Spring TV Roundup, Week 4

 

Here in the beginning of April we’re in the heart of Emmy run season, meaning plenty of high-profile projects are being released weekly. But which of these projects are truly worth your time? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Wednesdays:
Sight Unseen, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered April 3)
About: The CW has seemingly turned over a huge chunk of its programming schedule to International series. That’s returned some mixed results. But we’ve seen some interesting ones come to American audiences. The latest, Sight Unseen, follows a cop who loses her eyesight. She still wants to close cases, but she can’t see. That’s a problem. But she connects with an operator who is homebound in New York and plying her skills by seeing for those who are blind. Together, they set out to close the case she couldn’t finish when her blindness struck while keeping it a secret from her former colleagues. It’s a tough premise but, surprisingly, the pilot was really engaging. This feels like the kind of idea that would be more sustainable as a feature film than a weekly series, but that’s a challenge moving forward. For now, I really enjoyed this first episode, which built the tension and delivered a stirring final act, even if it was somewhat easy to guess who committed the crime. I liked Dolly Lewis in the lead role and I’m curious to see where this goes.
Pilot Grade: C+

Thursdays:
Elsbeth, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on CBS (Premiered February 29)
About: The latest show for CBS is a drama from Robert and Michelle King that stars Carrie Preston. It’s a quirky drama and whodunnit. The pilot introduced the characters and world, and I thought it was somewhat intriguing. Since then, the series has had the most curious roll out of all time. It debuted on Leap Day then, literally, didn’t air a single new episodes for more than a month. Finally, the series returned with back-to-back episodes on Thursday night. Absence did make the heart fonder, it turns out. I enjoyed this back-to-back dive into the world. The pilot was good, but the second episode was even better. The third episode continued the formula, and I’m enjoying Preston, Carra Patterson, and the parade of guest stars each week. The character and the setup are a lot of fun. This is the second new drama for CBS this year that feels like a solid hit.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Fridays:
Sugar, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV+ (Premiered April 5)
About: The latest from Apple TV+ is a detective series featuring Colin Farrell as a talented finder of the missing. We open with a quick sequence in Japan where we see him ply his talents and get a window into the kind of man he is. Quickly, he’s summoned back to Los Angeles for find the missing granddaughter of a famous movie producer (James Cromwell). Over the protests of his manager (Kirby), John Sugar (Farrell) takes the case. It turns out not all of the missing girl’s family is helpful, and there’s also plenty of challenges that Sugar is dealing with on his own. The series comes from Mark Protosevich, with several episodes—including the two released on Friday—directed by Fernando Mirelles. The series has a unique visual style and pace that worked for me. The pilot runs about 50 minutes, with the second episode and the rest of the episodes in this eight-episode run clocking in under 40 minutes. It’s a quick and easy watch. Two are available now, with the rest dropping weekly on Apple TV+. I really enjoyed Farrell in the lead role, and I enjoyed the action of these first two episodes. It’s one of my favorite new series this Spring, and great for those that enjoy a good detective tale.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Mary & George, Fridays on Starz (Premiered April 5)
About: The latest for Starz is based on the book from Benjamin Wooley. It takes us to 1592, where Mary Villers (Julianne Moore) has just given birth to her second son, George. While he’s still tied to her by an umbilical cord, she suggests that he would be better off if she’d killed him since, as the second son, he’ll get no inheritance. Flash forward a few years and Mary’s husband has finally died. She still favors George (Nicholas Galitzine), though his prospects are poor. When she discovers her husband left them destitute, Mary finds a way to secure her family’s financial future with another marriage—getting the funds needed to send George to France for an education, of sorts, along the way. When he returns, she has grand designs to secure his future—which includes pulling him away from servant girls and pointing him toward a bigger fish. This is certainly a bit of a wild series, which comes through in the pilot. Starz has its own unique style for shows, which often includes pushing the envelope with sexual content. That’s the case here, too. Moore and Galitzine seem to be having fun, but your own feelings about the show will likely hinge on your tolerance for the story and the style. It was something of a miss for me.
Pilot Grade: C-

Sundays:
The Gentleman in Moscow, Sundays at 9 p.m. on Showtime (Premiered March 31)
About: This series, based on the novel from Amor Towles, and focuses on Count Alexander Rostov (Ewan McGregor), who is imprisoned in an upscale hotel during the Bolshevik Revolution. The first episode introduced Alexander and the world, while the second episode gave more context to why his life was spared. We also see his friendship with young Nina (Alexa Goodall) and a Russian actress (Elizabeth Winstead). The style is solid here, but the episodes feel a bit dry. It’s unclear after two episodes where exactly this is headed. I like the pedigree and the cast, but I’d like to see the action pick up a bit.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered April 7)
About: The latest from across the pond in England comes to PBS in the form of a four-episode mini-series featuring Toby Jones that is based on a true story. This series previously aired in the United Kingdom, where it was a sensation. Watching the pilot, which aired Sunday, it’s easy to see why. The series crackles and I loved the way it was laid out and builds the tension as we watch these hard-working people get caught in a web and ground down by a branch of the government we know is in the wrong. It was stirring and emotional, the most captivating pilot I’ve seen this spring. The series is four episodes, each about 50 minutes, which will air weekly. I’ve seen the whole thing and it only gets better. This is one of my favorite series of the year and one I’d encourage everyone to check out.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: A-

Streaming Series:
Ripley, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered April 4)
About: This new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel comes from writer/director Steve Zaillian. It was originally created for Showtime, but the finished series was then sold to Netflix. It takes the action to 1960s New York, where Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is a small-time con man. When he’s recruited by the wealthy parents of a one-time acquaintance to head to Italy and convince their son to return home, it’s an opportunity to re-make himself. He seizes on the opportunity, and soon seizes on his target, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn). The series is offered in black-and-white and has a beautiful look. Scott is also quite good in the lead role. The episodes are around 50 minutes, with all eight episodes now available to stream. The novel was previously adapted into a film—The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon—but this version isn’t meant to be a re-make so much as a new take and adaptation of the novel. I enjoyed the first two episodes and I think there’s good potential for this as an intriguing binge.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Dinosaur, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered April 5)
About: This new series on Hulu is an international show imported from the United Kingdom. It focuses on Nina (Ashley Storrie), an autistic woman working in the paleontology unit at a local museum in Scotland. She likes things a certain way and she’s perhaps too blunt, owing to her trouble filtering thoughts. But she’s really close with her sister, Evie (Kat Ronney). In the pilot, when Evie announces she’s engaged, it throws Nina’s world into chaos. But she tries to adjust, support her sister, and be a key part of the wedding process. The season is six episodes, each about a half an hour. The cast is solid and the set up works fine. It will probably hit well for those that enjoy the British style of humor, too. Storrie, who co-created the series, does a nice job in the lead role. This makes for a light and breezy binge for those who are interested in a U.K. comedy.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C