Spring TV Roundup, Week 7


Today I continue my look at new shows this Spring. I watch the pilot and second episode to give the shows grades. If you don't see a new show listed below, please check previous weeks.

Thursday Nights:
Surviving Jack, Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on FOX
About: This show comes from the writer behind "Sh*t My Dad Says," and is again culled from his life and his relationship with his dad. As I said last week, this show hews closer to the tone of the book. I think Christopher Meloni is great in the lead role, and Rachael Harris is great as his wife. The pilot for this show was one of the best comedy pilots I saw this year, and I thought the second episode followed up on that. It doesn't seem like viewers have found the show, so it's a long-shot for a pick up, which is a shame. I would like to see this show move to Tuesday nights with "Brooklyn Nine Nine," "New Girl," and "The Mindy Project." I think it would work well there. But, alas, it might be a dream.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B

Sunday Nights:
Turn, Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC
About: This is the latest drama from AMC. The network desperately needs to find the next big thing. "The Walking Dead" is getting long in the tooth, "Breaking Bad" is over, and "Mad Men" is in its last season. In recent years AMC has bombed with its new shows. So I was skeptical about this, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. This show follows an American spy on Long Island during the Revolutionary War. Jamie Bell is good in the lead role, the show has an interesting tone, and it's a story that feels unique and different. I was also amazed at seeing Long Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey as farming communities! I am interested to see how this show develops.
Pilot Grade: B

Silicon Valley, Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO
About: This is the latest comedy on HBO, this one coming from Mike Judge, the creator of "Office Space." It's about young computer programmers trying to make it in the cut throat business world there. The pilot had a lot of elements that reminded me of what I liked about "Office Space." The dialogue is similar, and there are some quirky characters. I think this has some potential to be a fun show. It's paired with HBO's best comedy, and perhaps the best comedy on TV, in "VEEP," and it follows "Game of Thrones." It feels like HBO has built a really exceptional Sunday night lineup for the spring.
Pilot Grade: B

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