Fall TV Roundup, Week 15

 

We’re rapidly cruise to the end of the year. There are just a handful of new shows left in 2023, including this week. But it’s fair to wonder what is worth your time to check out. Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Streaming Series:
Carol & the End of the World, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered December 15)
About: This new animated adult comedy will have you thinking about the meaning of life, your hopes and dreams, and the way you’d approach the end of the world. And all that comes in the early going. The series is set in a version of Earth where there are just seven months before a world ending event will occur. The series, from Dan Guterman, is about what you do when it’s all over. Carol (Martha Kelly) doesn’t know how to answer that question. Others are going on trips, learning new skills and checking things off the bucket list. Carol is trying—unsuccessfully—to make a routine dentist appointment, do her shopping and watch TV. Soon, she finds a group of like-minded people who aren’t ready to give up on routine. So, naturally, she starts a new job. This 10-episode series focuses on what happens as the world and society is melting down. While the everyday activities of Carol are mildly interesting, it’s the thought experiment of it all that was most appealing. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d be interested in an anthology type series that explored different people answering the question. As for this series, it has its moments. There is some humor and an interesting idea. For those looking for a quick binge, this is an easy watch moving to the end of the year.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Such Brave Girls, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered December 15)
About: The latest on Hulu is a British comedy about a single mother (Louise Brealey), her two girls Josie (Kat Sadler) and Billie (Lizzie Davidson) and their dysfunction. British comedy is an acquired taste. It tends to verge toward the uncomfortable, and this series created by Sadler certainly steers into that. The first couple episodes had moments that were painfully uncomfortable at times. The episodes run about a half an hour and the full six-episode series is available to stream now on Hulu. I wasn’t taken with the stories and the characters felt like a bit much. If this is your style show, it will likely hit better for you. It, too, is a quick binge.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-