Summer TV Roundup, Week Fourteen

In these posts every week I look at the new shows that have premiered this summer. I review the pilot and second episode of as many new shows as possible. If you don't see new show from this summer below, please check previous weeks.

Thursday Nights:
The Honorable Woman, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Sundance
About: This is a co-production of the BBC and Sundance. It follows a Jewish woman in England whose a successful business woman and a member of the House of Lords. She is trying to make a difference in Middle East relations, while hiding some family secrets. And she ends up pulled into some of the ugliness of that region. The first two episodes of the show were, for the most part, a struggle. It seemed to move at a glacial pace, it was hard to see what was going on, and it wasn't that compelling. At first, I thought some of that was due to being set in the world of British politics, a system that's unfamiliar. As the second episode went on, I thought it became a little more clear where the show might be going. I've read, from those who've seen more episodes, that the action picks up more in the third episode. By the end of the second episode, which aired Thursday, I was more interested to see where this is going. I didn't love the first two episodes, but I appreciated the work that went into crafting them, and the performance of Maggie Gyllenhaal, who seems to be nailing the British accent. I think this is an important subject, and particularly timely, but I'm still waiting to see where this is all going. It's an eight-part mini series, so hopefully we'll get some details and move toward some closure, soon.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Seven Deadly Sins, Thursdays at 11 p.m. on Showtime
About: Morgan Spurlock is a talented documentary filmmaker. He plied his trade, most memorably, with the film "Super Size Me." Now, he's plying his trade in a new seven-part documentary series on Showtime. Each episode will tackle another of the Seven Deadly Sins, and examine how it is currently affecting America. The premier episode dealt with Gluttony, and it was fascinating and somewhat depressing to watch. It had three short stories, each dealing with a different facet of how this deadly sin is impacting America, and American culture. Spurlock, who hosts the episodes and introduces the segments, does a beautiful job of putting this series together. The episode provided a lot of food for thought, and was incredibly well produced. I was also quite disturbing, but I think it's meant to be. The episode took me out of my comfort zone, and I'm sure that was the point. I can't wait to see what he does with the rest of the sins on the list.
Pilot Grade: A-

Friday Nights:
The Knick, Fridays at 10 p.m. on Cinemax
About: Cinemax is typically known for its late night films for adults, but in recent years HBO's sketchy cousin has delved into original content aimed at a more mainstream audience. Director Steven Soderbergh pitched this series for HBO, but didn't have time to wait for the network to open a hole in its broadcast schedule. So he took the show — starring Clive Owen — to Cinemax. The first episode aired on Friday night, and the first season will run 10 episodes. The show has also already been renewed for a second season. Soderbergh directed all the episodes, and he's given the series a visual style. It follows a talented doctor (Owen), plying his trade as a surgeon at a hospital in New York in 1900. That was a different, more brutal time for medicine. The pilot didn't pull any punches when it came to the brutality of the surgeries, but that's part of the point. Owen's lead character also suffers from personal afflictions, including an addiction to liquid cocaine. It was a different kind of show, and a different kind of story, but the pilot was gripping, well paced, and fascinating. I see a lot of potential for this to develop into a compelling series, and easily the best show on Cinemax, which is seeking to change its public reputation and fortunes. "The Knick" could be one of the best shows of summer, and certainly feels like the kind of prestige cable series you'd expect to see on HBO.
Pilot Grade: A-

Saturday Nights:
Outlander, Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz
About: Starz has long been the other pay cable network. With "Outlander," a strange hybrid of sci-fi, romance, and historical fiction, it hopes to boost its profile. The show is based on a popular novel, and will certainly have a built-in audience. I have not read the novel, and didn't know what to expect from the pilot. I thought it was OK, but more than a little strange. I also felt like it pushed the envelope in a very Starz-like way. With "The Knick," I was pleasantly surprised at the restraint shown in plotting the pilot episode. "Outlander," by comparison, felt like a show trying to appeal to the typical Starz audience. The shows on Starz are known for their exaggerated content, particularly when it comes to sex. The pilot for "Outlander" felt the same to me. There were a number of sex scenes, all of which detracted from me following the story. Then again, I thought the story and characters were boring, too. This was a heavily hyped show, and perhaps fans of the book are excited to see where it goes, but I didn't get a real sense of the series from the pilot. There were some beautiful shots, and there were some OK performances, but the story and the characters felt murky to me. Whereas "The Knick" built a fascinating world and sucked you in, I felt like "Outlander" built an odd world, offered little explanation, and expected you to follow along. This show might be an acquired taste.
Pilot Grade: C