Fall TV Roundup, Week 9

 

We’re into November and the strike still isn’t settled. I’d expect there to be impacts into 2024. For now, that means some but not a ton of new shows. Still, what of these new shows is worth your time? Let this week 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.

Wednesdays:
Black Cake, Now streaming on Hulu (Premiered November 1)
About: This new series is produced by Oprah and adapted by Marissa Jo Cerar. It’s based on the novel of the same name from Charmaine Wilkerson and follows a family in the midst of grief. Siblings Byron (Ashley Thomas) and Benny (Adrienne Warren) have lost their mother. As they go to the reading of her will, they learn that she has made them a series of tapes. These tapes tell the story long buried of her secret past; one she’s determined to share with her children. The series follows Byron and Benny as they experience these tapes and listen to the story, which plays out through a series of flashbacks. The series is eight episodes, each about an hour with the first three dropping on Wednesday and subsequent episodes dropping weekly. The production is solid, and the story is engaging. The first two episodes set the stage and add enough character building and intrigue to keep an audience invested in seeing where it goes.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Everyone Else Burns, Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 25)
About: The new comedy from The CW focuses on a family in England part of a fundamentalist religious cult. The patriarch, played by Simon Bird, drives the family toward piety in the hopes of getting ahead himself. It predictably doesn’t work well. This is an interesting concept and there are some amusing moments. But it feels a bit stiff in its style. British comedy often isn’t a one-for-one when translating to American audiences and this feels like a strange fit with the comedy lineup The CW is building. There aren’t many network options of late, but this still isn’t compelling enough to keep me coming back.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Sundays:
Fellow Travelers, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered October 29)
About: The new series from Showtime follows the novel from Thomas Mallon. It’s adapted by Ron Nyswanger (My Policeman, Philadelphia) and is a time-jumping journey that follows Hawkins (Matt Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) who both work in Washington in the 1950s and begin a secret affair at the height of the McCarthy hearings. We spend the bulk of our time following that relationship and the pressures of the time period. In the other part of the story, we flash-forward to the 1980s, where Hawkins and Tim have been estranged for years. Hawkins is married with children and still well respected. Tim is struggling with AIDs as the two reunite. The series is about seeing their relationship and tracking the arc of their journey through a few turbulent decades. It’s got strong production and decent performances. Those drawn to the source material will likely be pleased with the adaptation. It’s not always an easy story to watch and some of the pieces of the episode feel a little dry. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Hawkins, which makes it difficult to invest. Episodes are available on Fridays on Paramount+ and air on Sundays on Showtime.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Streaming Sundays on Paramount+ (Premiered November 5)
About: The latest from Taylor Sheridan is an anthology series tracking famous lawmen in the west. The first subject is Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo), the first black U.S. Marshal. We begin in 1861, as Bass Reeves is still a slave pressed into service by his master to the Confederate Army. Soon, he confronts his master and escapes, spending the rest of the war in Seminole territory. Eventually he returns home and is reunited with his love (Lauren E. Banks). After trying his hand as a farmer, he’s recruited into the Marshal’s service. By the end of the second episode, we see him plying his trade with the Marshal’s service and using his sense of right and wrong, along with his skills as a marksman, to make an impact. Presumably that’s where we’ll be headed the rest of the season. Oyelowo is a strong lead and the idea of this type of anthology series is appealing. I like the focus on Reeves, and I enjoyed how the first two episodes, released Sunday, played out. There’s some solid potential here.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
All the Light We Cannot See, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered November 2)||
About: We’ve seen a lot of stories of the horrors of World War II. For them to stand out, there has to be something fresh and compelling. The new limited series, All the Light We Cannot See, draws from the novel of the same name from Anthony Doerr. It was adapted to series by Steven Knight with all four episodes directed by Shawn Levy. It’s set in a small French town which is being bombed by the Americans in advance of their continued push to drive the Nazis out of France. A young blind girl (Aria Mia Loberti) makes a nightly radio broadcast, drawing the attention of a German soldier (Louis Werner) who is charged with rooting out potential codes giving away German positions to the Americans. The first two episodes set the world and draw you in. The series also features Mark Ruffalo as the girl’s father and Hugh Laurie as her uncle in supporting roles. But really, it’s about hope in the darkness. The pilot is very engaging, and the second episode builds the story and the emotional tension. I enjoyed the performances and at just four episodes, it’s a quick commitment. It’s worth checking out.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+