Fall TV Roundup, Week 12

 

Thanksgiving week is here, and yet it's still a time when network premiers are rolling out. So, too, are streaming premiers and specials. So in this crowded landscape, let this weekly post 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:
Black Narcissus, Monday at 8 p.m. on F/X (Premiered November 23)
About: F/X kicked off Thanksgiving week by airing this limited series, based on the 1939 novel and a re-make of the classic film, all in one night. Now it's all streaming on Hulu, which carries all original F/X programming. This one focuses on a group of nuns that try to convert an abandoned palace with a tragic history into a convent. The site is located in a remote and hostile region of the Himalaya mountains, and there the ambitious leader (Gemma Arterton) struggles to adapt, as her charges struggle in general. All of it forces her to confront her past and others to confront their desires, sometimes with dire circumstances. This is a cold, sometimes slow, and mentally grueling experience. It reminds me a little of the dower three-part take on "A Christmas Carol" that F/X offered in 2019. The acting is good, and the production is solid, but this definitely won't get you in the holiday mood. It might, however, make you thankful to not be at a Himalayan convent.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Tuesday Nights:
Big Sky, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered November 17)
About: This latest drama series was adapted by David E. Kelley from the novel by C.J. Box and focuses on the search for a missing girl. The pilot introduces the world and the characters, and also a bit of the twist that will be coming to the structure. It features a pretty strong cast, including Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury and John Carroll Lynch. I won't go into much detail because it would ruin some of the twists in the pilot. Suffice to say the show ends with a big reveal that changes a bit of what you think of the pilot before it. The setting in Montana is nice and the look is strong. I think there's potential here, but this will no doubt be a creepy story. I liked the pilot and I'm curious to see where it goes.
Pilot Grade: B-

Streaming Series:
The Liberator, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered November 11)
About: This four-episode limited series tells the true story of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. The unique twist here is that the story is told in a photo-realistic style of animation used in some adult animated series and films. It works well here, and this is compelling as a story of men braving adverse conditions in World War II. It was ideally timed with Veterans' Day but is still worth checking out.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

I Hate Suzie, Now Streaming on HBO Max (Premiered November 19)
About: This comedy features Billie Piper, who helped co-create it. It's a comedy about an aging singer (Piper) who was once a hot, up-and-coming prospect. Now her life isn't what she'd once hoped and, as the series begins, it's about to get worse when her phone is hacked and revealing photos are released to the public. This puts a dent in her marriage and in her life, and she has to scramble to figure out how to get things back on track. Piper is a talented performer, and she does a nice job at times here, but I didn't care for the story in the first two episodes. This is probably a show that plays best for a certain kind of audience.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Animaniacs, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered November 20)
About: This animated series, which originally ran from 1993 to 1998, is back. The original team and voice actors have returned, and now more than 20 years later this adult cartoon is back to skewer current events, pop culture, and provide some laughs. If you liked the "Animaniacs" in the 1990s, you'll be pleased to see them back, as irreverent and fun as ever. This might also indoctrinate a new generation. But if you didn't like the style back in the day, you probably still won't be pleased. The complete 13-episode first season is up, each running about a half an hour.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+