Summer TV Roundup, Week 10


We have reached the dog days of summer, and new shows are now just trickling out. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new shows. If you don't see a new show listed below, check previous weeks.

Wednesday Nights:
The Jim Gaffigan Show, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on TV Land (Premiered July 15)
About: This is a traditional feeling family sitcom. It was originally shot as a pilot for CBS, who passed on the show. It was subsequently picked up by TV Land. Prior to its official premier, Gaffigan made random first season episodes available to view for free, and one aired as a sneak peak after the finale of another TV Land show in June. I thought the preview episodes, while occasionally amusing, were also confusing. Seeing the pilot premier last Wednesday, some of the pieces fell into place because the characters were properly introduced. I love Gaffigan's stand up and his brand of comedy, and I was amused by the pilot. It's not a great sitcom, and I can certainly see why CBS might have passed, but this could develop into a sweet, amusing summer diversion.
Pilot: C+

Impastor, Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on TV Land (Premiered July 15)
About: This is the other new sitcom that premiered Wednesday on TV Land. It's about a con man named Buddy (Michael Rosenbaum) who is at the end of his rope. He's on a bridge about to jump when a man comes to try and convince him not to do it. The man, instead, falls off the bridge, and Buddy decides to assume his life. It turns out his would-be savior is a pastor who recently came out of the closet and is starting a new call sight unseen. That has the potential to be an interesting and wacky set up, and there were moments in the pilot that I thought worked pretty well. But it was uneven, and I don't know how it works as a weekly series. This feels like a bit of a stretch as a show.
Pilot: C

Thursday Nights:
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered July 16)
About: This is the latest from Denis Leary, who stars as Johnny Rock, an aging rock and roll star who is blindsided by the adult daughter he never knew he had. While he's content to stumble through a series of drunken exploits, his daughter flashes a wad of cash and asks him to get his band back together to back her so she can start her career. He sees it as a cash grab and does what she asks, only to learn she has real talent and this might be a real shot to make it big, again. This is ostensibly a comedy, but the pilot wasn't really funny. I didn't care much for the characters or the story, and I'm not sure what's compelling here week-to-week. And the fact this is getting a prestige launch and push on FX, while last year's comedy gem "You're The Worst" gets dumped onto FXX mis a mystery to me.
Pilot: D+

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