Summer TV Round, Week Six

Summer is alive and well, we've surpassed "the longest day of the year" and June has brought a glut of new shows. But are they any good? Good question! In these weekly posts I look at the new shows of summer, reviewing the pilot and second episode. It's time to separate the wheat from the ever increasing amount of chaff. If you don't see a new show of summer listed below, check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
Making the Mob, Mondays at 10 p.m. on AMC (Premiered June 8)
About: This show is part cheesy re-enactment and part documentary, telling the real story of the rise of organized crime in 1920s New York. Ray Liotta — best known for "Goodfellas" — narrates the whole thing. The documentary aspect, complete with interviews, is somewhat interesting. The re-enactments are terrible, and there were more of them in episode two. If you are devoted to the Mob, this will be fascinating. Otherwise, there are other options.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Tuesday Nights:
Proof, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT (Premiered June 16)
About: This is the latest drama from TNT. This one — from producer Kyra Sedgwick — centers on a doctor (Jennifer Beals) who is asked by a dying millionaire (Matthew Modine) to find out what happens to people after death. He's looking for some kind of proof. She's skeptical that anything happens, or that she'll be able to find anything in this quest. But after the death of her son and her own near-death experience, the doctor is intrigued by the request. The pilot was slow to deliver and develop on the story. It also didn't give the audience much to connect with in terms of the characters. Still, there was something mildly interesting about the premise, and Beals is compelling in the lead role. This could develop into something interesting during the summer despite a so-so pilot.
Pilot Grade: C

Clipped, Tuesdays at 10:30 on TBS (Premiered June 16)
About: Ashley Tisdale as a hair stylist. Norm from "Cheers" and Mr. Winslow from "Family Matters" playing an older gay couple. This is the set up for TBS' latest original comedy, "Clipped," which comes from the creators of "Will & Grace." This is the kind of stayed, tired sitcom set up that was a staple of TV comedies during their heyday in the 1990s. It feels old, now, and there weren't enough laughs or compelling characters to keep the pilot entertaining. TBS' slogan is "Very Funny," but so far their original sitcoms haven't lived up to that billing. "Clipped" might be the worst yet.
Pilot Grade: D

Another Period, Tuesdays at 10:30 on Comedy Central (Premiers June 23)
About: This is the latest comedy from Comedy Central. It premiers tonight, but the pilot is available online now. It's from Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero, and is a period piece, set in Rhode Island in 1902. The comedy has been described as a mash up of "The Kardasians" and "Downton Abbey," and is based on some real historical investigation of the period. That may be true, but it doesn't make the show more interesting. Despite some talent in the production — Paget Brewster, Christina Hendricks, and David Koechner are all in the cast — I didn't care for the pilot. I thought it was dull and way past over-the-top.
Pilot Grade: D

Wednesday Nights:
Mr. Robot, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiers June 24)
About: This show technically doesn't premier until tomorrow, but USA made the pilot available early after it had a great showing at the SXSW festival earlier this year. It stars Rami Malek as a brilliant computer hacker who has poor social skills. That might sound simplistic — and it's probably a gross understatement — but it's a hard show to describe. Our hero narrates the pilot, giving a window into the dark way he views the world and into his underlying actions. But there was something compelling about the pilot — which features an interesting supporting performance from Christian Slater — and the way it sets up all that's to come in this series. "Mr. Robot" is one of the best pilots I've seen this summer, and I'm curious to see where the show goes from here.
Pilot Grade: B

Deutschland 83, Wednesdays at 11 p.m. on Sundance (Premiered June 17)
About: This spy show is set in Germany in 1983, the height of the Cold War. It's centered on a young East German soldier sent to West Germany to serve as a spy for the Soviets. The show is in a similar time period, and has a similar feel to the far superior "The Americans." But it's done all in German with subtitles. That will be a turn off for some. For me, the problem was I wasn't totally compelled by the characters or the story. This is a show asking you to root for and invest in the enemy in a culture that feels foreign. It works for what it is, but I didn't find the pilot particularly compelling.
Pilot Grade: C

Thursday Nights:
The Astronaut Wives' Club, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered June 18)
About: This series, based on the book by Lily Koppel, focuses on the women behind the famous men in the space race of the 1960s. The pilot established the world, beginning in 1959 and moving through to the first manned launch. It's about the families, the PR campaign in the space race, and the bond of the women left behind in the public eye as their husbands raced to set new firsts in space. This feels like a very on-brand addition for ABC, and will work well on their summer Thursday night lineup. The first episode was interesting, if not incredible. This was billed as a 10-episode summer mini series, but if it does well I'm sure there will be more installments.
Pilot Grade: C+

Complications, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on USA (Premiered June 18)
About: This is the latest series from USA and from creator Matt Nix ("Burn Notice"), centering on a doctor (Jason O'Mara) and a troubled nurse (Jessica Szhor) who let things spin out of control. And through the first two episodes, which aired Thursday on USA, and the third episode, now streaming on USA's Website, things just keep getting more complicated. I thought the pilot was just OK. The second episode was a bit better, but I thought the third episode dipped a little bit. This, to me, is one of those high concept shows that might work better as a movie or a finite mini series than a full blown series. I was a fan of "Burn Notice," so I wondered what this show would be like. It's another complicated set up, but this lacks the humor and personality of Nix' other show. This might be well paired with "Graceland" — another USA show I don't care for — but I felt like it was a bit of a disappointment.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Friday Nights:
Killjoys, Fridays at 9 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered June 19)
About: This is the latest series from SyFy, set in the future and following a group of space bounty hunters. On its face, that's an interesting idea that could yield plenty of options. However, this isn't a good version of one of those options. SyFy seemed like it wanted to make something that was like "Firefly," but this isn't that good. The graphics and effects are marginal, as are the characters. The first hour was dull. This is a concept that yields promise but a final product that yields none.
Pilot Grade: D

Dark Matter, Fridays at 10 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered June 12)
About: This is SyFy's other new Friday night show in space. I really disliked the pilot for this show, which was unclear and felt like it dragged. The second episode was much better and set up some promise for the show, but I still wasn't in on the characters or the way the show is put together. The second episode was better, and fans of SyFy shows will likely be happy with this, but it's not a show that will draw in the casual fan.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C

Saturday Nights:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Saturdays at 10 p.m. on BBC America (Premiered June 13)
About: This is a period piece set in an alternate England where magic is real. This is, however, less "Harry Potter" and more "A Tale of Two Cities." It isn't an uplifting and exciting show, it's very slowly paced and dry. I thought the pilot was a bit confusing in the way it was telling the story. It's based on a dense novel, and fans of the book probably have a better feel for the characters, world, and story, and might think the show works better. Having not read the book, I was a bit confused. The second episode was easier to follow, but just as dull. This is the kind of story that appeals to a very specific demographic, and I'm clearly not it.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Sunday Nights:
True Detective, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: "True Detective" began its second season on Sunday night, so you might be wondering how it ended up on this list. Since its an anthology show — like "American Horror Story" — it's a completely new show, with a new story, and new characters each season. So this iteration of "True Detective" is a new beast all together. However, much like season one, it got off to a slow start. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and Vince Vaughn are good actors, and I feel like there's the bones of a good story here. I want to see how it develops. But the pilot was a bit of a slow burn that did little to flesh out the characters, aside from Farrell, and didn't devote enough time to the primary case, to me. I'm still not totally sure where this is going.
Pilot Grade: C+

Poldark, Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS (Premiered June 21)
About: This is the latest from PBS — another import from England — about a Revolutionary War soldier who returns home to England to find his father passed away, his family estate falling apart, the economy in shambles, and his love engaged to his cousin. So it's a bit of a typical British downer. But I actually enjoyed Aidan Turner in the lead role, and I thought the pilot built up to something interesting by the end. This could be an interesting summer show, especially for those who enjoy slow build period pieces.
Pilot Grade: C+

Ballers, Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: This is the second piece of the new Sunday night lineup for HBO, the debut of a comedy starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as an ex-NFL player trying to make it as an agent. The show seeks to show another side of sports, the struggles of these players to adjust to fame, manage their money, and figure out what to do when the ride ends. Those are somewhat lofty and noble goals, and I like Johnson as a leading man, but this pilot was brutal. It featured a lot of in-your-face HBO content, and leaned more toward "Entourage" than anything interesting. It was an underwhelming disappointment.
Pilot Grade: C-

The Crimson Field, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered June 21)
About: This was the other half of PBS' new Sunday night block. This one is about nurses, orderlies, and doctors at a British field hospital in France in 1915 during the height of World War I. The pilot did a good job of establishing the world and characters. The story was somewhat punishing, and the setting is stark. This six-episode series will, however, illuminate a different part of history.
Pilot Grade: C+

The Brink, Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: The final piece of HBO's new Sunday night block is the weakest. This "comedy" is about the world nearing the brink of World War III, and the deeply flawed people near the button. Jack Black plays a State Department worker who gets trapped in Islamabad when things go bad, while Tim Robbins plays the boozy, sex-obsessed Secretary of State with Presidential aspirations. The whole thing has the potential to be funny, but the pilot wasn't. It was gross, crass, over-the-top, and lacking in a coherent narrative structure. This felt like a huge swing and miss for HBO.
Pilot Grade: D