Summer TV Roundup, Week 5

We’re making our way through July and that means an interesting and slower mix of new shows. But of those new shows, what 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, and some unscripted, series this summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks!

Tuesdays:
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered July 2)
About: This new version of Hard Knocks is an off-season addition, focusing on the time from the end of the 2023 season through to when training camp begins. It’s about building the team, focusing on the front office, going through the combine, draft prep, free agency, and more to build the team. The first episode introduced the players and some of the themes, while this second episode dove deep into the combine and the rookie scouting process. The series provides a unique, behind-the-scenes view of a team’s off-season work. It’s helpful and fascinating for fans, who will likely be excited for more of these kind of series. For those that aren’t big football fans, this might not work as well. Episodes drop each Tuesday on HBO.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B+

Wednesdays:
Sunny, Streaming Wednesdays on Apple TV+ (Premiered July 10)
About: The new series from Apple TV+ is a dark comedy based on the novel The Dark Manual from Charlie O’Sullivan. The series features Rashida Jones as an American living in Japan whose life is thrown into turmoil when her husband and son go missing, presumed dead in a plane crash. She is suddenly very alone, and soon is delivered a robot, Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), developed by her husband to bring her comfort. That opens the door to a number of shocking revelations as she realizes that she didn’t know much about her husband (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and what he did for a living. The production is solid here and I enjoyed Jones in the lead role. The episodes run about half an hour, with the first two dropping Wednesday and subsequent episodes dropping weekly as part of a 10-episode season. The mystery works well here and the emotions between Jones and Sunny. The mystery is also engaging enough to make you want to know where it’s all going.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
Receiver, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered July 10)
About: Last year we got a Peyton Manning-produced series that followed a quartet of NFL quarterbacks to through a new season. This year, we get the sequel, following four receivers and a tight end through the 2023 NFL season. The series followed Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and 49er teammates George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. It follows their home lives, their training, and the events of the season. For fans of football this is a welcome addition to the slowest part of the off-season, and a great way to get primed for the new NFL season. The series is eight episodes, each about an hour. It makes for a great summer binge.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Sausage Party: Foodtopia, Now Streaming on Prime Video (Premiered July 11)
About: Back in 2016, Seth Rogen gave us a wild animated film about food and its desire to be free. Now, eight years later, we’re returning to that world. Rogen is back as Frank, with Kristin Wiig back as Brenda, and Michael Cera back as Barry. They’re joined by some stellar new members of the voice cast, like Edward Norton as Sammy and Sam Richardson as Julius the Orange. The series is eight episodes, each about a half an hour. And it’s wild and unlike anything you’ve seen. The food rises up, surprisingly defeats mankind, and creates a foodtopia. That mostly leads to puns, orgies, and food trying to build a society. That could be the makings of comedy, but it fell short for me. I wasn’t taken with the original film, which I thought was crass and lacking good taste. This animated series is more of the same. If you loved the film, its tone, and the basic tenor of the story, this will be for you. If not, or if you haven’t even seen the film, this will be something of an unsettling shock.
Pilot Grade: D-
Second Episode: D-

Exploding Kittens, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered July 12)
About: The second animated feature of the week is another wild premise, this one based on the popular card game of the same name. In it, God (Tom Ellis) has hit a rough patch. His board decide to send him to Earth—in the form of a cat—to rehab his image and get back in shape. At the same time in Hell, Beelzebub (Sasheer Zamata) is struggling in her duties. She, too, need some rehab and gets kicked upstairs as a cat to learn to ply her trade better. Together, they take up with a family and form an uneasy rivalry as things go off the rails. The series is run by the game creators, Matthew Inman and Shane Kosakowski. There is some humor here, and I liked it better than Sausage Party, but it’s still an edgy concept that doesn’t quite land for me. Fans of the game will be excited to see it brought to life, and with only nine episodes, each about a half an hour, the series is a quick binge.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Me, Now Streaming on Apple TV+ (Premiered July 12)
About: The second release of the week from Apple TV+ is one that’s aimed at younger viewers. In it a teen named Ben (Lucian-River Chauhan) is shy and bullied at school. That leads to him manifesting some powers that allow him to change his appearance. The problem is he doesn’t know how he developed it or how to control it, leaving him struggling. His stepsister, Max (Abigail Pniowsky) works to help him learn about his new gifts before it gets him into trouble. The rest of the cast includes some solid adult contributors like Kyle Howard and Sharif Atkins. The series is 10 episodes, each about a half an hour. It moves at a good pace with a solid premise and some interesting characters. For younger viewers, this will make for a compelling streaming watch.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+