New Show Roundup


Spring has not brought a bountiful selection of new shows. With some more waiting in the wings, here's a look at a few of the new offerings making the rounds.

Monday Mornings
Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT
About: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a respected TV doctor. He does well on CNN, and his book is probably pretty interesting. The TV show based on that book — adapted by David E. Kelley — is not. The show wants to be compelling. It wants to be part courtroom drama and part doctor show. But the characters are somewhat insufferable, the tension is more than a little depressing, and the Monday Morning meetings are caustic. I tried three episodes of this show and just couldn't get sucked in by anything but some aspects of the medical cases. If it was summer and there were no other options, I might be willing to stick with this. As it is, I'm not.
Grade: C-

Zero Hour
Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC
About: Ugh, this was billed as an action thriller in the vein of "National Treasure" and starring Anthony Edwards in his return to TV. The pilot was mildly interesting, but the show really hasn't developed much. No one is watching it either, so ABC cancelled this dud after just three airings. It's hard to say if it's better to be left unresolved for to be allowed to finish its arc, like "Last Resort." That show started with promise then petered out hard. By the end, it was like a completely different show. "Zero Hour" had potential but never got on track.
Grade: C

Golden Boy
Fridays at 9 p.m. on CBS
About: Only the pilot for this has aired but, based on the ratings, this isn't the shot in the arm CBS was looking for. This week it takes over the "CSI:NY" slot, but I'm not projecting much improvement. The concept is mildly interesting and perfectly designed as a network show. The average starter contract for network shows is seven years. This show jumps seven years in the future then goes back to tell you how we got there. That's a novel concept, and there are some good actors in the cast, but the lead character, played by Theo James isn't one of them. He's borderline awful, and it drags the show down hard. We'll have to see if the show improves, but my hopes aren't up too high.
Grade: C

Other new shows this winter:
The Americans — B
The Following — B-
1600 Penn — C-

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