Fall TV Roundup, Week 14

 

We're into December and winding down on 2020's new offerings, but we're not done yet. So let these weekly posts be your guide. In these posts 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:
Nurses, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 7)
About: This is the second series that NBC has brought in from Canada that's a medical series. This one is about nurses in Toronto, and the pilot is a lot. We get a terrorist act, an unexpected pregnancy, a nurse asked to convince a parent to donate a brain dead child's organs, and a secret affair. And that's just the pilot. I didn't mind the cast or the idea, but it did feel like a lot for the pilot and I'm not sure the show was quite good enough to carry that, so we'll see.
Pilot Grade: C

Sunday Nights:
Your Honor, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered December 6)
About: This latest series is about a well regarded judge (Bryan Cranston) whose son kills a boy in a hit-and-run accident. Given the victim and the danger, the judge gives up on a life and career of upholding the law to help protect and save his son. The pilot introduced the characters and set up the major incident that will frame the narrative. Cranston is good, and the narrative in the pilot is solid. I like the supporting cast, which includes Michael Stuhlbarg, who we don't see much in the pilot. There's some strong potential here with this 10-episode limited series.
Pilot Grade: B+

Streaming Series:
Selena The Series, now streaming on Netflix (Premiered December 3)
About: This new scripted series tracks the life of the iconic singer Selena, who was murdered in 1995. The interest in the Tejano singer hasn't waned over the years, and this series covers her life and rise to fame, focusing on her family. Christian Serratos plays the singer as an older teen/young adult, and the episodes run around 40-45 minutes. The first couple episodes moved at a decent clip, and if you're interested in this story it will work pretty well. But if you're not caught up in the history here, this might feel like just another rise to fame story.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

The Hardy Boys, now streaming on Hulu (Premiered December 3)
About: The famous teen boy detectives are back with an all new and reimagined story. This one is set in a somewhat modern timeline and follows a big case over the whole season. Episodes run less than an hour and the full 13-episode season is available. This isn't a property that needed to be re-made again, but it's not bad. I've watched the first four and the central mystery, and all its branches, are interesting, and episodes flow at a good pace. It's not great, but it's an easy and entertaining enough watch.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+