Summer TV Roundup, Week Sixteen

Here's a look at the new shows I saw this week. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new shows. If you don't see a new show from this summer listed below, check previous weeks. Summer is almost over, so the pickings are getting thin.

Wednesday Nights:
Legends, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on TNT
About: This TNT drama borrows some of its plot and character names from a spy novel. That's about all it has in common with its source material. Instead, this feels very much like a procedural with weekly spy missions. Sean Bean, the show's star, is a good actor, and he brings a lot of likeabillity to the part, but I still am not sure what the point of the show is. His lead character — Martin Odum — appears to be suffering some kind of cracks with reality. The show has hinted as some larger conspiracies, but through two episodes that hasn't really panned out. Nor have we really seen Martin fully invested in a cover identity, or Legend. That appears to be the hook for the third episode, and if you've stuck with the series so far, you might be inclined to watch a bit longer. I want to like this show. I think it seems like a neat premise, and it has a good cast — which includes Tina Marjorino, Ali Larter, and Steve Harris. But the first two episodes were dry. If it doesn't pick up soon, this could be a lost cause.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Saturday Nights:
Intruders, Saturdays at 10 p.m. on BBC America
About: This is the latest show from BBC America, and it's created by Glen Morgan — veteran of the "X-Files" and creator of the "Final Destination" franchise. This show is based on a sci-fi novel, so those that read the novel could probably understand what the show was about and what was happening. I never read the novel, so I was really confused. The pilot was dark, violent, and lacking in narrative structure. That could improve, and again a familiarity with the source material might have impacted viewing, but as strictly a TV show, the pilot felt like a hot mess. It was confusing and not all that compelling. I don't know what I expected, and perhaps this show is perfectly paired with "Doctor Who," which also premiered Saturday, but there wasn't much to like here. Morgan has done some interesting and edgy things in his career, but this pilot felt like a miss.
Pilot Grade: D