Fall TV Roundup, Week 5

 


We’re into October and it’s clear the tide of new shows remains steady but smaller than in previous years. But what of the new options are worth checking out? 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.

Tuesdays:
Found, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered October 3)
About: This is a traditional network series that was originally set for last Spring but was held. Turns out to be a good thing for NBC, as it gives them another option for a Fall that’s thin for most of the networks. The series focuses on Gabi (Shanola Hampton) who is the lead of a team that finds missing and kidnapped people. Gabi is uniquely suited to lead this team as she was once a kidnapping victim who escaped. Through flashbacks, we see her experience with her captor (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). The series follows a traditional formula with a case-of-the-week and offers a long-term story that, in this case comes with quite the twist. I don’t know how I feel about the twist and what it will mean for the series long-term. The pilot worked decently with a solid cast and a solid premise. But it’s the twist that will come to define this as a long-term project. We’ll see how it plays out in Week 2.
Pilot Grade: C+

Wednesdays:
Sullivan’s Crossing, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 4)
About: The CW has had a full slate of new programming owing to importing series from other countries. In this case, the new Wednesday night lineup features a pair of dramas from Canada. In this first one, Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) who is a brilliant surgeon about to win an award. Turns out her business partner was involved in some shady dealings, leading to her arrest and a crushing blow to her reputation. With her life in tatters, she heads to stay with her estranged father (Scott Patterson) in Nova Scotia. But can she make it work and find a way to start over? This new series follows a familiar pattern for long-time CW viewers. The presence of Patterson (Gilmore Girls) and Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill) will likely appeal to American audiences, too. The pilot was OK. There wasn’t enough character development and world-building, but the pieces are in place for this to become something more interesting.
Pilot Grade: C-

The Spencer Sisters, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 4)
About: The other new Canadian import also has a familiar type of premise. Darby Spencer (Stacey Farber) is a cop in the big city. She’s got brilliant instincts that are dismissed by her male superiors, cause her to quit in frustration. After discovering her boyfriend is also having an affair, she packs up and heads to visit her estranged mother, Victoria (Lea Thompson), a successful crime writer. The two have sometimes been mistaken as sisters, but they constantly squabble. In the pilot, a friend needs help and they come together to ply their skills to solving her case. Can this be a new way forward for both of them? Seeing as it’s a series, we know the answer to that question though their partnership isn’t fully formed in the pilot. Farber and Thompson have good chemistry and the pilot was engaging in how it built the world and characters. This feels like a more easily watchable series premise, with something of a case-of-the-week that allows for a breezy watch. It’s not quite like what we’ve seen from The CW in the past, but it works well enough.
Pilot Grade: C+

Streaming Series:
Everything Now, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 5)
About: The latest from Netflix is also a foreign import, this one coming from England. It originally had a different title but focuses on Mia (Sophie Wilde) who was hospitalized for an eating disorder. Now that she’s out, she wants to resume her regular life with her friends. But she soon finds that a lot has changed for her and her friends while she was away. Soon, she is drawn to try and make the most out of life and cross of items on the list she made while away. Can she get it done? This eight-episode season explores Mia’s journey. All eight episodes are now available to stream. Wilde is sympathetic as the lead character, but I wasn’t drawn into the story and the world built here. It’s an interesting idea but the execution fell a bit short in the two episodes I watched. Still, for those interested in the format the show makes for a quick binge.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more