Fall TV Roundup, Week 1

It's the happiest time of the year. New TV shows are premiering. They are all full of promise — well, maybe not "We Are Men" — and four weeks from now, we'll be over most of them. But for now, we focus on the promise! In this weekly write up I will evaluate the pilot and second episode of all the new shows I can possibly watch. Thanks to Hulu, we have a few before they've actually premiered for kick-off week! Shows are listed in order of air date (Monday to Sunday) and air time (8 to 10 p.m.) In the Central and Mountain Time Zones, shows appear an hour earlier.

Monday Nights:
Sleepy Hollow, Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered September 16)
Every year there is a new show premise I think sounds terrible that I mock until I watch it. This year, that might be "Sleepy Hollow." I couldn't understand how this could be a show. I still am not sure how it works for a full season, let alone multiple seasons. But I'm hooked. The show was witty, it was tightly constructed, and it had a good premise. It's a bit like "Supernatural" in its feel, and has set up a larger plot construct that will give it high stakes and an apocalyptic feel. Witches are hot right now when it comes to TV. The new season of "American Horror Story" will be centered on witches and a new Lifetime drama on Sunday nights will focus on witches, and "Sleepy Hollow" will have a strong tie to the Salem Witch Trials, it appears. It also borrows heavily from the book of Revelation, which will probably inspire a lot of people to read that book of the Bible and a lot of people to read/understand it incorrectly. Still, what works best is the lead performances — from Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie. After one week, I'm excited to see where this show will go.
Pilot Grade: B+

Tuesday Nights:
The Goldbergs, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC (Premiers September 24)
This is a semi-autobiographical sitcom set in the 1980s. Of all the comedy trailers, I got most excited about this one. Thanks to Hulu, I was able to see it early. There are some amusing moments, and the show has a good cast, but it was a bit flat. There weren't as many laughs as I expected and, at times, it felt a bit tedious. I think there is still some potential here, but it can't all be nostalgia jokes and easy puns. There needs to be more here.
Pilot Grade: C+

Trophy Wife, Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiers September 24)
While I was somewhat pumped for "The Goldbergs," I wasn't excited about this. It seems like a tough premise to pull off, despite a good cast. I thought I knew what I was getting, but the pilot was a pleasant surprise. Malin Akerman is great in the lead role, and I like what Bradley Whitford offered as well. Albert Tsai, as the youngest child, is a great scene stealer and made the pilot for me. This show could go either way, but of the four comedy pilots released early, I liked this the best.
Pilot Grade: B-

Wednesday Nights:
Back in the Game, Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiers September 25)
This was the worst of the ABC comedy pilots released early. I like Maggie Lawson, and have since she started on "Psych," but there is not a lot to work with here. It feels like a bad impression of the "Bad News Bears" with a family sitcom dynamic layered on top. None of it really worked. There weren't a lot of laughs and the pilot dragged. This could improve, but right now it doesn't feel like a good fit.
Pilot Grade: C-

Ironside, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiers October 2)
This is the only drama pilot released early, and it doesn't even make its debut during premier week. NBC let this pilot out early, but it will be a couple weeks before the series bows. This is a remake of the Raymond Burr series, which was set in San Francisco and ran from 1967 to 1975. This time the action has transitioned to New York City, and Blair Underwood plays the gritty detective who's confined to a wheel chair. Despite that there wasn't a lot that was unique here. It's well made, but it feels mostly like every other procedural on TV. It could work well for some folks, but there wasn't a lot of reason to keep tuning back in.
Pilot Grade: C

Thursday Nights:
Welcome to the Family, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC (Premiers October 3)
This show has a good cast and had some amusing moments, but there was little original here. This is the only other NBC pilot released, and like "Ironside" it premiers a week later than most new shows. Doubtless NBC wants to build some buzz, as this sitcom is part of its new Thursday night family lineup. That will leave returning comedy "Parks & Recreation" out in the cold, but maybe not for long. With "Community" waiting in the wings, NBC can quickly replace an underperforming show. While I can see this one getting six weeks to try and take root, I think this will be the first NBC comedy to get the axe in 2013. There just doesn't feel like there's enough here. The pilot was fine, mildly amusing at times, and felt like something we've seen before. I could be wrong, but I wasn't sold.
Pilot Grade: C-