Fall TV Roundup, Week Eight

The fall TV season is eight weeks in and no new shows have been cancelled. That doesn't mean there's been lots of hits, it just means networks are being a bit more patient. Interesting to see how this will play out. On another note, the CW has quietly won the fall. It debuted just two new shows, but both have been pretty good and both have been picked up for full seasons. Yes, it's been that kind of start to the new season.

Monday Nights:
Jane the Virgin, Mondays at 9 p.m. on the CW (Premiered October 13)
About: This is one of the craziest concepts on TV. A young woman, who's been saving herself for marriage, is accidentally inseminated by her doctor. On top of that, there is all kinds of weird intrigue and family drama. But this is also one of the most watchable new shows of the fall. Star Gina Rodriguez is a great grounding force, and the show really plays up the tele novella themes. Some have suggested it's great family entertainment, but I wouldn't go that far. There is plenty of adult content here, which makes it somewhat troubling that "Jane the Virgin" is on the CW, a network aimed at teens. That being said, there are more troubling things on TV. What this show does well is mix the comedy, drama, and family stories. The second episode was on par with the pilot and really sets up a lot of fun directions for this show to go. And since it's been picked up for a full season, there is plenty of reason to invest.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Tuesday Nights:
Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on DirecTV (Premiered October 14)
About: This is DirecTV's latest foray into original programming, a half-hour sitcom from Peter Ackerman based on his play of the same name. It's essentially about a variety of mis-steps and mis-deeds that occur in Los Angeles after midnight for various people and couples. The first episode was brisk, but also dragged. It lasted about 20 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Ostensibly it was a comedy, but there was nothing funny in it. You see, it was a contradiction — and not a very interesting one at that. Over the summer, the CW tried its hand at sitcoms. Both were abhorrent and quickly cancelled. This should suffer the same fate. It was the worst pilot I've seen this fall, by far.
Pilot Grade: F

The Flash, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on the CW (Premiered October 7)
About: This is the latest entry into the superhero series, this time based on the familiar DC Comics property. The pilot for "The Flash" was the best pilot I saw this fall, and was a ratings smash for the CW. The second episode did little to diminish my enthusiasm for the series, which is everything you'd want in a weekly superhero show. And, unlike some of the superhero properties on the air, it actually has a real superhero telling real superhero stories, not prequel tales or adventures on the periphery. There is a lightness to "The Flash" that is appealing, and it has a great cast. Grant Gustin is great in the lead role — which makes it all the more shameful that DC recast the part for a movie version — and Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanagh add great depth to the cast. I like the world this show has created and I am excited to see how that world expands and gets filled in.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: A-

Uncle, Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on DirecTV (Premiered October 14)
About: This is the show paired with "Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight." It's a British import getting a run on American TV. It's about a lout who doesn't have a lot going for him. His relationship has ended, his career is in shambles, and he's about to kill himself. But then he's asked to watch his nephew for the afternoon, and much of that changes. Not his behavior or the way he is inappropriate with people in public, but he doesn't feel like killing himself. Instead, he wants to spend more time and cast more influence on his nephew. Or is it the other way around. Apparently that's the premise of this show, yet another sitcom that was light on jokes. This was better than its lead-in, which is damning it with faint praise. It's not good and many of the "jokes" didn't really translate well.
Pilot Grade: D

Marry Me, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC (Premiered October 14)
About: This is arguably NBC's best new sitcom. That's not saying a lot, but it has the best pedigree. It comes from David Caspe ("Happy Endings") and stars Casey Wilson and Ken Marino. The pilot centered on a few botched marriage proposals, introduced the primary characters, and established the world. It also had some very funny and some not-as-funny moments. Still, there is some potential here, and it's in a decent time slot. Caspe has indicated the show is going to be about relationships and these characters' lives together, rather than solely focused on weddings and engagements. That remains to be seen. Overall this is one of the few sitcoms to debut this fall that I see has strong potential.
Pilot Grade: C+

Wednesday Nights:
Kingdom, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on DirecTV (Premiered October 8)
About: This is DirecTV's most celebrated new show of the fall, a dramatic series set in the world of MMA. The show has already been renewed for a second season, has a strong cast, and has gotten some decent reviews. I didn't care for it. I thought it was overly dark, overly coarse, and had too much negative content. I don't mind cable series that seek to be edgy, but this one seemed to revel in being edgy without having the kind of character depth or story that makes it compelling. Frank Grillo, the lead here, is a good actor who is sinking himself into this part, but there's not much depth so far. It's a lot of scenes of training, a lot of tropes about struggling to stay a float, some cliches, and some fight sequences. The second episode did little to build the world in my opinion. I had hopes this might be a fascinating new drama, but the first two episodes didn't really show me anything.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: D

American Horror Story: Freak Show, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on F/X (Premiered October 8)
About: Some would point out this is the fourth season of "American Horror Story," so it's not a new show. While that's technically true, since the cast, characters, and story change each year, it's a new experience. Through three seasons the show has established itself as dense, dark, and populated with great performances. That remains true of this fourth season, but I have actually liked the style and the story a little better. It's also darker and, perhaps, sadder. Some commented that the second episode was disturbing and depressing, which is true. I also think this might be the freakiest of the AHS installments, which is saying something. So far I've been impressed with how this installment has been laid out, and I'm curious to see how it develops from here.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Friday Nights:
Cristela, Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 10)
About: This is the latest ABC comedy, another of this year's options that puts the focus on a different culture. It's also built as a starring vehicle for comedian Cristela Alonzo. The second episode had a few less cliches and about the same amount of laughs. For certain audiences, this will hit the sweet spot. And the show has done well paired with "Last Man Standing" on Friday nights. It's a bit of a broad comedy that loses a little in the laugh department. Sometimes it seems like Alonzo is more amused by her jokes and performance than the audience is. She has a certain amount of charm and appeal, which helps the show a bit, but there isn't a lot here. I didn't like the second episode as much, and I can't imagine a compelling reason to tune in each week.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Sunday Nights:
The Affair, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered October 12)
About: What are we to make of "The Affair." It's a show that shows many of the same scenes twice within a single episode — the first half hour devoted to the recollections of Noah (Dominic West) and the second devoted to Alison (Ruth Wilson). You see their relationship developing from differing perspectives. The same interactions feature different motivations, dialogue, and responses depending on who's telling the story. It's a reminder of the old idiom — his story, her story, and the truth. The truth is what the audience is trying to decipher. Of course, all this is being shared by Noah and Alison to a police detective at some point in the future. The reason for this recounting is slowly being teased out. By the end of the second episode we know someone is dead, but we don't know who or why. Likely that will become clear, too, as "The Affair" plays out the season. For now, we see the world through Noah and Alison's lenses, and we see their budding affair and some of the reasons they've justified it in their minds. Noah sees Alison as a tease and aggressor that he just can't avoid. Alison sees Noah as someone trapped in a loveless marriage that reached out to her with just the right amount of pluck and charm and a vulnerable time in her life. Doubtless the truth is somewhere in the middle. The first two episodes have been a bit dry at times, but there's the bones of something interesting here. It's just a matter of how it will be teased out.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C