Summer TV Roundup — Week 14

It's near the end of summer — school has started for many — but the new fall season is still a month away. That hasn't stopped networks from continuing to roll out new summer shows. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new shows. Don't see a new show below, check previous weeks. (Note: given the rise in reality shows and cable networks, I'm focusing on scripted fare for the balance of summer).

Wednesday Nights:
Kevin From Work, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC Family Channel (Premiered August 12)
About: Workplace comedies are a staple of the sitcom world. "Kevin From Work" wants to be the latest hilarious entry. There were moments that were mildly amusing, but overall it just doesn't work. I think this wants to be the next generation of "The Office." It has the crazy boss, weird co-workers, and the unrequited romance between two co-workers — one of whom has a less than desirable boyfriend. That's a stock set up that should yield laughs, but it doesn't quite work. The pilot was an incredibly rough watch. The second episode (the first two aired back-to-back on Wednesday) was a little better. Still, not a compelling reason to watch this show each week.
Pilot Grade: D
Second Episode: C-

Ties That Bind, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on UP (Premiered August 12)
About: UP is a fledgling network known for its family programming. It often has religious programming and movies, and it's probably best known for offering a cable channel knock-off of "19 Kids And Counting" in "Bringing Up Bates." It's a family in Tennessee that also has 19 children. "Ties That Bind" is a crime drama, but I have a feeling it's going to be more of a family show. It stars Kelli Williams ("The Practice") and features Luke Perry ("Beverly Hills 90210"). Perry is a criminal just sentenced to prison, and Williams is his sister — a cop — who wants to raiser Perry's two teens along with her own two teens. Things don't go quite as planned, and the family integration hits some rough patches. By day, Williams and her partner (Dion Johnstone) have to solve some crimes. The pilot was uneven, but it set up the template for the series. In terms of summer entertainment — and a little bit of a more family-friendly show — this series offers some promise.
Pilot Grade: C

Sunday Nights:
Show Me A Hero, Sundays at 8 p.m. on HBO (Premiered August 16)
About: "Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy." That phrase is the inspiration for a book about the fight over affordable housing in Yonkers, New York in the late 1980s, and now it's the subject of a mini-series from David Simon on HBO. The six-hour series will air over three straight Sundays in two hours blocks. The first two hours aired on Sunday, and will repeat throughout the week. Simon has delivered some incredible television — including the greatest series of all time in "The Wire." He's a former journalist who is passionate about showing the cracks in society, and telling stories that inspire you to want to make the world a better place. This is mini-series is a perfect marriage of subject matter and his passions. Oscar Isaac, as Nick Wasicsko, is the perfect example of being careful what you wish for. Wasicsko was a surprise victor, becoming one of the youngest mayors of a large city ever. He campaigned on a promise he couldn't deliver, and got stuck as the spokesman for a plan he didn't really believe in and no one in the affluent parts of Yonkers wanted. In short, he won the battle only to be ambushed for the rest of the war. The first two hours are a slow burn that lay out the primary story of Wasicsko while filling in a lot of the smaller stories of people in Yonkers in need of the housing the court has demanded and the City Council refuses to move forward on. This isn't a simple issue, and the beauty of "Show Me A Hero" is that it empathizes with everyone in the story. That's not an easy trick to pull off. This is a brilliantly constructed mini-series and one of the more engrossing shows of the year so far.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B+