Winter TV Roundup, Week 12

We've seen a lot of new shows premier this winter, and more waiting in the wings as we transition to Spring and Summer. But only a few are really worth checking out. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new shows. Don't see a new show from this winter below? Check out previous weeks.

Tuesday Nights:
iZombie, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on the CW (Premiered March 17)
About: Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, the team behind "Veronica Mars," are back at it with the latest CW series, "iZombie." The show is loosely based on a DC Comics property of the same name, giving it a tie-in to the world of comics and superheroes. But those that loved "Veronica Mars" will discover that this series feels a lot more like that. It centers on a female protagonist — Liv (Rose McIver) — who was a promising young doctor with a fiancé and a bright future until she decided to attend a boat party. There, a designer drug caused a zombie outbreak and Liv was infected. Flash forward five months, and Liv is trying to keep her condition on the down low. She traded a hospital post for a job in the morgue, where she sneaks just enough brains from corpses to keep her mind sharp. Otherwise, Liv tries to blend in. A co-worker, Ravi (Rahul Kohli), discovers her secret and tries to help. Liv also discovers a side effect of her brain consumption — she gains the victims memories. It's a gift she uses to help detective Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) solve crimes. There is a serialized element here, but this is a show about characters and a unique point of view. There are a lot of hallmarks of the "Veronica Mars" format, too. The show contains voiceovers from Liv, the pacing of the action, and the tone are all similar. This is a different show, sure, with a different set of obstacles, but it finds that familiar formula, pacing, and style. The pilot was engaging and created a world that could be interesting to explore.
Pilot Grade: B-

One Big Happy, Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC (Premiered March 17)
About: For every great new show, there's one like "One Big Happy." NBC is in a woeful drought when it comes to comedies — in fact if this show and "Undateable" don't get picked up, it's possible the Peacock could go into the fall with no veteran sitcoms, and possibly no sitcoms period. In fact, NBC — once known for it's comedy prowess — is airing just one hour of comedies a week. And they're both dubious. This is by far the worst. The show comes from executive producer Ellen DeGeneres, and it's about a lesbian, Lizzy (Elisha Cuthbert), and her best friend, Luke (Nick Zano), who are both single and decide to have a baby together. But just about the time Lizzy finds out she's pregnant, Luke engages in a whirlwind romance with a British woman (Kelly Brook) who is about to be deported, so he marries her. Now they have to try and make this whole made situation work. How could comedy not ensue, right? Well, the show is painfully unfunny, as are the characters. The set up is boring and feels like a cut-rate version of NBC's failed sitcom "The New Normal." There is no potential for growth here because there was nothing likable about the characters, world, or set-up in the pilot. This is one of those shows that leaves you scratching your head and wondering how it got on the air.
Pilot Grade: F

Wednesday Nights:
Barely Famous, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on VH1 (Premiered March 18)
About: This is a mockumentary done in the style of a reality TV shows. Sisters Erin and Sara Foster play versions of themselves in contrived situations that could happen in the life of a celebrity being followed by a film crew. If you didn't know this was fake, you might assume it is the next generation of something like "The Kardasians." Instead, it's meant to be like those shows, only a satire of those shows and the people on them. In short, the only difference between "Barely Famous" and "The Kardasians" is that the Fosters are in on the joke. At least that's how they sell it. The pilot was fine, and if you like those kind of reality shows it probably works well. Otherwise, this feels like something that might have been a clever idea that never really materializes into anything worth watching.
Pilot Grade: C

Impress Me, Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on POP (Premiered March 18)
About: This is a series about a pair of impressionists, Jim (Jim Meskimen) and Ross (Ross Marquand), who enter a 12-step program to stop doing impressions so they can be taken seriously as actors. The series, produced by Rainn Wilson, first appeared on YouTube and was picked up to POP. The pilot episode introduced the characters and the world, and gave them plenty of time to ply their impression craft. Both leads are quite good at doing impressions, and if you like that sort of thing this pilot, and series, will work well. Otherwise, it wasn't all that compelling.
Pilot Grade: C

Big Time in Hollywood, FL., Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central (Premiers March 25)
About: This is the latest series from Comedy Central about a pair of brothers — Alex Anfanger and Lenny Jacobsen — who dream of making movies. The problem is they're in their 30s, have little ambition outside of movies, have no jobs, and live with their parents. In the pilot, their parents kick them out, so they stage a fake kidnapping and ransom to get money from their parents to make movies. Of course, things go wrong and the brothers end up possibly implicated in a criminal plot. Hilarity ensues. The show premiers on Wednesday, but the pilot — produced by Ben Stiller, who appears in the pilot — was made available early online. It's not compelling. The characters aren't that interesting, nor is the story. It's hard to imagine watching this play out on a weekly basis.
Pilot Grade: F

Sunday Nights:
The Royals, Sundays at 10 p.m. on E (Premiered March 15)
About: This series — from "One Tree Hill" creator Mark Schwann — is about the Royal Family in England. In the pilot, the eldest son — and heir to the throne — died, leaving his parents, younger brother, and sister scrambling. The show is buoyed by some strong performances among the leads — Vincent Regan as King Simon, Elizabeth Hurley as icy Queen Helena, William Mosely as Prince Liam, and Alexandra Park as the wild Princess Eleanor. There is plenty of soap opera drama, and some interesting twists in the plot. This isn't a serious drama, the kind that normally fill the dial on Sunday nights, but it's intriguing, and set in a different kind of world for American TV. Schwann has a knack for building up this kind of soapy drama, and this series feels like an ideal fit for E.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Streaming Shows:
Bloodlines, Streaming on Netflix (Debuted March 20)
About: This is the latest series from Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, the team behind "Damages." This one is about a well to do family in the Florida Keys that get pulled into a bad situation when the eldest son and family black sheep — Danny (Ben Mendelsohn) — blows back into town. The show is bolstered by a great cast, including Kyle Chandler, Linda Cardinelli, Sam Shepherd, and Sissy Spacek. And it becomes clear from the early episodes that Danny isn't the only member of the Rayburn clan who has problems of secrets. The brooding narration that opens and closes episodes — provided by Chandler's sheriff John Rayburn — portends to something dark occurring among the family members. The first two episodes — 13 episodes are all available to stream — suggest things don't go well for this reunited family. There is a moody quality and beautiful look to the show, but the first two episodes were just OK. The narrative feels a little slow to develop, as are the characters. There's some fine actors here, but there aren't any mind-blowing performances in the early episodes. This feels a bit like a series meant to be a slow burn, so it's possible things pick up as the series evolves. And, undoubtedly, some dark twists await.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Sin City Saints, Streaming on Yahoo Screen (Premiered March 23)
About: Yahoo is getting into original content. Last week it debuted the sixth (and possibly final) season of "Community," which it resurrected from the NBC Comedy scrap heap. On Monday, Yahoo launched its first original series — an off-beat sitcom about an expansion basketball team in Las Vegas and its loose cannon owner. The series stars Malin Akerman, Tom Arnold, and Andrew Santino, and all eight episodes are available to stream now. Critics have long suggested that the sheer volume of original content being produced was going to lead to a shortage of quality performers. We have networks, cable channels, premium cable outlets, and streaming services all trying to create original content. It's a system that provides plenty of opportunities, but few genuine hits. Perhaps this is an idea that could work as a sitcom. But the way it's made here, possibly due to a lack of quality talent, makes this show a bit of a dud. The first two episodes were completely uninspiring, and I don't know why someone would want to watch the whole season, let alone root for a second season. It's nice that all these sites and channels want to have original content, but it would be better if that content was actually worth watching. "Sin City Saints" isn't worth watching.
Pilot Grade: F
Second Episode: F