Winter TV Roundup, Week 3

We're in the heart of winter, in fact I'm enjoying a blizzard this morning, and we're also getting a blizzard of new content. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this winter. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Monday Nights:
The Passage, Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered January 14)
About: This latest show on FOX is based on a series of books and has a sort of vampire twist. At the heart of this part, however, is the relationship between an agent (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and a young girl targeted for an experiment (Saniyya Sidney). That's still the part about it that works the best. That being said, I wasn't all that taken with the pilot, and I wasn't taken with the second episode, either. There are parts of it that work, but much of it is a little dull. And I'm not really taken with the ongoing mystery, which makes it tough to connect. This show is OK, but doesn't feel like anything special.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Tuesday Nights:
Good Trouble, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Freeform (Premiered January 8)
About: This latest series on Freeform is a spin-off from "The Fosters." It focuses on Maia Mitchell's Callie and Cierra Ramirez's Mariana. This takes place about five years after the other series ended. Callie is now a lawyer, clerking for a Federal judge. And Mariana is a graduate of MIT and working as an engineer. And they're living in an intentional community. I thought the first episode set up the pieces and was OK. But the second episode felt a bit like a step back. I'm not the target demographic for the series, and that was pretty clear in watching how it was put together. It definitely feels like a show aimed more at teens and young adults, as the storylines in the second episode were very much a teen drama kind of feel. I am not taken enough with the characters and story to make it through this, but for the Freeform audience this might be work a little better.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Roswell, New Mexico, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered January 15)
About: The CW went old school with its new shows this year, launching a re-boot of "Charmed" in the Fall. And now this winter they are resurrecting another title — "Roswell." Like the original, this is based on the series of books. This takes a different tactic, as a girl (Jeanine Mason) returns to her home town after a decade away and encounters her former flame (Nathan Parsons). He's now a Sheriffs Deputy and one of a trio of aliens living under cover in Roswell. There's hints of a conspiracy of those seeking the aliens, a love story, and a big reveal in the pilot. And it's all about as bland as bland could be. The characters and story lack depth, and it's hard to see how this will in any way hook an audience. It's getting a plum spot behind "The Flash," so we'll see if it develops. But the pilot was totally flat.
Pilot Grade: C-

Project Blue Book, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on History Channel (Premiered January 8)
About: History Channel is bringing an interesting true story with "Project Blue Book," which is based on the work of Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen), who worked with the military to explore unexplained events. This feels a little like a more grounded "X-Files," and deals with some real life events, which is fun. There's a deeper conspiracy laid out a bit in the first two episodes, and I'm curious to see where it will go. The interaction between Hynek and his partner Captain Quinn (Michael Malarkey) works pretty well, as do the stories. I thought the first two were interesting, and it's kind of a fun, lightly fictionalized look at history.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B

Wednesday Nights:
Schooled, Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC (Premiered January 9)
About: This one is a spin-off of "The Goldbergs," focusing on a few characters from that show and spinning the action to the 1990s where Lainey Lewis (AJ Michalka) is a teacher at her old high school. I enjoyed the pilot and its 1990s references. But the second episode felt like a big step back. The best part of the pilot was the principal (Tim Meadows) and coach (Bryan Callen), and what they brought to the plot. The second episode put them in the background a bit, and it was a little too focused on "She's All That." It was OK, but it gave me the feeling that the 1990s nostalgia can only take you so far. This one's OK, but probably not the kind of show you feel drawn to week-after-week.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C-

The Deadly Class, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered January 16)
About: This show debuted its pilot on air in December and online throughout the first part of January. I reviewed the pilot earlier, so I won't re-hash that here. This is based on a graphic novel and is about a group of students at a school to train killers in San Francisco. It's a little difficult and I didn't appreciate the characters, plot or premise in the pilot. This one might be an acquired taste.
Pilot Grade: C-

Thursday Nights:
Fam, Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS (Premiered January 10)
About: The latest CBS sitcom is about a newly engaged couple and their extended family. I wrote about not connecting at all to the pilot earlier, but it's fair to say the second episode was worse. The comedy is stilted at best, and I didn't really see much depth of story with the characters and plot. In fact, I'm not 100 percent sure what CBS saw in this script to pick it up, but it's hard to imagine this having much of a shelf life.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Sunday Nights:
Black Monday, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered January 20)
About: This is another show that premiered early and I reviewed a couple weeks ago, so I won't rehash it all here. This one is set in the 1980s and purports to tell the story of the rogue traders that caused the Stock Market crash in 1987. It stars Don Cheadle in a character that feels very much like his character from "House of Lies." In fact, the whole pilot felt familiar and like it was trying too hard. We'll see if it picks up in future episodes, but for now it feels like a miss.
Pilot Grade: C-

Streaming Series:
Butterfly, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered January 18)
About: This series first premiered in England and came to Hulu. It's only three episodes, about 45-50 minutes apiece, so it's not a big commitment. It centers on a pair of parents dealing with their son who is transgender. So it's timely and takes an interesting look at the topic. I enjoyed Anna Friel, who plays the mother, but I didn't really take to the story. It's not really my thing, and I didn't attach to the characters in the first two episodes. So it probably depends on your feel for these kinds of stories.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Carmen Sandiego, now streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 18)
About: Netflix reached into the past to bring back "Carmen Sandiego," with the first 10-episode season of the animated series premiering on Friday. This one features the voice talents of Gina Rodriguez and Finn Wolfhard ("Stranger Things"). The first two episodes are about the origin of Carmen (Rodriguez) and try to build the world. I remember the game and show from my youth, so I was curious about this, but it didn't really work for me. I thought the first two episodes were a little dry, but it might work for fans and younger audiences.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Wayne, Now Streaming on YouTube (Premiered January 16)
About: This latest series from YouTube premiered Wednesday with one episode free and the rest of the 10-episode season by subscription only. I saw the pilot, which centers on a violent teen Wayne (Mark McKenna) who is something of a do-gooder. He makes a connection with a young girl (Ciara Bravo) and heads off on a road trip by the end of the pilot, setting up the series. It comes from the producers of "Deadpool," an definitely tries to capture that ethos in terms of violence and content. I wasn't into the pilot, but it would probably depend on the kind of series you're looking for. It also depends on if you want to shell out for another streaming service.
Pilot Grade: C-