Summer TV Roundup, Week 7

 

We’re making our way through June and this week brought a few high-profile new releases. But which of them are worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
The Rising, Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW (Premiered May 29)
About: This new series for The CW comes from England, focusing on a young woman who turns up dead and is now trying to figure out how it happened. The pilot introduced the characters and the world. The second episode dove deeper into the mystery. I think the idea is sound, but the second episode felt a bit dry. The CW is seeking a new identity as it tries to save money and connect with viewers. I get the idea, but this doesn’t land strongly enough for me.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Fridays:
The Crowded Room, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV+ (Premiered June 9)
About: The new series for Apple TV+ finds Tom Holland playing a young man who’s run afoul of the law in the 1970s. Inspired by the novel from Daniel Keyes, it comes from Akiva Goldsman. The first two episodes establish the characters and world, diving deep into the backstory for Holland’s Danny Sullivan. The cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Sasha Lane and Emmy Rossum, among others. I like the principle, but the first two episodes were a bit dry in their construction. I won’t spoil the narrative here, but you can tell where this is going, it’s just a matter of how. The first three episodes were released Friday with the rest of the 10-episode season being released weekly. Apple has a great track record and I enjoy Holland as a performer, but this didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Sundays:
The Idol, Sundays 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered June 4)
About: HBO’s latest high-profile drama comes from The Weeknd and the co-creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson. It’s a big swing, which focuses on a pop singer (Lily-Rose Depp) in a crisis. She lost her mother; she had a public breakdown and now she’s trying to get a new album up and going. But it’s just not coming together well. When she encounters a mysterious new club owner (The Weeknd) their attraction is palpable. He’s also trying to open up her creativity. Is their collision the spark that will lead to a big flame, or the fire that will burn her career out. The pieces are here for some potential, but I thought the pilot was a big misfire. The second episode feels frustratingly like more of the same. I’m not buying the story that’s being put down here. We have a large and talented cast, but it doesn’t feel as if the story is making the most of their talents and potential. Instead, we get something beautifully shot that feels shallow and features some over-the top content. It doesn’t feel relevant or necessary.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Streaming Series:
Based on a True Story, Streaming on Peacock (Premiered June 8)
About: True crime is all the rage. We see it in streaming. We see in podcasts. And we see it in parodies. We already have Only Murders in the Building, which is about a series of fictional murders and a podcast it inspired. It’s been a hit for Hulu, so it’s only natural it would spawn imitators. That’s the case with Based on a True Story, the latest comedy for Peacock. It’s been a strong development slate for Peacock of late, but this one is more of a stretch. Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina play a couple who have hit some hard times. The wife is obsessed with True Crime and when it turns out their plumber (Tom Bateman) might be a serial killer, a plan comes together. But will this wild and crazy idea pay off? Or is it yet another swing and a miss? That’s the basic premise for this series. The pilot is about setting the stage and building the world, while the second episode dives into the heart of the narrative. It’s a creative idea and good fodder for a series given the current cultural and entertainment landscape. But it’s more than a little slow and not as funny as it wants to be. All eight episodes are available to stream, and aside from an expanded pilot episode they’re all about a half an hour. That’s a decent set up for a quick binge but the material isn’t as compelling as it wants to be. Fans of the genre might get through it, but casual fans are likely to be underwhelmed.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C