Winter TV Roundup, Week 6


We’re into February, and the Winter Olympics has begun. That will grind the tide of new series the next two weeks to a near halt. But you might have some time to check out new shows and have questions about which options are for you. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Thursdays:
Field Generals: History of the Black Quarterback, Streaming Thursdays on Peacock (Premiered February 5)
About: February is Black History Month, and it’s also the Super Bowl. It makes sense that Peacock, which is broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, would launch a docuseries aimed at sports fans that honors Black History Month. This series looks at the history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s a weekly series, running Thursdays on the streamer. The pilot aired Thursday, with more to follow weekly. The pilot was around an hour and was a great deep dive into the history of the game on and off the field. It features interviews with former players and pundits, tracing the history of players who helped change the game. If you’re an NFL fan, or just a fan of a good sports documentary, this is worth a deep dive.
Pilot Grade: B

Streaming Series:
We Call It Imagineering, Now Streaming on Disney+ (Premiered February 4)
About: Since the launch of Disney+ we’ve seen countless series and documentaries that take you behind the scenes to the creation of the magic on screen and in the parks. This latest docuseries, a seven-part exploration of Disney’s Imagineering in the modern era, is no different. The episodes are short and focused, running from 15 to 30 minutes. They take you behind-the-scenes and help showcase the talented men and women that bring the Disney dream to life. If you’re a Disney fan, or just curious to see how the magic is made, this will be a quick binge and a fun exploration.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

The Muppet Show, Now Streaming on Disney+ (Premiered February 4)
About: Were you a fan of the Muppets? They used to be a fixture on TV and in movies. Now, they come back every so often and it’s an event. This reboot of the old Muppet Show, a 30-minute special produced by Seth Rogen and featuring Sabrina Carpenter, returns some of the old magic. The special has plenty of guests, plenty of music, and plenty of laughs. It’s a piece of nostalgia for long-time fans that should also bring a new generation of fans into the world of the Muppets. It’s well worth seeking out.
Pilot Grade: B

The ’Burbs, Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered February 8)
About: Just in time for the Super Bowl, Peacock is premiering its new comedy series. This one features Keke Palmer and is a re-make of the 1989 cult classic film of the same name starring Tom Hanks. With Peacock dominated by the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, this will either get a lot of eyes or fade away. The whole series—eight episodes in all—were released on Sunday. It’s a slower time for new releases, which could make it a nice, bingeable option. In the new version, Samira Fisher (Palmer) is a lawyer and new mother who has moved with her husband (Jack Whitehall) out into the suburbs, into her in-laws’ former home. Here, and out of her element, she’s adjusting to life in a new place with plenty of time on her hands. She makes friends with a group of neighbors and becomes obsessed with the house across the street, which is abandoned and was the site of something awful. When it’s purchased by someone new, who moves in during the middle of the night, she becomes even more interested, along with the rest of the people in her cul-de-sac. This new series takes up on the original film and adds some twists. It’s a fun idea, which even has a few fun nods to the original film. As a fan of the film, which is now something of a cult classic, I was curious to see how this would be adapted. In the early going, I’m intrigued. The series is eight episodes, each about 40 minutes, making for a bit of a longer binge. We’ll see if it can hold up through eight full episodes, but the first two episodes move at a decent pace to set up the story.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

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