Fall TV Roundup, Week 11

We’re into November and we’re getting some of the bigger streaming debuts that will be part of the content picture to end 2024. But what of these new series 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 series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Tuesdays:
St. Denis Medical, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered November 12)
About: The new sitcom for NBC is a documentary-style series set inside a hospital. The cast includes Allison Tolman, David Alan Grier, and Wendi McLendon-Covey as the staff of St. Denis, a hospital catering to the community despite being understaffed and underfunded. The series comes from Justin Spitzer, who created Superstore and American Auto, co-created by Eric Ledgin, a writer on both those series. The first two episodes premiered in a block on Tuesday. It is a good set up with a good cast. I thought the pilot episode moved at a decent clip. Comedies can often take a bit to find their rhythm, which is likely the case here, but the bones are solid. For those who enjoy a good network sitcom, this will be a welcome addition to the television landscape.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Thursdays:
The Day of the Jackal, Streaming Thursdays on Peacock (Premiered November 14)
About: The latest for Peacock is a re-make of the Frederick Forsyth novel that has twice been turned into a feature film. It follows a renowned assassin, here played by Eddie Redmayne, and the cop, played by Lashana Lynch, who is trying to hunt him down. Here we have it played out over 10 hours, allowing for more time to dive into the personal lives of both and to spin more intrigue in the jobs our Jackal takes. That can work in its favor, but it doesn’t totally do that here—at least in the early going. Episodes run right near the hour mark, with the first five episodes released Thursday and the rest of the 10 episodes dropping one a week until mid-December. I like Lynch and Redmayne, and there’s potential in the premise, but this doesn’t work as well in the early going as I’d hoped. It’s a dry presentation that verges on boring at times. There’s a chance for the action to pick up, especially with a mini-binge available, but there is some work to do to make this more compelling.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Holidazed, Streaming Thursdays on Hallmark+ (Premiered November 14)
About: This is the second original streaming series dropping on Hallmark+ to celebrate the Christmas season. This one follows five families who live on the same cul de sac in Oregon as they live their lives and prepare for the holiday season. The first two episodes dropped Thursday, with the rest of the eight-episode season dropping weekly. The pilot introduces all the characters, storylines, and the world. It’s a bit chaotic. The second episode zeroed in on one family and one storyline, which gave it a little more time to breathe. It appears subsequent episodes will continue to be more focused on one story, which helps it flow better. Still, your interest in this series will likely vary depending on how you feel about the content. This feels a bit like a lot of little Hallmark Christmas movies woven into a series. For those who love this kind of seasonal content, this will hit the spot.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Sundays:
Dune: Prophecy, Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO/Max (Premiered November 17)
About: This six-episode series is the newest addition to the HBO Sunday night lineup. This one takes place in the world of Dune but takes places thousands of years before the events of the feature films. This one is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It picks up the action more than 10,000 years before the events of the film, focusing on a pair of sisters who helped create the Bene Gesserit. The cast here includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, and Mark Strong, among others, and is spun out of the larger world created by Frank Herbert. The pilot begins to introduce that world, setting the stakes and characters through a protracted voiceover to begin the show. We will also likely see some flashbacks to how these sisters seized power, and a present-day story about how they want to keep it. The look here is great with some strong performances. But the world building takes some heavy lifting and, ultimately, it’s a lot of people talking in rooms at this point. We’ve seen HBO take IP and turn it into something grand, and the potential exists here. But the first episode was just OK.
Pilot Grade: C+

Landman, Streaming Sundays on Paramount+ (Premiered November 17)
About: The latest from the Taylor Sheridan universe is based on the podcast Boomtown and set in the Texas oil fields. The cast includes Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore, among others. The first two episodes dropped Sunday, with the rest of the 10-episode series dropping weekly. This drops you right into a gritty world. We follow Tommy Norris (Thornton), a grizzled oilman working deals and cleaning up messes. His son (Jacob Lofland) is breaking into the business, and he has a tense relationship with his ex-wife (Ali Larter). Hamm plays the executive who runs the company. The episodes are gritty but it’s a fascinating world and a fascinating look at an industry most people probably don’t know much about. For fans of Sheridan and his particular style, this will be a welcome addition to the viewing rotation, giving us three shows from him on Sundays for the balance of the year. The pilot ends on an unexpected and stirring note, leading you to start the next one right away. That’s the kind of engaging series we’ve got, paired nicely on Paramount+ with season two of Lioness.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
Say Nothing, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered November 14)
About: This new series is based on the novel from Patrick Radden Keefe and follows the struggles in Northern Ireland over a series of four decades. It follows a group of young people—with survivors sharing their story with the Belfast project years later—as they joined the Irish Republican Army in the 1960s and 1970s to fight for freedom. The cast is solid, and the stories are engaging, if a bit melancholy. The series is nine episodes, each running just over 40 minutes. The length makes for something of a quick binge, but the tone and content of the episodes might play out better in small chunks. I enjoyed the first two episodes as they built the world, introduced the players, and set the plot in motion. For those who liked the book or are interested in the time period, this will be worth checking out.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Cross, Now Streaming on Prime Video (Premiered November 14)
About: This new series for Prime Video is centered on Alex Cross, the chief detective in a series of James Patterson novels. Here, the role is played by Aldis Hodge, who is grieving the loss of his wife when he’s pulled into a grim and brutal series of murders. The series is eight episode, each about an hour, and all now available to stream. The rest of the cast includes Isaiah Mustafa, Ryan Eggold, and Alona Tal, among others. I like the set up here, and I enjoy the way Hodge is playing the chief character. The episodes are a bit dark—both in content and in look—but there is enough here to keep you interested and wanting to see how it goes. Prime Video has done well with crime series based on novels, like Reacher and Bosch. This feels like another worth addition that will appeal to fans of the books and fans of the genre.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+