Fall TV Roundup, Week 7

We’re making our way through October and our flow of new shows is moving at a good clip. We have new series on streaming and on network, as CBS got into the Fall Premier Game this week. Below are the new shows of the week, but what of them are worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series, and select unscripted series, that debuted this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
Poppa’s House, Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS (Premiered October 21)
About: The latest CBS sitcom features Damon Wayans, and his son Damon Wayans, Jr., as an adult father-and-son who still live next to each other and are daily in each other's lives. The elder Wayans is a podcast host looking to get his edge back. The younger is trying to find his place in the world. The pilot felt a little stiff, though the stars are likeable enough. It's an OK premise and we'll see how it develops. So far, I wasn't taken with the first episode.
Pilot Grade: C

Thursdays:
Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on CBS (Premiered October 17)
About: This is the latest spin-off of the Big Bang Theory world. It’s really a spin-off of a spin-off, as this version of Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) were part of the Young Sheldon series. The series picks up with the couple trying to navigate marriage, parenthood, and living with Mandy’s parents (Will Sasso and Rachel Bay Jones). For those who enjoy a good network sitcom, or have enjoyed this franchise, this will be a welcome addition. The pilot moved at a good pace, and I enjoyed the joke structure. I was a big fan of the original series but didn’t watch Young Sheldon. Still, I didn’t have trouble following this pilot and jumping into the world. This feels like a perfect complement to the CBS Thursday lineup.
Pilot Grade: C+

Matlock, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBS (Premiered September 22)
About: This new version of Matlock debuted in September and now is back, in its regular timeslot, for a second episode. The pilot ends with a big twist, flipping the fundamental premise of the show. The second episode sinks more into that premise and the double life for Maddy (Kathy Bates). She plays a sweet older lawyer for her co-workers while really trying to dig deeper into the firm to find answers about what happened to her daughter. I like Bates in this role and the complexity of the series is intriguing. What appeared to be the original premise was a bit dull, and some parts of the show still are. And yet, I’m oddly compelled by this second layer to the show. I’m curious enough to see where this goes that I want to stick on the ride a bit longer. But this feels like the kind of show that will work best as a limited series.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: B-

Sweetpea, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Starz (Premiered October 10)
About: This new series is a co-production with England that is based on the novel from CJ Skuse. It follows a young woman, Rhiannon (Ella Purnell), who is pushed too far in her life and snaps, unleashing the killer within. The pilot ends with a very unfortunate series of events that lead to her first kill. The second episode is about the aftermath, including Rhiannon trying to come to terms with what she’s done and learn more about her victim. It’s an interesting dive, and Purnell is good in the lead role. But the second episode lacked some of the pop that drew me to the first episode. I like the potential, but this is moving at a bit slower pace than might have been suggested by the climatic events of the pilot. For fans that enjoy more of a slow build, this six-episode series will hold your attention.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Fridays:
Happy’s Place, Fridays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered October 18)
About: This new sitcom for NBC comes from Kevin Abbott, who was a writer on Roseanne, Last Man Standing, and the show Reba, which featured Reba McEntire, who is the lead here. This one focuses on a Tennessee bar run by Bobbie (McEntire), who ran it with her father. Her father recently died, and she soon discovers she has a half-sister, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), who now co-owns the bar. Hilarity and bonding soon ensue. This is a traditional sitcom in every sense of the word. At times, the pilot felt stiff, and the story felt meandering. It’s not a terrible premise, but the pilot was often trying too hard. For fans of a traditional network sitcom, this might work. But it definitely feels like a throwback from another era, not always in a good way. This might be a tough sell for modern audiences.
Pilot Grade: C-

Scare Tactics, Fridays at 10 p.m. on USA (Premiered October 11)
About: This new hidden camera prank show comes from producer Jordan Peele. Here, people put their friends or relatives in ridiculous situations for a laugh. I enjoyed the pilot and the two scenes created that felt like something right out of a horror film. The second episode featured three scenes that were ore of the same. I like the basic premise here and some of the scenes are more amusing than others. If you’re looking for something that’s an easy watch with some fun scares for the season, this hits the spot.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

It's Florida, Man, Fridays at 11 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 18)
About: This new comedy from Mark Herwic and Jeff Tomsic isn’t what you’d expect. It’s in part recreations that features actors like Sam Richardson, Randall Park, and Ego Nwodim. The other part is documentary-style interviews with real Floridians who have provided the fodder for the series. That’s right, these are true stories of Florida people. The pilot is a doozy, involving Craig’s List, a dark fantasy, and tickets to a rock concert in Colorado. That makes it a lot of fun. The series is about 25-30 minutes, each episode taking on a different true tale and hearing it right from the source’s mouth. We’ve long been fascinated by the goings on in Florida, and this hits the spot!
Pilot Grade: C+

Streaming Series:
Hysteria! Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered October 18)
About: This new series is timed for the season, an eight-episode exploration of a set of crimes linked to the Satanic Panic of the late 1980s. This one is set in a sleepy little town near Detroit in 1989. A group of young people have a heavy metal band, and they lean into a Satanism vibe in order to boost their popularity. But when the high school quarterback turns up dead in a ritualistic manner, it turns on them. The series features Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, and Bruce Campbell, among others. It feels somewhat tonally inconsistent at times, feeling like a teen comedy and then a horror. In fact, the pilot begins with an unsettling kidnapping that fades to the background for most of the rest of the pilot, almost as if the opening from Scream served as a lead-in to Freaks & Geeks. The second episode continues that tone as the series dives deeper. It feels like a seasonal swing at something like Stranger Things, but to this point it’s not put together quite that well. Still, there’s something that is oddly compelling at times. It will work for those looking for seasonal content.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Rivals, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered October 18)
About: This new series is based on the novel from Jilly Cooper and takes the action back to the 1980s in England. There, Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) is trying to run a successful TV station. To do so, he recruits the hottest and toughest interviewer, Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) and a vicious American producer (Nefessa Williams). He also spars with another powerful local resident and member of the government, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). The whole series has a strong, soapy vibe. It also feels like something different and more edgy for Hulu and Disney+, where it also streams. The series features a lot of mature content—including a closing pilot montage that includes quite a bit of sexual content. For those who are looking for something a little more grown up and edgy, this will hit the spot. It has some good performances and nice production values. It’s an eight-episode series, all about an hour and all now available to stream.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+