I would be lying if I told you that I’ve seen all the pilots of all the new series of this Fall 2016 TV season. So, I won’t do that. Instead, here are my opinions of the shows that I have seen (in alphabetical order):
Atlanta: Although I bought the Season Pass for this show in iTunes, I’ve only watched the first episode, but I’m so ready to watch the rest. Donald Glover is the creator and main character (Earn Marks). He’s just amazing. The writing is witty and sophisticated, but most of all it feels real. It’s very different from anything else on TV now or ever. I was hooked from the first few minutes and so will you.
Better Things: I really didn’t want to like this show, mainly because maybe I’m already watching too many tv series, but mostly because shows about family and parenting make me feel like a bad mom. The exception to that was Parenthood, which actually taught me a few things. But, as with Atlanta, this show feels real and never-before-seen. Here we can watch the frustrations, the struggles, the hard work of being a mother, and the comedy, and that’s only in the first episode. Yeah, I’ll continue to watch.
Grey’s Anatomy: I’m pleasantly surprised with the first two episodes of Grey’s. The show is in its 13th season and it feels strong, despite the loss of McDreamy and Callie. This has always been Rhimes’ best vehicle and it’s still going strong. I also love the new season’s graphic, a complete departure from previous visuals and it works.
Notorious: Truth be told, the only reason I wanted to watch this show was because of Daniel Sunjata who plays high-powered lawyer Jake Gregorian. The series has been compared to a Shonda Rhimes creation, something that it is not. I liked the pilot, and while it’s not great television it’s fun fluff (although I am a little disappointed in Sunjata’s acting). In any case, I’d rather give this new one a shot than continue to watch the ridiculous plot lines in Scandal or the bad acting in How To Get Away With Murder.
Pitch: I don’t like baseball, at all. But, I really liked the pilot in this show. Sure, it’s predictable and formulaic but the acting is good and the concept even better. Love the lead actress Kylie Bunbury, and I’ve always loved Mark-Paul Gosselaar, although I was surprised to find that he looks a lot older than he did on Franklin & Bash, which only ended two years ago. I’m not sure how they will continue to develop the story following a pilot where the main character overcomes her doubts to triumph in a major league game. I guess I’ll have to keep watching.
This Is Us: While this show has gotten good reviews, I found it really sappy. Plus, I wasn’t too happy with the ending of Episode 2. The acting is good, however, and there’s Milo Ventimiglia in a lead role. He electrified Gilmore Girls, back in the day, and I’ve always wondered why I didn’t see more of him on TV (maybe because I wasn’t watching the shows in which he was playing). This show has been described as a great alternative to Parenthood. So, I’ll stick to it for a while.
Other shows I’m dying to discover with a later release date: Insecure, The Crown, and Versailles. It’s being said that this is one of the strongest fall seasons ever on TV. I believe it and I’ll be watching.
