Fall TV Roundup, Week 8

We've turned toward the November stretch. In the space of the first 12 days of November, two new streaming sites will emerge. And the existing streaming sites and networks aren't about to let Apple and Disney have all the glory. So there's plenty of new stuff out there for all to see. Let these weekly recaps be your guide, as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesday Nights:
Treadstone, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiered October 15)
About: This show is set both in the past, showing some of the tangential things that happened before Jason Bourne, and in the present, where new sleeper agents are awakening even though the Treadstone program is supposed to be kaput. This leads to a lot of hand-wringing from the CIA folks, and a lot of ponderous backstory for everything else. And all of it, while possibly appealing to the die-hards, wasn't really that compelling to me. USA is looking for some hits and to establish a brand as most of their old guard is gone, and they haven't had a lot of established new hits. It's somewhat the problem AMC has had in recent years. Attaching to familiar properties is one way to get eyeballs, but you have to deliver once you do. This doesn't.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Sunday Nights:
Watchmen, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 20)
About: It's not easy to attach to a popular and famous property, especially one as dense as "Watchmen." But Damon Lindelof has never been afraid of a challenge, and he makes good on it with this adaptation that isn't so much an adaptation as a sequel. It's set in the same world, but with new characters (and a few old) and set in modern times. And while Alan Moore's original was meant to be a harsh look at the culture and politics of the 1980s, "Watchmen" from Lindelof does the same for the contemporary scene. Meaning a lot of it has to do with racism, hate mongering and ideas of justice. It's not an easy watch, but it's a brilliantly made show. The lead performance from Regina King is great. The pilot was excellent, and the second episode was solid. I'm excited to see where this goes.
Pilot Grade: A
Second Episode: B+

Mrs. Fletcher, Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 27)
About: This latest comedy comes from writer Tom Perrotta, and is based on his novel. It stars Kathryn Hahn as a divorced mother whose son leaves the nest for college. That leaves her struggling to fill her spare time. And the pilot intimates that her spare time might be filled with a lot of adult films. That seems to be the indication of the future trajectory based on what I've seen of reviews. It will also be about coming to some rough terms about who he is for her son (Jackson White), a character that came off as totally unlikeable in the pilot. I had some hopes for this, and at seven episodes it's not a big commitment, but I wasn't fond of the pilot. So I guess we'll see where it goes from here.
Pilot Grade: C-

Streaming Series:
Daybreak, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 24)
About: There are a lot of stories about the apocalypse and end of days, and "Daybreak" is another. It's based on a graphic novel and is about a virus that takes out the adults and leaves the teens in somewhat of a hellscape. The series also features flashbacks to a simpler time when Matthew Broderick is the high school principal. Still, the first two episodes here made me hope I don't survive the apocalypse. Yikes. I'm sure I'm not the target demographic here, but it's hard to tell who is besides those really wedded to something zombie adjacent. This was a pass from me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-