Fall TV Roundup, Week 4

 We’re nearly through September. The network season is heating up with a lot of Fall premiers coming this week and next week. That leaves with you with plenty of options for what to watch, but you might be wondering what’s actually worth your time to check out. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
In the Line of Fire, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered September 21)
About: This new series stars Peter Krause and Hope Davis, among others, as a family of law enforcement officers spread across multiple agencies. They represent the FBI, Justice Department, US Marshals, and Secret Service. And now, they’re part of a targeted campaign that just might have ties directly to their family. In the second episode, it becomes a bit more clear that the ongoing story will bubble in the background while we have some cases of the week, often pitting the family against each other. Is it interesting? Sure. Is it overly compelling? Not totally. The show has a good lead-in and gets a jump on other network competition, but I'm not sure this will be a locked in hit for NBC.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Wednesdays:
Brothers, Streaming Wednesdays on Apple TV (Premiered September 23)
About: This new series stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as versions of themselves in this new comedy. In it, Woody brings his family to Austin to stay with Matthew and his family. It’s a tense time for Matthew as he’s honoring his late father and making a decision about running for governor of Texas. Meanwhile his mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), let’s slip a secret to Woody about how well she might have known his father. That gets Woody wondering if his best friend might actually be his brother, causing him to dig in as chaos ensues around them all. I like these two actors and their rapport with each other. They do a nice job in these roles and a nice job of bringing the comedy and the chaos to life. The episodes are about a half an hour, making for a short commitment. The first two episodes dropped Wednesday with subsequent episodes dropping weekly. This is a lot of fun.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: B+

Thursdays:
American Horror Story, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered September 24)
About: This is now the 13th installment of the horror anthology franchise from Ryan Murphy, who co-wrote and directed the pilot. For this latest installment, the franchise is paying homage to its own sick and twisted history. That means that though it’s an anthology with a new story, of sorts, this season, it’s more connected than ever to the past. We have copious characters from previous seasons popping up all leading to something seriously twisted and deranged. But if you haven’t been a faithful viewer, you’ll likely be a little lost. There is a new main plot, of sorts, but it’s not the sole focus. The first three episodes dropped on Thursday, each running about a half an hour, making it shorter than the past. Another three episodes drop next Wednesday, followed by two episodes a week until the finale just before Halloween. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you won’t want to miss lucky season 13.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Fridays:
S.W.A.T. Exiles, Airing Fridays on Starz (Premiered September 25)
About: For eight seasons, Daniel Hondo Harrelson (Shemar Moore) patrolled the streets of Los Angeles on S.W.A.T. for CBS. With that series ended, we’re getting a spin-off, this time moving to Starz. While it’s on a cable outlet, don’t expect much of a change to the formula or the style of episodes. We’re getting 45-minute run times and the same kind of action/violence that was in the original series as Hondo is brought back to try and wrangle a new team and save the S.W.A.T. program itself. The pilot episode lays out the new characters and world while springing into the first case. If you were a fan of the original series, this is worth checking out. S.W.A.T. Exiles is on Starz on Friday nights.
Pilot Grade: C+

Sundays:
Trespasses, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered September 20)
About: This new series takes place in Northern Ireland in the 1970s as a young woman (Lola Petticrew) begins an affair with a married man. This is much to the dismay of her erratic mother (Gillian Anderson), an angry drunk. The problem here is that the story feels painfully slow, and even through two episodes (half the run) it's not quite clear where it's going. It's based on a novel, which might offer a built-in audience. But despite the cast and setting, this didn't quite work for me.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C-

Streaming Series:
A Different World, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered September 24)
About: This is a re-boot of the sitcom created by Bill Cosby as a spin-off of his show that aired in the glory days of NBC. This one takes the action back to Hillman college and follows Deborah Wayne (Meleah Joi Moon), the late in life daughter of Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitney Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), who is there to carry on the family legacy. But she’s having a rough time settling in, while the university itself is having some serious issues that pull back in Dwayne and Whitney to intercede. This doesn’t feel like a classic tone. There is some comedy but it’s certainly not sitcom style. For fans of the original series, it be nice to dive back into this world. The full 10-episode series is now stream, with episodes each about a half an hour. It makes for a quick enough binge. I wasn’t taken with the plot here and wasn’t drawn into the characters. I wasn’t a devotee of the original, so there wasn’t enough of a hook. But for those who like the genre, this is worth checking out. Some of it felt quite stiff and didn’t quite land, both story wise and in terms of characters.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Wonka’s Golden Ticket, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered September 23)
About: Where to start with this? This is the latest reality show, a competition game show meant to capture the look, feel, and vibes of the original film from the 1970s. That includes an AI rendered voice of original Wonka star Gene Wilder, who leads the contestants through the game. If that sounds vaguely wrong and creepy, then you’re not alone. It’s also not lost on me that the kind of scheming required to win a competition show is the antithesis of what was needed to win in the original film. But, alas, anything for entertainment. The look here is solid, capturing some Wonka magic. And the games seem fine. The first seven episodes are all available to stream, each running about an hour. The final two will drop on Wednesday.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C-