Last week I watched almost all of the new US network shows to debut. Most I did not watch during week 2. Mixed-ish got a second look (though, I did get distracted midway through by washing some dishes), as did Stumptown. I couldn’t bring myself to watch any of the others.
It is usually in the 2nd and 3rd episode that I get a sense of whether I’m with a show for the long-term and I’m certainly feeling it with Stumptown. I appreciated the greater depth the episode gave to the Dex and Grey relationship though some well-executed flashbacks and the guest-cast was strong with Jay Duplass and Zosia Mamet appearing. Ratings held for week 2, which is promising for its long-term future too.
What haven’t I discussed? Evil. The new Robert & Michelle King (The Good Wife/Fight) show. I didn’t get to see it before last week’s TV guide email went out. The premise feels very X-Files with a skeptic and a believer exploring cases of the supernatural. But instead it felt a lot more like X-Files spin-off Millennium. The first episode was solid (not great), but it was a very strong foundation for the show to build from. I’m all in on it.
RETURNING SHOWS:
Carmen Sandiego (s2), S.W.A.T. (s3), SEAL Team (s3), Goliath (s3), Big Mouth (s3), The Blacklist (s7), God Friended Me (s2), Into The Dark (s2), The Simpsons (s31), NCIS: los Angeles (s11), Bob’s Burgers (s10), Family Guy (s18), The Rookie (s2), Robot Chicken (s10), Plebs (s5)
NEW SHOWS:
Raising Dion - Netflix (US)
Stars: Alisha Wainwright, Ja'Siah Young, Sammi Haney
A widowed single mom discovers that her son has super powers and tries to figure out how to raise him safely and responsibly.
Godfather of Harlem - Epix (US)
Stars: Lucy Fry, Forest Whitaker, Demi Singleton
In the early 1960s, infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson returns from 10 years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles; with the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control.
[ Watch Now - Epix ]
[ Watch Now - Stan ]
Almost Family - Fox (US)
Stars: Brittany Snow, Timothy Hutton, Megalyn Echikunwoke
A woman who grew up as an only child discovers that her dad fathered many other children as a sperm donor.
[ Watch Now - Fox ]
Catherine The Great - HBO (US)
Stars: Helen Mirren, Rory Kinnear, Georgina Beedle, Camilla Borghesani
The life of Catherine the Great toward the end of her reign during her affair with Grigory Potemkin; amid scandal, intrigue and immense conflict, they develop a unique and devoted relationship, overcoming their adversaries.
[ Watch Now - HBO ]
