Fall TV Roundup, Week 8

The Fall network slate is almost all out and we're starting to get a picture of what has delivered on its promise and what hasn't. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall, and trust me there's a lot. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesday Nights:
The Conners, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 16)
About: The biggest hit for any network last season was the re-birth of "Roseanne," which dominated Tuesday nights and was quickly renewed. Then Roseanne Barr went on Twitter, the show was cancelled, and a media storm ensued. The end result was Roseanne bowing out of the show that she created and bore her name, allowing the rest of the cast and characters to spin-off into a new series. It was good news for those that were employed on the series, and good news for ABC, which needed the series to anchor its Tuesday lineup. Last week we finally got to see the premier, and how they would deal with the missing Roseanne. Much has been made of how she was written off the show, and I'll say I wasn't a devotee of the show when it originally aired and only nominally enjoyed the re-boot, so I wasn't deeply effected by the choice. I actually think it makes some sense given what had been introduced in the series and the reality of our world. I think the righteous anger about the decision is a reflection of some of the negative aspects of our current cultural climate. As for the show itself, the premier episode was slow, pensive and lacking in jokes, as would befit the story they had to tell. But John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf are all gifted actors who carried the re-boot season, and will carry this season, as well. The pilot showed that promise, and felt largely similar to what we saw last Spring. I think it has a chance to continue and be one of the better new shows this fall. The question is whether the core audience will accept it.
Pilot Grade: C+

The Kids Are All Right, Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 16)
About: If "The Conners" showed promise, the new series behind it struggled to find its footing in its first half hour. The comedy is set in the 1970s, but wants to draw parallels to what's happening with our country today. In fact, it tried so hard to make those connections at times that it felt preachy. Aside from that, it's a bustling Catholic family with eight sons and a pair of put upon parents (Michael Cudlitz and Mary McCormack). The parents' characters got some development during the pilot, but the kids felt a little blah. The end of the episode was more engaging and bit funnier, and it's possible the show needs more time to settle in. ABC's other new sitcom, "Single Parents," took the same path. The pilot was rough but ended with promise, and the second episode built on that promise. So we'll see where this one goes.
Pilot Grade: C-

The Rookie, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 16)
About: Nathan Fillion takes the lead in this new drama about a 40-year-old man who goes through a divorce and decides to re-boot his life by becoming an LAPD officer. The pilot introduces his character, and a pair of other rookies and training officers. Like many of the new shows, I was excited about the premise here. I like Fillion, who was great on the long-running police drama "Castle" on ABC. And I think this is an idea that has merit. However, like many of the new shows this Fall, this one started slow and dragged during some of the pilot. There is set up work to do, and often shows can take a few episodes to find their groove. This one still has potential, and was a blend of humor and drama that worked well. But it needs to tighten up and get more crisp in its storytelling.
Pilot Grade: C

Wednesday Nights:
All-American, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 10)
About: I had high hopes for this series, which I thought had some "Friday Night Lights" potential. The first episode was a little slow, and channeled more of the worst impulses of teen dramas like "The O.C." I think the second episode was better, and the basic idea here is solid, but the character development and story didn't work as well as I'd hoped. The second episode was a little better, but I am just not invested in these characters or story. This is one of the bigger disappointments for me this fall. I like the concept, and it seemed like a good fit for The CW, but this just hasn't panned out.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Friday Nights:
Pod Save America, Fridays at 11 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 12)
About: This political talk show is a limited run series for the election season. It is basically the live show version of the popular podcast, run by four former Obama staffers. During election season, they are doing shows in four battleground states. The first episode was in Florida, and the second moved to Texas. The third will go to Pennsylvania and the final to California. For those that want to learn more about key races and issues, or those who are fans of the podcast, this will likely be a must see show for the next few weeks. And I could see this getting another run on HBO, as it seems to fit with the kind of news and political programs the network has in its stable.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Sunday Nights:
Charmed, Sundays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered October 14)
About: This is the second new series for The CW, a re-boot of the old WB classic. This one updates the characters and setting, but maintains the same basic premise. It's about a trio of sisters who learn they're witches and have to fight evil. Of course this one throws in political shots about Donald Trump setting off the apocalypse. That might be meant to be funny, but it feels a little out of place. It was weird enough to reference it in the pilot episode, but to have the same thing happened in episode two was an indication that it will continue. Besides that, the stories and humor were a bit too weak. I didn't think this was going to be a great idea for a new show, and I wasn't that taken with the production. It might work given the target audience and it being counter-programming on Sunday nights, but it wasn't for me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Camping, Sundays 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 14)
About: This limited series, based on a British show of the same name, comes from Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, and is their final creative collaboration together. It's a caustic kind of comedy, and one that certainly won't be for everyone. It is blessed with a great cast led by Jennifer Garner and including David Tennant and Juliette Lewis, among others. However, I loathed both episodes. Perhaps it's that the style isn't for me, but more likely it's because the characters are too unlikeable and the story is too awkward. The performances are strong, but this is a creative miss for me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: D

Streaming Series:
Wanderlust, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 19)
About: Netflix has a giant content library, and it continues to add new shows and movies every week. That's part of its appeal, it can offer more original content than other streaming provides. And that allows it to bring in things like "Wanderlust," a six episode foreign co-production staring Toni Collette as a woman who is recovering from an accident and trying to find the spark in her marriage. She and her husband begin to discover that spark by hooking up with others. Hence the title, "Wanderlust." In this case not referring to travel so much as traveling outside the bounds of the marriage covenant. The hour-long series is supposed to be a mix of humor and drama, and has some fine performances. But it was a subject matter I didn't care for, as I didn't particularly connect to the stories in the first couple episodes. Netflix is all about volume, and hoping that everything finds an audience in some segment. There is probably a segment for this, but it isn't me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-