Spring TV Roundup, Week 1

 

It’s March and we’re rapidly approaching Spring Break for many—with some already getting to Spring Break. All that time off will provide more time to search for and dive into new content, but 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 Spring.

Thursdays:
The Girls on the Bus, Streaming Thursdays on Max (Premiered March 14)
About: It’s a campaign year, so it makes sense we’d start getting some political stories on the big and small screen. One of those is this new Max series, which follows four female reporters (Melisa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Behnam, and Christina Elmore) as they travel the country following candidates in a Presidential race. This is right up my alley as I love journalism stories and fun political stories. I was hoping it would be like the latter seasons of The West Wing, on the campaign trail. The first two episodes were engaging and pulled me in, though they didn’t quite have that quality. I like Benoist and Gugino, and there’s some potential in the format. It’s got a soapy quality and had a long journey to the screen, bouncing through a number of different network and streaming options. Still, I think there’s some potential in the format and the story. I’m curious to see where it goes. I enjoyed the first two enough to keep giving it a try. The series is 10 episodes with the first two available to stream and subsequent episodes dropping Thursdays.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Fridays:
Manhunt, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV+ (Premiered March 15)
About: This new series on Apple TV+ is a historical saga that takes the action back to the end of the Civil War. The country was poised to enter a time of peace when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by the actor John Wilkes Booth. In this new limited series—which runs seven episodes—we see the assassination and the manhunt that followed. We are guided by Andrew Stanton (Tobias Menzies), the Secretary of War and Lincoln’s (Hamish Linklater) close aide who led the manhunt for Booth (Anthony Boyle). Through flashbacks we see the events that preceded the assassination, both Lincoln’s efforts to free the slaves and end the war and the conspiracy that drew in Booth. The episodes move at a decent clip, filling in some of the historical gaps in the story. I also enjoyed the performances. Menzies makes for a strong lead, while Boyle is doing a nice job as Booth. I also enjoy Linklater in the role of Lincoln. For those who enjoy a good drama and a historical epic, this should work well. The first two episodes are available to stream with subsequent episodes dropping each Friday.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Streaming Series:
Boat Story, Now Streaming on Freevee (Premiered March 13)
About: A boat washes up on shore. A pair of strangers (Daisy Haggard and Patterson Joseph) are enjoying some time of solitude when they stumble upon it. There, they find two dead bodies and millions in cocaine. What are they to do? That’s the set up here, but nothing is as simple as it seems for these strangers in this limited series from Harry and Jack Williams. It previously aired in the U.K. and now makes its American debut on Freevee, Amazon’s free streaming service. The series is six episodes, each about an hour. What makes it compelling isn’t just the story itself, which is engrossing, but the format. It feels like something out of the Coen Brothers playbook. The characters and the world are sharply drawn, with an interesting style. There are also lighter elements that feel like something closer to Wes Anderson, with a play within the story that seems to be telling the story in its own way. I enjoy Haggard and Joseph in the lead roles. And I love the clash of styles and the how it all comes together. The first two episodes were fun, and this makes for a decent binge.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Apples Never Fall, Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered March 14)
About: This new limited series is based on the book from Liane Moriarty, the author of Big Little Lies and Eight Perfect Strangers. This one follows a family in South Florida. At the outset, the matriarch Joy (Annette Bening), has gone missing. Her husband, Stan (Sam Neill) is among the suspects. Now her four children, Troy (Jake Lacey), Amy (Alison Brie), Logan (Connor Merrigan Turner), and Brooke (Essie Randles) are trying to piece together what happened. That involves looking back over the last year, questioning everything, dealing with their messy lives, and wondering whether a mysterious stranger, Savannah (Georgia Flood), might also be involved. The limited series runs seven episodes, all now available to stream. Episodes run in length from 45 minutes to an hour. The first episode introduces the world, with the final six taking the title of one of the family members, who sit in focus during that hour. I thought the set up and the mystery were engaging enough. Episodes end on cliffhangers, naturally bringing you into the next as the mystery deepens. It’s a quick watch that makes for a good binge. I watched the whole series, and I have mixed feelings about the resolution. But the setup is sound and it’s a decent cast.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+