Fall TV Roundup, Week 4

 

We’re coming to the end of September and hitting the peak of new premiers, with networks, streamers, and cable outlets all joining the fray. But what of these new shows is worth the investment? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted—and select unscripted—series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
Brilliant Minds, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 23)
About: Zachary Quinto stars as a Dr. Wolf, a brilliant doctor that has some issues and a unique approach to the work. It’s inspired by the books from Oliver Sachs and is meant to be a familiar genre done in a new way. It sort of is. My primary complaint from the pilot was that it was uneven and somewhat dull. The second episode follows the same pattern. I like Quinto, but at times this character and this series is a bit grating. Medical series are always reliable, and this has some time to grow into something, but so far, I’m not taken with the series. It feels like a miss to me.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Tuesdays:
Murder in a Small Town, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered September 24)
About: This new mystery series launched with a 90-minute premier episode. It’s based on the novels from L.R. Wright. It centers on a detective from the big city (Rossif Sutherland) who has come to a small town as chief. Crimes seem to follow him. The co-star is Kristen Kreuk, a local librarian who becomes involved with the Chief. The episodes will focus on a different crime with different high-profile guest stars. The pilot featured James Cromwell. I liked the style and the storytelling in the pilot presentation. Sutherland is good in the lead role, and I enjoyed his back-and-forth with Kreuk. The pilot felt like a bit of a movie and I’m curious to see how this fares in a week-to-week format.
Pilot Grade: B-

High Potential, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (Premiered September 17)
About: This new police series focuses on a brilliant yet chaotic force of a woman (Katilin Olson) who is recruited by the police department to help solve crimes. Olson is solid in the role and the second episode showed how it works in a week-to-week procedural with some flavor format. I like her interactions with the team, too, especially Judy Reyes and Daniel Sunjata. This one is quite a bit of fun and makes for a good weekly watch.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Wednesdays:
Grotesquerie, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered September 25)
About: Niecy Nash takes the lead in this gothic crime drama from Ryan Murphy. Nash plays a detective brought in on a gruesome crime from a serial killer who is just getting started. She ends up paired with Nun (Micaela Diamond) who has a fascination with cults and ritual slayings. The supporting cast includes Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville, with Travis Kelce due to appear at some point, though he wasn’t in the two-episode premier. If you like edgy content, this is likely right up your alley. It feels like an American Horror Story season adapted as a police procedural. There’s potential, and it is the season for this type of series, but this is likely an acquired taste. Beyond shock value, I thought the first two episodes were just OK, though I did enjoy Nash in the role.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Thursdays:
Doctor Odyssey, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC (Premiered September 26)
About: It’s a big time for Ryan Murphy, who has yet another new series with this ABC drama about a cruise ship doctor. Joshua Jackson plays Dr. Max Bankman, a decorated physician who needed a change. So, he took on the challenge of the high seas. Don Johnson stars as the ship’s captain, while Phillipa Soo and Sean Teale serve as the nurses assigned to the medical team. The show has a fun, glossy look and feels ideally paired with its lead-in, 9-1-1. The pilot had some interesting cases, including a broken penis, that will likely engage and interest the target audience. Jackson is smooth in the lead role and the show seems like a bit of fun.
Pilot Grade: B-

Fridays:
Social Media, Fridays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered September 27)
About: This new series is part documentary and part news series, focusing on a group of high school students in 2021 and their use of Social Media. It’s also an examination of culture, technology, and the changes in culture. It’s a moving and engaging portrait and one that asks some hard questions about life online and its impact for our youth. The first two episodes dropped Friday with subsequent episodes dropping weekly.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Sundays:
The Penguin, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered September 19)
About: This series is a take-off on the world built in The Batman. The pilot dropped last Thursday, but now new episodes are dropping in the prime spot-on Sunday nights. I like Colin Farrell in this role and the pilot moved at a decent pace. The thing is these Batman series without Batman always feel like they have something missing. That’s the case here, too. The second episode felt like a little wheel spinning, no matter how interested you are in the potential and the cast. There is potential here, but so far there’s not enough to feel hooked to this.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
Penelope, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered September 24)
About: This series comes from Mel Eslyn and Mark Duplass and focuses on a 16-year-old girl who makes a big change in her life. While on a school trip, Penelope (Megan Stott) decides to run away from her life and live off the grid in the woods. She sets out collecting supplies and finds a place to camp, meeting interesting people along the way and learning more about herself and what she wants. It’s an interesting idea, and the series is only eight episodes, each about a half an hour. That makes for a fairly quick binge. But I wasn’t taken with the plot in the early going. Not enough happens for me. This might have made for a more interesting 90-minute feature. For those looking for something different, this might fit the bill, but I didn’t think it offered enough to stand out in a crowded TV landscape.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Mr. McMahon, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered September 25)
About: This six-episode docu-series focuses on WWE Chairman and Founder Vince McMahon. It’s an exploration of the life and career of McMahon, and of the organization he founded. The series is six episodes, each about an hour. That makes for a quick binge for those who are interested in this topic and want to learn more. I am not a wrestling fan, so the history and the stories behind organization and its polarizing founder weren’t as interesting to me. This is a series that has a very specific demographic and will likely work for those who are already fans.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Nobody Wants This, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered September 26)
About: This new romantic comedy stars Adam Brody as a Rabbi and Kristen Bell as a podcaster who meet and fall in love, despite many obstacles in their path. The series is created by Erin Foster with a first season of 10 episodes, all now available to stream, ranging in length from 31 minutes to 22 minutes. It makes for a quick binge, and it’s so much fun you’re going to want to dive in. Bell and Brody are great together, and the pilot crackles. The supporting cast is excellent, including Timothy Simons, Justine Lupe, Sherry Cola, D’Arcy Carden, and Jackie Tohn, among others. The script crackles and the chemistry between the leads is a lot of fun. I loved the first two and think this could be one of the better series this year.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: B+