Winter TV Roundup, Week 10

Here's a look at new shows this winter. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new shows. If you don't see a new show listed below, please check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
The Returned, Mondays at 10 p.m. on A&E (Premiered March 9)
About: This is the latest drama from A&E, which was adapted for American television by Carlton Cuse, who does "Bates Motel" for the network. The backstory of the show is complicated. It's based on the French series "The Returned," and it is about a small town where people magically come back from the dead years after they perished. The returnees are unchanged, and they have no memory, seemingly, of what happened to them. This might sound familiar, because it's also somewhat close to the premise of the ABC drama "Resurrection," which debuted to banner numbers last Spring and has wilted on the vine ever since. I have the same concerns about "The Returned." When "Resurrection" debuted, many critics panned it. Some said that the French series "The Returned" had done it better. Obviously the American version is hoping to capitalize on that, and since it's on A&E behind "Bates Motel" the producers are hoping it can find a niche for itself. It has a good cast, and I still find this premise compelling though I soured on "Resurrection" by the end of its first season. The problem for me was that the pilot of the American "The Returned" was a bummer. I never saw the French series, and perhaps they're similar. I wasn't drawn to the characters or the world here. Some of it was mildly fascinating, but a lot of it was confusing and a complete bummer. And the question really remains, how many of these type of shows do we need? Perhaps "The Returned" will ramp up a slow-burn hook, but perhaps not. Either way, it feels a lot like an interesting idea that will burn out quickly.
Pilot Grade: C-

Tuesday Nights:
Billy and Billie, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on DirecTV (Premiered March 3)
About: This is the latest original series for DirecTV, and it comes from writer/director Neil LaBute. LaBute has a unique voice, and he's applied it to a number of different projects. Here, Adam Brody and Lisa Joyce star as a pair of young people trying to find their way in the world and trying to find their way in a new relationship. What seems like a simple romantic dramedy takes a twist as it turns out that Billy and Billie are step-siblings. This adds a number of complications, and some serious ick-factor, to an otherwise straightforward seeming story. I like Brody and his unique comedic style, and Joyce seems equally paired and brings plenty of her own sass and comedy in the pilot. There was something off-beat about the writing, acting and storytelling, and that was something that made the pilot compelling. Is this a series that will be great or last? I'm not sure, but I was hooked enough by the pilot to wonder what will happen next.
Pilot Grade: B-

Wednesday Nights:
CSI: Cyber, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on CBS (Premiered March 4)
About: The latest installment of the "CSI" franchise bears a familiar name and a somewhat familiar formula, but it's in a completely different world. There is no forensics lab, instead the heroes in "CSI: Cyber" use their computer skills to stop crime. They also work for the FBI, and approach their crimes very differently. Patricia Arquette, who won an Oscar last month, and James Van Der Beek head the team. The cases, and the way they're solved, feel more like a procedural designed for 2015 but written by people still living in the 1990s. There's computer stuff in there, and that makes sense, but it doesn't feel like it comes from a place of expertise. This is still a well-crafted procedural. This comes off the assembly line ready to go, with new stories and new actors plugged in. For those who are fans of the franchise — and who fear the mothership has solved its last case — this fills a logical hole. But there's not much new ground here. The performances are fine, and the plot of the pilot was serviceable, but there was no extraordinary hook.
Pilot Grade: C

Thursday Nights:
American Crime, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered March 5)
About: This is a gritty new drama from writer John Ridley, who won an Oscar for "12 Years A Slave." It's a show with an ambitious goal — it wants to explore crime in America through the lens of cultural and racial divides. And the pilot does so in a sobering way. It's got a great cast — led by Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King — and a unique worldview. It's ambitious in its storytelling and scope. But the pilot was a little dark. The story was grim, and the characters were all flawed. That is realistic, but it's not a joy to watch. This show premiered in the slot vacated by "How To Get Away With Murder." Unlike the previous occupant, this show lacks the style and panache of "Murder." It might be better, and it certainly has loftier aims, but tonally it's a bit dry. Still, I'm intrigued to see where this series goes.
Pilot Grade: B-

Dig, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiered March 5)
About: This is a high-concept event series from USA. It has been long in production, due to some delays, and USA has done a lot to pump it up in advertisements. But what was unclear going in is exactly what this show would be about. That's still true at the end of the first episode. Jason Issacs and Anne Heche are Americans assigned to the embassy in Jerusalem. Issacs plays Peter, an FBI agent struggling with tragedy at home, and Heche is a bureaucrat trying to keep the peace. They are both drawn into a crime that seems to be more than it appears. Meanwhile, some devout Jews are protecting a cow in Norway and a crazy Christian cult is raising a little boy in New Mexico. You get the sense from the pilot that this is meant to be an intricate web where all these seemingly disparate parts will come together, hopefully soon. You also get the sense that the producers — Tim Kring and Gideon Raff — want this to be an engaging mystery that feels a little like "The Da Vinci Code." There's some serious religious ideology at play, though what exactly that is remains unclear after one episode. In addition, it's clear the stakes are supposed to be high, but again it's hard to figure out exactly how that comes into play. There were elements of the pilot that were interesting, but the story and ultimate goal remains confusing. It's a limited series, so let's hope things come together quickly.
Pilot Grade: C

Saturday Nights:
In An Instant, Saturdays at 9 p.m. on ABC (Premiered March 6)
About: This is the latest series from ABC, which got a two-night premier on Friday and Saturday. It will normally air on Saturday nights. The series is a set of two-hour docudramas. In part they feature interviews with survivors of traumatic events which are intercut with dramatic re-enactments. The pilot was about a family in Alaska that survived a plane crash, and the second episode was about a major bridge collapse in Minneapolis in 2007. Both were fascinating and compelling, offering insights from the survivors and experts. I am not sure I really needed the re-enactments, and there was plenty of repetition, probably necessary to make each episode two hours. This feels like the perfect kind of entertainment to put on Saturday nights. It's the kind of series that can be fascinating to watch, but won't be a problem if you miss an episode or two.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Sunday Nights:
Battle Creek, Sundays at 10 p.m. on CBS (Premiered March 1)
About: This is the latest from Vince Gilligan and David Shore. It's about cops in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the FBI Agent assigned to help the cash-strapped department. The case in the second episode was also light and humorous. I like Dean Winters, Kal Penn, and Josh Duhamel in the lead roles. The episodes are a good blend of comedy and drama, and I think there is room for this to build into something interesting. To this point, though, there's been a bit too much of a procedural vibe and not enough world building. And since the show has struggled to find an audience, I fear that it won't be long until this novel experiment has ended.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B-

Now Streaming:
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, available on Netflix (Premiered March 6)
About: This is the latest comedy from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the creators of "30 Rock." It was originally created for NBC, but the network sold the rights to Netflix. The entire first season — 13 episodes — dropped Friday, and a second season is in the works. The show stars Ellie Kemper ("The Office") as Kimmy Schmidt, an Indiana girl who was kidnapped as a teen and spent 15 years trapped in an underground bunker. After being freed, Kimmy decides to start her life over in New York, but she's got limited education and is unfamiliar with the 21st Century world. Her roommate Titus (Titus Burgess), a struggling actor, and employer Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) try to help her learn about the world, and New York, in their own unique ways. For fans of "30 Rock," this is a must see. It reminded me a lot of the humor I appreciated in that show. The phrasing of jokes and the style was very similar. That being said, the first two episodes are a little slow. The pilot, in particular, is a somewhat rough watch. Of course, this is the drawback of comedies. You have to build worlds, characters and throw in jokes — and it all has to be done in less than 25 minutes. That's a lot for a pilot. I actually watched all 13 first season episodes this weekend, and by the fourth or fifth episode I felt like the show was hitting its stride. It's different than "30 Rock," which is to be expected, but this series has plenty of potential. Burgess and Kemper are hilarious together, and I can't wait to see season two.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: B-
First Season: B+