling all of them will be, so you have to consider if you want to make that kind of commitment in this sort of heavy season.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Tuesday Nights:
Swamp Thing, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 6)
About: The CW is choosing to, mostly, fill this Fall with shows that previously aired elsewhere. "Swamp Thing" was an original series created for the D.C. Streaming service, and now it's making its network debut. This isn't exactly like the network's other superhero stories, as this one is a little darker and a little less main stream. The pilot, which is around a solid hour of content, debuted over 90 minutes last week. It was OK, but a lot of set up as the titular Swamp Thing doesn't really appear until the end. It was fine, but not overly compelling. Hopefully episode two will be more of an attention graber.
Pilot Grade: C

Next, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered October 6)
About: This is another FOX series that was meant to debut in the Spring that was held for Fall given the challenges of the time of COVID. This one stars John Slattery as a computer programmer who believes a project he once helped create might have gotten free in the world. This advanced A.I. threatens to upend the world as we know it. The pilot got through the set up, and it was OK. It's hard to say if it's going to develop into anything great, but that's likely why it was held in the first place.
Pilot Grade: C

Wednesday Nights:
Devils, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 7)
About: This is another CW series to fill the Fall, this one an import from England starring Patrick Dempsey. It focuses on a worldwide financial conspiracy is discovered by a group of traders of a large investment bank and is based on the novel by Guido Maria Brera. I thought the pilot was uneven and dull, and I have a hard time seeing how this is going to develop into a compelling series. The pilot didn't work for me, but we'll see what episode two brings.
Pilot Grade: C-

Thursday Nights:
Connected, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered October 8)
About: This new sitcom is set in the time of COVID, taking things back to the early days, and focuses on a group of friends who stay connected through Zoom meetings. If you're over the days of being locked up in your house in March and Zoom meetings, this won't be for you. In fact, the early part of the pilot was ROUGH. Then it transitioned to a nurse sharing about the conditions in New York and it was overly emotional, but not funny. So as a comedy, this didn't work for me. We're going to want to remember this time and have a commentary on this time, but for now "Connected" feels too close to the events and not the right venue for exploring this time. It's interesting to see media groups getting creative, but this feels like a misfire.
Pilot Grade: D

Sunday Nights:
Good Lord Bird, Sundays at 9 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered October 4)
About: This one, based on a novel, centers on John Brown (Ethan Hawke) during his efforts in Bleeding Kanas in 1858, the events that helped lead up to the Civil War. Hawke is incredible here, and the show is put together pretty well. The pilot was a lot to take, but the second episode was really dry. I reflected on why it worked less, and realized it's because Hawke is, mostly, not present. When he appears during the final act, it works really well. But overall, this show doesn't quite work for me. I like the idea and, again, Hawke is amazing. I love the time period, too. But there's something about this story and the style that didn't quite connect for me.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC (Premiered October 4)
About: The second "Walking Dead" spin-off is set 10 years after the outbreak and focuses on four teens who came of age in the new world. They've set off on a mission, the first time they've really encountered the broken world. It turns out that saved them from trouble at the idyllic home they'd known, while a pair of more experienced friends seeks to catch up with them. The first two episodes of this 10-episode first season have mostly been about establishing the characters and world. That includes flashbacks to see where all our main characters were when the world fell apart. It's been a bit slow moving and slow to develop the plot and connections, but I like the idea here. The pilot was more engaging than the second episode, but there's enough here for me to want to see where this is going.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
Code 404, Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered October 8)
About: Peacock continues to bring new shows that are purchased from overseas. This one focuses on a pair of detectives, Daniel Mays and Stephen Graham. One is killed (Mays) in the line of duty and, a year later, is brought back to live thanks to new technology. Now he tries to slip back into his old life and job, but it's not without challenges. This one is a comedy, running about a half an hour, and has a six episode first season. I watched the first two and wasn't taken with it. This one felt pretty dull, and is another odd grab for the new streaming service.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: D

The Haunting of Bly Manor, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 9)
About: This comes from Mike Flanagan, who adapted "The Haunting of Hill House," another tale of a haunting that includes a number of the same actors, including Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Victoria Pedretti. This one takes place at a manor in England, and has a similar kind of structure. I like the cast and the idea, and it's ideally timed for right around Halloween. But this one doesn't have the hook of "Hill House," and through the three episodes that I've watched it it's quite as compelling. Maybe it will pick up. I liked the idea of another round, but like sometimes happens with anthology series, this one doesn't work as well.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

The Right Stuff, Now Streaming on Disney+ (Premiered October 9)
About: This is a series that covers the same ground, and shares a title, with the 1983 movie of the same name. It is focused on the Mercury 7 astronauts and features a solid cast, including Patrick J. Adams and Jake McDorman, among others. The series was originally ordered for Nat Geo, but was shifted to Disney+ and gives the streamer a high profile original series. The first two episodes dropped on Friday, with new episodes dropping weekly, as is their custom with original series. I thought the pilot was engaging as it introduced the people and the world. By contrast, the second episode moved a little slower and was more about churning through some plot. Still, this feels like a well-produced series that covers an interesting topic. I'm excited to see where it goes.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+