Winter TV Roundup, Week 4


Winter is here. In the last week I've endured a blizzard and a freak snow storm. But that's nothing compared to the mid-west. Thankfully we have a fire storm of new content to help keep us warm and entertained in our homes. In this weekly post 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:
I Am the Night, Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT (Premiered January 28)
About: Noir is one of the most common forms of drama, and when it comes to the case of the Black Dahlia, noir is the preferred form of storytelling. That's true of "I Am the Night," a new limited series (six episodes) from director Patty Jenkins and starring Chris Pine. It's based on a true story and connects to the famous, unsolved case. The presence of Jenkins, who directed "Wonder Woman," and Pine gives it a higher profile, too. I am interested to see this one develop.
Pilot Grade: C+

Tuesday Nights:
Roswell, New Mexico, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered January 15)
About: This latest drama from The CW is a re-boot of a classic series on the network. But this has a radically different set up from the original, making the characters and the story slightly different. And it doesn't help. This was criminally dull. I thought the first episode was slow, but it might develop. It didn't. I'm thinking despite heavy promotion and plum timeslot this will be one and done on The CW.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-

Wednesday Nights:
Pure, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on WGN America (Premiered January 23)
About: This is actually a new show to America and WGN, but it's a Canadian drama about Mennonites who have a gang that premiered way back in 2017. The complete first season is on Hulu (where I watched the first two) and a second season is coming this year. The first season is six episodes, and it sounds like a cool idea. And it's getting plenty of press. BUT, I just didn't buy into it. And given "peak TV," this wasn't one I was going to take a lot of time to follow.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

The Deadly Class, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered January 16)
About: This one is based on graphic novel, set in the 1980s at a school for assassins in San Francisco. I saw the pilot early, and wasn't really taken with this darkly violent tale. It's probably an acquired taste. The second episode was less appealing to me. I'm sure there's an audience for this, but it's not me. SyFy has carved out a niche with some ultraviolent fare of late, and this fits that mold. But I wasn't take with the idea or the characters.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Thursday Nights:
The Other Two, Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central (Premiered January 24)
About: Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, former head writers at Saturday Night Live, created this comedy about a pair of siblings struggling to live their dreams in New York when their 13-year-old brother releases a music video on YouTube and becomes a star over night. There's plenty of comedy to be mined from this premise, and I enjoyed parts of the pilot, but it was uneven. Still, there's a decent cast here and this could be one that develops. We'll see where episode two takes us.
Pilot Grade: C

Sunday Nights:
Black Monday, Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered January 18)
About: This latest comedy from Showtime is, to say the least, rough around the edges. It's set in the late 1980s and purports to tell the story of the outsiders that caused the crash of 1987. Don Cheadle leads the cast, and this feels like a shade of the character he played on "House of Lies." The period setting doesn't help enough, and most of the characters feel pretty shallow. Like many Showtime comedies this one is subtle about laughs, and often a bit graphic and dark. I felt meh about the pilot, and the second episode did the show little favors. This is a talented group, and it's not a terrible idea, but it just doesn't coalesce into something great.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Streaming Series:
Black Earth Rising, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 25)
About: This series from Hugo Blick ("The Honourable Woman") and is about lawyers working to pursue justice through the international court. It starts with a warlord brought to trial, focusing on an English lawyer, her adopted Rwandan daughter and an America lawyer (John Goodman). The second episode offers a twist, and the mystery of the story deepens. I wasn't totally take with the pilot, but Blick's previous show was sort of a slow burn. I like the cast here, and the second episode improved the story to the point where I'd like to finish the eight episode series. I think this is one that will draw in those who like a good mystery.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

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