Winter TV Roundup, Week 10


Now that we’re into March, we’re getting a slowing in the tide of new series. But, still, we’re getting some of the most anticipated shows of the first part of the year. So, what of these new series is 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 Winter and Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
Celtics City, Mondays at 9 p.m. on HBO (Premiered March 3)
About: Do you like a good sports documentary? If you do, then this new series is for you. It’s an HBO Sports Documentary centered on the NBA franchise the Boston Celtics, one of the most notable and winningest franchises in the history of the sport. This new, nine-part series is meant to capture the history of the franchise. The first episode dropped Monday, running about an hour and chronicling part of the Bill Russell era. Subsequent episodes drop weekly. If you’re a Celtics fan, this will be can’t miss TV. If you’re not a big basketball person, this might not grab your attention. But it’s well-made and interesting.
Pilot Grade: C+

Tuesdays:
Daredevil: Born Again, Streaming Tuesdays on Disney+ (Premiered March 4)
About: The Man Without Fear was the first to get a Marvel TV series, but that was back in the Netflix days. Charlie Cox donned the mantel and gave us three seasons, plus the team up series The Defenders. That era of Netflix Marvel series ended about the time the MCU series were firing up on Disney+. Now, Cox is back and so is Daredevil in a new series, Daredevil: Born Again, that continues the story of Matt Murdock and his world birthed in that original series. The two-episode premier dropped Tuesday, with the rest of the nine-episode first season dropping each Tuesday. Episodes are about an hour and retain the style and intensity of the original series. Cox is once again paired with Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Wilson Fisk. Others from the original series, including Ayelet Zurer and Deborah Ann Woll return, while new characters played by Clark Johnson and Margarita Levieva join the party. There’s the promise of seeing other familiar faces, like Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, along the way, too. The pilot was one of the best episodes of TV I’ve seen this year, and I greatly enjoyed the second episode, too. I always loved the original Daredevil series, and I love Cox in this role. I’m glad both are back.
Pilot Grade: A
Second Episode: A-

Streaming Series:
Deli Boys, Now Streaming on Hulu (Premiered March 5)
About: The latest from the Onyx collection, this comedy follows a pair of brothers thrown into the deep end. Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh star as Pakistani-American brothers who have lived a life of privilege thanks to their father, Baba (Iqbal Theba), who has built an empire. When he dies suddenly, it throws their life into chaos. The brothers soon learn the empire isn’t what they thought and now they have to deal with an FBI investigation while they try to hold things together. Hilarity ensues. At least that’s the point for this new, 10-episode series. All the episodes are now streaming, and each is about 25 minutes. That makes for a quick binge if the style and the story grab your attention. I thought the idea was OK, but the execution didn’t really speak to me. It’s a fine option but it didn’t stand out to me in a crowded TV landscape.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

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