Summer TV Roundup, Week 10

 


We’re making our way through August as we approach the end of the summer season and the kick-off to Fall. There are a few new shows still popping up and you might be wondering if they 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 select unscripted, series this Summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesdays:
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HBO/Max (Premiered August 6)
About: The yearly right-of-passage for NFL fans, this year’s installment of Hard Knocks features the No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams and a potentially loaded Bears team. These shows live or die with the stories and personalities, and so far through two episodes this feels like one of the better editions. The streaming version on Max was delayed Tuesday, causing a bit of an uproar, but the series is a lot of fun. Once the second episode dropped, it introduced us to some new players and kept up the interesting stories from the first episode. So far, it’s been a fun ride and a great way to prepare for a new NFL Season.
Pilot Grade: B
Second Episode: B

Wednesdays:
Bad Monkey, Streaming Wednesdays on Apple TV+ (Premiered August 14)
About: This new Apple TV+ series comes from Bill Lawrence, who co-created Ted Lasso. But this is a different kind of series with something of a different tone. The series is based on a novel from Carl Hiaasen and is set in the Florida Keys where Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn), a former detective, is drawn into a wild case. It starts when a fishing boat pulls up an arm and leads down a rabbit hole. The series has a good cast—including Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Natalie Martinez, Rob Delaney, and Jodie Turner-Smith, among others. The series was originally ordered in 2021 and had a long road to the screen. With the cast and talent involved you’d be forgiven for expecting some humor. This has some amusing moments, I guess, but it’s played more as an off-beat detective drama. The series is 10 episodes, each between 45 minutes and an hour. The first two dropped Wednesday with the rest of the season dropping each Wednesday. I like Vaughn and I liked the basic premise, but the pilot was a little dry. The second episode moved at a better pace, leaving my hopeful about the rest of the season.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more