Winter TV Roundup, Week 17

 

We’re making our way through April and we’re approaching the summer season, both at the movies and on the small screen. Still, there’s plenty of new series still rolling out. But which should you take the time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter/Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Thursdays:
Mrs. Davis, Streaming Thursdays on Peacock (Premiered April 20)
About: This new series from Peacock comes from writers Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez. It’s broad in scope and unique in style. It involves an artificial intelligence and a quest for the Holy Grail. In fact, the whole thing opens on the original Friday the 13th. Quickly we move to the modern era where we meet a nun named Simone (Betty Gilpin). She’s one of the only people on Earth that refuses to engage with Mrs. Davis, the artificial intelligence that’s helping change the world. That, naturally, makes Simone the top target for Mrs. Davis. Soon, she finds herself on a quest with a major potential reward. Gilpin is great here and the writing is solid. The first four episodes dropped Thursday, with subsequent episodes in the eight-episode season dropping weekly. The cast is solid, and the premise is unique. There’s some humor, some action and a larger search for meaning. This feels like something that is a hallmark of Lindelof’s past work. Peacock is having a solid new development year, and this is another strong addition. I enjoyed the first two episodes and I look forward to seeing where this journey will take us.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Fridays:
Drops of God, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV+ (Premiered April 21)
About: This new series from Apple TV+ is set in the world of wine, and also based on the popular Manga. It’s a story of two people drawn together by a competition. Camille (Fleur Geffrier) is drawn to Tokyo by her father’s death. They were estranged and at the will reading, she meets Issei (Tomohisa Yamashita), her father’s best student. Her father knew wine and amassed one of the most valuable collections in the world. In order to gain it, Camille and Issei will be put through three blind tests. Can they name the wine? Issei is struggling to get his business going despite his family’s objection. Camille, meanwhile, can’t drink alcohol without a violent reaction. Both, however, must find a way to persist. The first two episodes of this series, which is told in French, English and Japanese, among other languages, dropped Friday. The rest of this eight-episode first season drops weekly, with each episode around the one-hour mark. I am not a big wine person, but this series won me over. In particular, I was drawn to Camille and her journey. Geffrier does a beautiful job of bringing her to life. This is a fascinating and compelling journey; one I can’t wait to see completed.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Sundays:
Waco: The Aftermath, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered April 16)
About: This follow up to the Waco mini-series flows in two modes, following the aftermath trail and flashing back to how David Koresh got his start. Michael Shannon, as an FBI agent, takes the lead on the future portions while Keean Johnson is a young David Koresh. The episodes aren’t long, and the second episode certainly made inroads toward the future events in Oklahoma City and the larger issue of domestic terrorism. If you enjoyed the first series, this will be a welcome follow up addition. It isn’t incredible on its own, but it’s a short commitment in terms of episodes and episodes, with just a six-episode run.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
The Diplomat, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered April 20)
About: This new drama series on Netflix features Keri Russell as a young American State Department employee who is promoted to Ambassador. While she’s ready for a small post in the Middle East, she ends up getting sent to the United Kingdom in the midst of an international crisis. Can she handle it, and can she handle the behind-the-scenes drama about her potential future in politics? This is a different kind of series for Netflix, a sharply written and acted drama. Russell is great in the lead role and the cast is solid, too. The season is eight episodes, each under an hour, making for a quick binge. And the story provides a strong enough hook to keep you engaged and interesting in finishing the journey. This is one of the more engaging pilots I’ve seen this year.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B+

Dead Ringers, Now Streaming on Prime Video (Premiered April 21)
About: Based on the film from director David Cronenberg and the novel from Bari Wood. It centers on twin sisters, who are obstetricians with a strong connection and a wildly reckless approach to their personal lives. Rachel Weisz stars in the dual role of Elliot and Beverly Mantle in this limited series, which closely follows the story as laid out in the prior film, which found Jeremy Irons in that lead role. The production values are solid while the series has a dark under current in terms of story and the way it’s told. Overall, fans of the genre will likely be pleased, especially those who enjoyed the movie. It’s a six-episode series, each at least an hour, but all are now available to stream. A warning, the series is graphic at times in terms of its depictions of birth and sexual content.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Slip, Now Streaming on Roku (Premiered April 21)
About: This new comedy comes from Zoe Lister Jones, who is the creator, star and director of the series. We’ve seen a number of approaches to the idea time travel, alternate realities and the sliding door principal. This is another project in that realm. Mae (Lister Jones) is stuck in a rut. She’s thriving in her career, but her marriage has grown stale. One night, following an event, she goes home with a charming musician. After a wild night of passion that brings her some firsts, she wakes up in a completely different life. She’s married to that musician and the rest of her life is chaos. But one thing remains true, her relationship is on the rocks. Can she find her way back to her original life? Does she even want that? This seven-episode comedy series is an original for Roku, the streaming platform best known for hosting other platform apps. It’s a broad swing and at times it works OK. I enjoy Lister Jones as a performer and creator. But this is a concept it seems we’ve seen too many times and there wasn’t enough catchy here to make it a must watch. It's an interesting swing, but it’s the kind of series that’s apt to get lost in this mega era of content.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C