Summer TV Roundup, Week Seven

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

Tuesday Nights:
Proof, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT (Premiered June 16)
About: In this series a doctor (Jennifer Beals), who suffered a near death experience and lost a child, is asked by a dying billionaire (Matthew Modine) to definitively prove what happens after we die. It's an exploration of the after life, and in its own way, of spirituality. Beals is good in the lead role, and the second episode expanded the premise into more of what it will be like on a week-to-week basis. My guess is that the enjoyment of episodes will vary slightly on the case of the week. In the second episode, I liked the case of the week and I thought there were more poignant moments. While slightly different, this could be a nice compliment to the brand identity that TNT drama has cultivated.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Clipped, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TBS (Premiered June 16)
About: While partner network TNT has cultivated a strong brand for drama, TBS operates under the catch phrase "Very Funny." Except recently that hasn't been the case. The past few sitcoms have underwhelmed and had a short life span. "Clipped" fits that mold perfectly. It comes from the creators of "Will & Grace," but it feels very much like a 1990s model of a sitcom. It tries to use caricatures and situations to create the funny, and that falls flat. The cast is OK, but nothing to write home about. And the show has done little through two episodes to build any of its characters. There is nothing compelling about this show.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: D

Another Period, Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central (Premiered June 23)
About: I did a full, early review of this show's pilot last week. That pilot premiered Tuesday and the second episode airs tonight. This is supposed to be a cross between "Downton Abbey" and "The Kardasians," but the pilot was little more than a hot mess that didn't make the most of its talented cast.
Pilot Grade: D

Wednesday Nights:
Mr. Robot, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiered June 24)
About: I also reviewed this show's pilot, which was released early, last week before it premiered. I like the premise and the performances. "Mr. Robot" feels like a little something different, and perhaps edgier for USA. It will be interesting to see how it develops going forward.
Pilot Grade: B

Deutschland '83, Wednesdays at 11 p.m. on Sundance (Premiered June 17)
About: This show is set in Germany in 1983 during the height of the Cold War and follows and East German soldier who is recruited and sent into West Germany to serve as a spy. The show is totally subtitled, so for those squeamish about such things, best to avoid this show. The action and plot are somewhat interesting — following a similar thread to "The Americans" on FX. But this show isn't as compelling and isn't as dark — at least not yet. There are some good performances, and I thought the second episode picked up the story telling pace quite a bit.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C+

Thursday Nights:
The Astronaut Wives Club, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered June 18)
About: This series, based on Lily Koppel's novel, tells the story of the women behind the men in the Apollo space program. It's got a nice period feel, and it fills in some of the gaps in history. It gives three dimensions to the first men in space and, more specifically, to their wives and families left behind to put on a brave face for the nation. This also feels like a very on-brand show for ABC, and a fun, soapy series for the summer.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Boom, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on FOX (Premiered June 25)
About: This latest summer game show from FOX is one part "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and one part "You Can't Do That on Television." In the series a team of contestants must answer quiz questions to diffuse bombs in order to win money. If they get the answer wrong, the bomb goes off, spewing stuff everywhere. The pilot bombs included mustard, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, and gravy, among others. So it's certainly a messy end that adds extra motivation for those trying to crack the codes. It's a light, breezy, somewhat entertaining take on the summer game show format.
Pilot Grade: C

Friday Nights:
Killjoys, Fridays at 9 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered June 19)
About: This latest series from SyFy is about bounty hunters in space. The second episode fleshed the world and characters out a bit more, and established a pattern for the series. The effects are OK, as are the performances and characters. This show has lofty aspirations and wants to walk that fine line in terms of tone between amusing and cheesy. It leans much more toward cheese, both in dialogue and functional format. It feels on brand for SyFy but will likely have little appeal for casual sci-fi viewers.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: D

Sunday Nights:
True Detective, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: Each season of this anthology show features new characters, new actors, and a new premise. The first episode of this season introduced the players in a fractured, slow burn. It wasn't clear after that first hour exactly what the focus of the season would be. But the second episode picked up the pace, established the roles, and brought all the characters together. It was a much more engrossing hour that allowed for character growth, the exploration of the central crime, and more intrigue going forward. The fact that the episode ended on a shocking cliff hanger isn't bad, either. This round might not be as deeply layered as the first season, but there's the potential for it to be compelling to the end of its eight-episode run.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Poldark, Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS (Premiered June 21)
About: This latest series on Masterpiece is based on the novels by Winston Graham. It's about a British officer who finds life in his home town quite different upon returning from the Revolutionary War. Series star Aidan Turner is quite good in the lead role, and the episodes have had a nice structure and pace. Fans of the source material and time period will likely be excited about seeing how this series is brought to life.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Humans, Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC (Premiered June 28)
About: This new series from AMC is a co-production with the BBC (the series has already aired in England). It's set in an alternate time period where robots are employed in a variety of roles and are a fact of every day life. They are meant to be subservient to mankind, but there is evidence that some have developed a consciousness that can't be controlled quite so easily. Pop culture is rife with similar stories — from "Blade Runner" and "iRobot" to the "Terminator" franchise. It's clear that there is more to these bots than meets the eye, and the series is beginning to explore that. It's also a series that seems interested in explore the parts of the human condition that open us up to needing machines like this in our lives. It's the human characters in the series that are the most damaged and, possibly, the most interesting.
Pilot Grade: C+

Ballers, Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: This comedy from HBO stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a former NFL player looking for a new life as an agent and money manager. The show is populated by NFL players either facing the task of finding themselves post retirement or trying to stay clean and productive in a world full of temptations and people with their hands out. That's heady stuff that could make for a powerful exploration of themes. This show isn't that. It's crass, wastes the talent in its cast, and is uninspiring. The second episode was better, but still not overly compelling.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C

The Crimson Field, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered June 28)
About: This series follows nurses, doctors, orderlies, and patients at a field hospital in France in during World War I in 1915. The second episode did a better job of filling in the gaps in the main characters' past and building the world. There is plenty of intrigue and plenty to like in this series, particularly for those who are fans of period pieces and hospital dramas.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

The Brink, Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 21)
About: This is the other new show for HBO, a comedy about the government on the brink of World War III. Everyone working for the government, though, seems to have some kind of challenge and personal agenda. This is meant, I think, to be a biting satire of our government. It's not. HBO has some wonderful political satire in its comedy "VEEP," which is going strong through four seasons. This show continues to be a hot mess through two episodes despite having a cast that includes Tim Robbins and Jack Black. It's gross, over-the-top, and not at all compelling. This feels like the rare complete misfire from HBO.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: D