Fall TV Roundup, Week 8

 


We're near the beginning of November, and a number of shows will roll out in the next four to five weeks. Let these weekly posts be your guide to new content this Fall. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. This is a shorter one since there were only a couple new additions this week!

Sunday Nights:
The Undoing, Sundays at 7 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 25)
About: The latest Sunday night series for HBO is the mini-series "The Undoing," which was originally scheduled for May but pushed to the Fall. The series is based on the novel from Jean Hanff Korelitz, and was adapted for television by David E. Kelley. It stars Nicole Kidman as a successful mother and therapist, living happily with her doctor husband (Hugh Grant) in New York City. They seem to have a good life, but soon she meets a new mother at her son's school and strange events happen. Then a tragedy befalls the woman and suddenly Grace (Kidman) is caught up in the investigation as her husband is no where to be found. That's how the pilot leaves things with this six-episode event series that will carry through the end of November. Kidman and Grant are strong here, and there's a solid supporting cast. The pilot felt a bit odd and slow at times (I never read the novel), but I was intrigued by where it ended up and how it all might come together. This feels like a low-barrier commitment for a well produced product, and I'm interested to see how it builds in episode two.
Pilot: C+

Streaming Series:
The Queen's Gambit, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 23)
About: This mini-series is based on the novel of the same name from Walter Tevis and was adapted as a mini-series by Scott Frank, who directed each of the episodes. It tells the fictional story of a chess prodigy, Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), who goes from orphan to grand master while battling emotional issues and addiction. Taylor-Joy is quite good, and this one has a strong supporting cast that includes Bill Camp, Harry Melling and Marielle Heller. The style and production here is strong, and I enjoyed the first few episodes. (I've now seen five of the seven in the series.) I think this one is fascinated and well acted, a great showcase for the versatile talent of Taylor-Joy.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

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