Fall TV Roundup, Week 15

 

Just over a week until Christmas and a little over two weeks until 2021. We're nearing the end of our journey through new content for 2020 is slowing to a trickle. There are just a couple "new" scripted series before the end of the year. But as we transition to vacation and holidays, you're probably trying to decide what new offerings to try. 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:
Nurses, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 7)
About: This new series, the second medical series imported from Canada this Fall while we await "New Amsterdam," will migrate to Tuesday nights in the new year. But for now we have been introduced to these new nurses, seen a handful of cases, and been given a chance to evaluate if we think it's worth investing. To this point, I think the series is OK, with some mildly compelling characters and a lot of stories that feel like cliche stories I've seen many, many times. This one lacks a compelling central character for me, and a real hook. It feels OK, but it's fair to wonder if it will maintain an audience once we get the more traditional network shows back en mass in January.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Sunday Nights:
Your Honor, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered December 6)
About: This one centers on Bryan Cranston as a respected judge in New Orleans whose son kills a boy in a car versus motorcycle accident and flees the scene. The judge is forced to set aside a career upholding truth and the law in order to protect his son, who accidentally killed a crime lord's (Michael Stuhlbarg) son. The first episode laid out the players and captured the incident. The second episode upped the stakes and complicated the plot. Turns out those used to upholding the law aren't great at breaking it, and now a third party is caught up in the plot. This deepens the hole and one can only imagine where this will lead, not to mention the guilt that is weighing on both father and son as they try to live with the crime and those who will unfairly pay the price. This is a well acted and produced series. It's dark, and I believe it's heading toward darker ends, but there is something compelling in the production and, particularly, in the work of Cranston. This is one that is worth sticking with at this point.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
The Wilds, Now Streaming on Amazon Prime (Premiered December 11)
About: This series wants to be "LOST," but it feels a bit more like "Gossip Girl" half the time. It begins with a group of girls on a private plane headed to a women's empowerment weekend. When the plane has issues, they all wake up in the ocean or on the beach of a private island in the middle of no where. And they have to set aside differences--and the issues they had at home--to try and survive. The thing is, we know a few, if not many, do. The series is told in sets of flashbacks as the survivors are interviewed by authorities. In the first two episodes we meet different survivors, who fill in the pieces of life on the island as well as life before the plane took flight. It gives the show more of a teen drama feel than we got on "LOST," despite a somewhat similar kind of set up. This is also a little like "Lord of the Flies," only with girls trapped on an island and trying to establish a pecking order. All this should provide some intriguing drama, but honestly I wasn't sold on the characters or the story--even the attempt throw in a few wrinkles--through two episodes. All 10 episodes are available on Amazon Prime right now, and some will likely feel hooked, but I think there are other options better to pursue.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Tiny Pretty Things, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered December 14)
About: This latest drama follows students as an intensive ballet prep school. It begins with a mysterious and dark event that brings in a new student, who vies for attention among other students, some from elite families facing pressure from parents. There is a LOT of sex, a LOT of drama and a few hints about some deeper mysteries. The presence of a veteran actor, like Lauren Holly, is meant to add some gravitas, I suspect, but most of the characters simply remain at the level of cliche. The story isn't incredibly interesting or compelling, and the characters all feel flat. All 10 episodes are available, with most running around an hour. This one tries to use an appealing hook to grab viewers, but it doesn't work.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-