Fall TV Roundup, Week 16

 


We’ve reached the end of the Fall TV season. This is the last week of new series for 2023. You likely have some free time for the holidays, and you’re probably wondering what’s 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 Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesdays:
Extended Family, Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 23)
About: We got a special preview of NBC’s new sitcom on Saturday night following the NFL playoff game. This one centers on a divorced couple (Jon Cryer and Abigail Spencer) who are trying to raise their kids and remain on good terms. In fact, the pilot mostly celebrates their amicable divorce and how they’ve fought hard to make it work. And that comes despite Julia (Spencer) preparing to marry her new boyfriend Trey (Donald Faison), who owns the Celtics. Yeah, this one is a reach. The comedy was uneven at best, lacking if we’re being honest. The pilot felt stiff and like an incredible reach. There was precious little chemistry among the cast and the premise doesn’t really grab you. This was a sneak preview, with the series beginning in earnest as a lead-out to the re-boot of Night Court beginning January 2. You can catch the pilot now on Peacock before the series returns. It was OK but doesn’t feel like it has the bones to be an effective series.
Pilot Grade: C-

Wednesdays:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Streaming Wednesdays on Disney+ (Premiered December 20)
About: It’s Disney+ that’s using the last bit of the year to launch some big series. The first of those is Percy Jackson, an episodic take on the Rick Riordan books. We’ve seen them adapted into films before, but this one seeks to take a new approach and put it to series. The first two episodes were released on Wednesday, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly. I enjoyed the introduction to Percy (Walker Scobell) and the world. If you’re a book reader, you’ll likely be pleased to see this adaptation. I am not familiar with the source material, but I did see the first movies. I enjoyed the first two episodes. The characters, pacing, and stories worked well. I think there’s potential for this as a series. It feels like a nice addition to the Disney+ archive.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
What If…?, Streaming on Disney+ (Premiered December 22)
About: An interesting option to end the year is the second season of the Marvel anthology series What If…? And Disney+ decided to offer it as a gift to end the year. The series has nine episodes, one airing each day until the end of the year. The series is narrated by The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), who looks at alternate twists on the Marvel universe. The first focused on Nebula (Karen Gillan) potentially joining Novacorps, while the second was focused on a young Peter Quill and a different spin on The Avengers. Personally, I enjoyed the third episode, released on Christmas Eve, which was a spin on Die Hard. If you’re a big Marvel fan, this is a must watch. Some of the episodes are more engaging than others, but all of it is a fun way to end the year.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

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