Winter TV Round, Week 2

We’re into the middle of January and the release slate is heating up. We have series on streaming, on cable and now on network. With all these options—plus the ongoing NFL playoffs—you can be left wondering what’s worth your 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. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Wednesdays:
Criminal Record, Streaming on Apple TV+ (Premiered January 10)
About: This latest feature for Apple TV+ is a British series featuring Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. One is a decorated veteran detective, the other is a young investigator trying to make a name for herself. When an anonymous call comes in that may shed light on a previously solved case, it brings them together and sets them at odds as they pursue these potential new leads. The season is eight episodes, with the first two released Wednesday and subsequent episodes dropped weekly. The episodes run about an hour. The premise is sound and there are good performers, but this moves at a typically slower pace common to British series. I’ve enjoyed a number of Apple series over the years, but this didn’t hit in the first two episodes. It will appeal to mystery fans, but it might not appeal to everyone.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Sundays:
Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Sundays on MGM+ (Premiered January 14)
About: This series jumps ahead 25 years and is based on the original series created by Julian Fellowes. This one comes from Helen Edmundson, who continues the idea and the world. The series follows the Trenchard kids and their now adult lives. We get a mixture of young people in the wealthy set and the lives of their servants, similar to other series from Fellowes of this type. I wasn’t taken with the original series, which felt a bit dry. This new series suffers from some of the same issues. This format requires you to invest in the characters to get into the “drama” that comes from society life and issues. I wasn’t taken with the characters here, making this a bit more of a struggle. Perhaps episode two will be more engaging.
Pilot Grade: C-

True Detective: Night Country, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered January 14)
About: It’s been a few years since the last True Detective season. This anthology franchise is back with a story set in the cold, featuring Jodie Foster and coming from Issa Lopez, who takes over from original creator Nic Pizzolatto. This is set in Alaska, kicking off at the last sunset of the year. The area is about to be plunged into total darkness for days. When a crew at a research outpost goes missing, the local police chief (Foster) is called in to lead the investigation. This brings a connection to a murder from the past and leads the chief to a former colleague (Kali Reis), turned State Trooper who can’t seem to let go of the past. I like the way Lopez put the story together and the flow for the pilot. There’s a great moody atmosphere with a good cast. I have enjoyed True Detective when it’s well-crafted, and this feels like a well-crafted story. It’s only a six-episode season, too, meaning it will move at a good pace. I’m excited to have the show back and see where it goes.
Pilot Grade: B-

Funny Woman, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered January 7)
About: This series features Gemma Arterton in the 1960s as a woman trying to build a Lucille Ball-like career. The first episode was about introducing the characters and the world. This second episode was about deepening the story. I like Arterton in the role, but I was hoping for things to move at a bit quicker pace. We’re starting to get a lot of shows out now thanks to the strikes being settled. To stand out, a show needs to have a good hook and good execution. The hook here is OK and the execution is OK, too, but it doesn’t feel overly compelling. That combined with being on a less popular channel, and I think this one is more likely to get lost in the shuffle.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
Boy Swallows Universe, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 11)
About: This coming-of-age story is based on the novel from Trent Dalton. It’s set in the 1980s in Brisbane and follows Eli Bell as he is stuck in the world of drugs and crime thanks to his parents. The series has some familiar faces, like Travis Fimmel and Simon Baker, while telling a story unique to the time and place with issues that resonate universally. The production is solid, and the series spans just seven episodes, each around an hour save for a finale that runs about an hour and 15 minutes. There is potential here, but I didn’t connect with the characters in this story. I watched the first two and they felt overly long because of the lack of pop in the way the story comes together. Fans of the book might be more invested in this series, but it didn’t quite work for me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Ted, Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered January 11)
About: We’ve seen Ted (Seth MacFarlane) twice on the big screen. Here, we get a series version set back in the 1993 when John (Max Burkholder) is a high school student. The series focuses on Ted and John, living with his parents (Alana Urbach and Scott Grimes) and his young adult cousin (Giorgia Whigham). The series is seven episodes, all available to stream now. The pilot is near an hour, while the rest are closer to 30-40 minutes. Burkholder does a nice job, as does the rest of the primary cast. If you’ve seen the movies, you know what to expect here. It’s an edgy, profane comedy. There are moments that are fun and moments that feel a little dry. It’s a high-profile piece for Peacock and it should bring a certain audience, but I don’t know that it will create a legion of new fans.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+