Last fall we began taking a look at all the new network TV pilots debuting for the new year. Contributor Kara Gheldof continues that tradition this year. Here is part 1 of 3.
Interest Level Key:
1: Don’t wanna touch this with a ten foot pole.
2: I’ve never even heard of this.
3: Looks like shit.
4: Looks like shit but there’s one or two things I like.
5: Not my cup of tea but I can see the appeal for others.
6: Maybe. I’m giving it a couple episodes to prove itself though.
7: It has the potential to be good. I’m hopeful but cautious.
8: Bring it on. (a.k.a. I’m in for half a season at least.)
9: I am super stoked for this show; there’s maybe one thing I’m iffy about.
10: Have they renewed for season 2 yet?
Bob Hearts Abishola
The 5-second Description: Bob, a compression sock salesman, has a heart attack, falls for his nurse, Abishola, a Nigerian immigrant, and proceeds to woo her.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 1: Don’t wanna touch this with a ten foot pole.
Analysis: Bob (Billy Gardell) is rushed to the hospital after having a relatively mild heart attack. When he awakens, the first thing he sees is Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku), his nurse, and he is immediately smitten, even though she shows no signs of mutual attraction. Bob then spends the rest of the episode stalking Abishola (even finding out her address and going to her home), in an attempt to woo her and supposedly this is cute. Actually, according to CBS’s demographic, this probably is what they consider cute.
Chuck Lorre’s name on a CBS comedy is enough to turn me away so admittedly, I went into this pilot with an inherent bias, but the pilot did nothing to change my mind. Every character is one-dimensional with the exception, perhaps, of Abishola, but since the only role she plays so far is the unattainable exotic goal, it remains to be seen if she shows other dimensions.
Bob’s family, mother Dottie (Christina Ebersole), sister Christina (Maribeth Monroe), and brother Douglas (Matt Jones), are also his employees in his sock business, which is apparently successful, even though all three of them seem inept. A scene where Bob shouts at their supplier in China is played for a disproportionate amount of laughs. The writing isn’t particularly funny, so I think we’re supposed to be laughing because the dumb white people are speaking fluent Mandarin. That is the level of comedy we are working with here.
Abishola lives with her aunt and uncle (Shola Adewusi, Barry Shabaka Henley), and her young son, Dele (Travis Wolfe Jr.). The only thing we see of the aunt and uncle is their immediate suspicion when Bob shows up at their home after getting Abishola’s address from her coworker, who is 50/50 on whether she thinks Bob went there to murder Abishola. Real nice friend there. Later in the episode, Bob stalks Abishola some more by following her onto the bus, which he has never ridden on before. Bob muses that he thought there would be more weirdos on the bus before Abishola points out that he is the weirdo and this is super accurate but we’re still supposed to think it’s sweet.
Setting aside the normalization of Bob’s unwanted behavior, the show has a lot of other problems, the most demanding of which are that it is a comedy that is not very funny and a romance story with zero chemistry. It did not elicit even a chuckle from me and watching Bob and Abishola interact was uncomfortable. The majority of the writers, producers, and directors for this show appear to be white people, which is also a problem, because it probably means Abishola’s family will live up to every stereotype about Nigerians that Baby Boomers can summon up.
The writing staff is devoid of any actual immigrants; I would not have been shocked to learn that it was devoid of black writers as well, but the show has at least one person on staff who can speak from experience. Co-creator and co-star, Gina Yashere, who does not show up in the pilot, is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants in the UK, so it seems the show is at least somewhat based on her life experiences. I have no doubt the show will pat itself on the back for being ‘woke’ and groundbreaking when in reality it will be anything but, but I doubt this show will make it past season one. I mean, can you just imagine some announcer on CBS trying to pronounce the name of new breakout star, Folake Olowofoyeku?
Interest Level After Pilot: 1: Don’t wanna touch this with a ten foot pole. I thought about checking out episode 2 to see if Yashere brings anything new to the mix, but I honestly cannot muster an ounce of interest.
All Rise (CBS)
The 5-second Description: A look at the personal and professional lives of the judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs and cops who work at an L.A. County courthouse, with a focus on newly-minted judge, Lola Carmichael.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 2: I’ve never even heard of this.
Analysis: All Rise wasn’t on my radar at all prior to starting these reviews. I don’t usually keep up with law dramas and the official description of All Rise sounds beyond boring, but I will admit, after watching the pilot, that it was more enjoyable than I was expecting, and credit for that goes entirely to the characters and the actors that portray them.
CBS gets some credit for rescuing not one, not two, but three actors from Netflix’s recently-canceled Marvel shows (RIP), and two of them take up leading roles in All Rise, with Simone Missick (Luke Cage’s Misty Knight) playing the main character, Lola Carmichael, and Wilson Bethel (Daredevil’s Bullseye) playing her friend, Mark Callan, a gregarious and charming lawyer. The two (who never had any scenes together on Netflix) play off each other very well and it’s obvious that Bethel will become a fan favorite if the show is given the full season to explore its characters.
Missick is killing it as Judge Carmichael, fumbling through her first day on the job–sometimes literally. Lola is strong and principled while also managing to be a bit awkward and endearing. We sympathize with her and those she sympathizes with, proven when Lola shows compassion for an accused woman who was dragged into a full courtroom without pants on. Lola makes sure the young woman has a fair trial and, considering she ends up being innocent, the audience can be assured that Lola makes the right calls.
In spite of the fact that Missick is the clear star of All Rise, it is very much an ensemble show, with fair screentime being given to Mark (whose B plot case in the pilot was played for laughs) and public defender Emily Lopez (Jessica Camacho), with great supporting roles from bailiff Luke (J. Alex Brinson) and Lola’s abrasive assistant/court clerk, Sherri (Ruthie Ann Miles). Marg Helgenberger plays Lola’s mentor/superior, Judge Lisa Benner, but she isn’t given much to do in the pilot and it remains to be seen what direction her character will take.
All Rise is a drama but a very lighthearted one, if the pilot is anything to go by. It feels like a show that would have been better homed on ABC or NBC rather than CBS, and it competes with Fox’s new fall show, Prodigal Son, and NBC’s The Voice, which air in the same timeslot, though it is unlikely there will be much crossover in the audience. Although the pilot is rushed and a bit frenetic, the dialogue is not awkward and the characters are ones you want to root for. If it can rake in the ratings, it will be a perfect feel-good show to start off the week with.
Interest Level After Pilot: 7: It has the potential to be good. I’m hopeful but cautious. I’ll admit, I’m still not a law show fan, but I’ll stick around for a few episodes to see if this one maintains its momentum. I am also happy to support Simone Missick, a Detroit, Michigan native.
Prodigal Son
The 5-second Description: The son of a notorious serial killer grows up to be a criminal profiler and, after being kicked out of the FBI, aids the New York police department in catching other serial killers, while also dealing with his extreme neuroses and reconnecting with his imprisoned father after ten years apart.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 6: Maybe. I’m giving it a couple episodes to prove itself though.
Analysis: There is a LOT to unpack in this show, and they try to hint at all of it in the pilot episode. This makes for a frenetic and messy show, but I will not fault it for that alone, as pilots are often messy and ratings are necessary for a show to make it past the first couple episodes without being in mortal danger of cancellation.
Malcolm Bright (The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne) is an eccentric but manic criminal profiler who suffers from PTSD and violent night terrors; all of these–both the neuroses and the chosen career path–are a direct result of his father, Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen), a convicted and imprisoned serial killer called The Surgeon, who killed “at least” 23 people back in the 90s before being caught.
Malcolm, who often goes by “Bright,” his chosen surname to distance himself from his father, is kicked out of the FBI at the beginning of the show because they believe he is exhibiting “violent impulses” reminiscent of his father, and while the assertion is not fair, it’s also not entirely wrong. Malcolm’s night terrors are so violent, he sleeps with shackles and a mouth guard. He doesn’t seem interested in therapy, though, or avoiding anything that might trigger him, since he dives right back into the world of violent crime by accepting a liaison position with the NYPD. He is tricked into coming back by detective Gil Arroyo (Lou Diamond Phillips), with whom Malcolm has a storied past that is divulged near the end of the episode. Arroyo neglects to tell Malcolm that the killer he is requesting help with is a copycat killer reenacting The Surgeon’s crimes. This results in Malcolm consulting his father from his prison cell, their first meeting in ten years.
There is a lot more going on than the pilot has time to really explore. What is the story behind Malcolm’s first meeting with Arroyo? Why did he do what he did for Arroyo? Did the detective manipulate him into returning? Why did Malcolm continue to meet with his father after his incarceration and what caused him to stop? Did Martin really arrange the copycat to lure his son back into the fold? What exactly did Malcolm witness as a child and what makes his father think he is the “prodigal son”? This leads to the most important question, one which the show will probably be toying with until the final episode: is Malcolm like his father, capable of heinous violent deeds? Or are Arroyo’s instincts correct that Malcolm is “one of the good guys”?
There are two other detective characters (Aurora Perrineau, Frank Harts), one of whom may be a love interest, the other a rival, as well as Malcolm’s exceeding normal sister, Ainsley (The Orville’s Halston Sage), who is now a reporter, and his eccentric, affectionate mother, Jessica (Bellamy Young), who is almost definitely hiding something. Both Ainsley and Jessica wish Malcolm would stay away from the shady life he leads and try to steer him in different directions but it is clear that Malcolm is where he needs to be–whether that is because he shares his father’s psychosis or is determined to atone for it by proxy, it remains to be seen.
It’s hard not to get The Following vibes from this show, due to each show’s focus on the Silence of the Lambs-esque relationship between detective and killer (as well as the serialized nature of the show) but let’s hope that Sheen doesn’t chew the scenery like James Purefoy did. He may be fresh off Good Omens and riding high on his charisma but sometimes less is more. Sheen’s Martin Whitly is every bit the stereotypical cinematic serial killer. While most real-life killers have urges that stem from inadequacy or abuse, you get the impression that Whitly’s impulses are from some deeper source, propelling him to almost cult-like status.
My fear before watching Prodigal Son was that it would play off like the stereotypical modern procedural, and this will probably prove correct. I suspect much of the first season will be Malcolm and the detectives hunting down a serial killer of the week, all of whom improbably reside in New York City. He will consult with his father then brilliantly solve the crime while being criminally reckless in the process. If there was something special about Malcolm besides who his father is, I might be able to excuse his continued employment with the NYPD despite so many red flags. As it is, I suspect Arroyo will pull all the strings to keep Malcolm on the payroll, and we all get to watch the hot mess that ensues.
Interest Level After Pilot: 7: It has the potential to be good. I’m hopeful but cautious. – A slight upgrade. While the show was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be, I have faith that strong performances from Tom Payne and Michael Sheen can propel this show beyond expectations.
Bluff City Law
The 5-second Description: A spirited young lawyer returns to work at her father’s firm in Memphis after being estranged for three years.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 5: Not my cup of tea but I can see the appeal for others.
Analysis: Sydney Strait (Caitlin McGee) is a hotshot corporate lawyer who used to work for her father, renowned civil rights lawyer, Elijah Strait (Jimmy Smits), until their differences–and Elijah’s infidelity–pushed them apart three years ago. After Sydney’s mother dies (never having been seen onscreen), she is lured back to the firm by her father with a meaningful case involving a family man who has contracted cancer due to a corporate mishap.
The pilot pretty much revolves around the case of the week, but it blunders through the introductions of its characters. Sydney is supposedly a crusader of justice and a maverick, but she easily sold out to a soulless corporate job just to stick it to her dad. Elijah cheated on his wife, but since that happened in the past and we never even met his dead wife, it is easier to excuse his philandering ways.
There are some other partners at the law firm, an older woman and friend/confidant of Elijah’s (Jayne Atkinson), and two other guys with some sort of personalities (Barry Sloane, Michael Lewoye). I think Sydney used to be married to one of them but I can’t remember and I was too bored to rewind the show to clarify this information, much less commit any of these people’s names to memory. Even the law firm has a boring name: Strait and Associates.
The show rounds itself out with a spirited victory for Sydney and her underdog client. It also tries to create a hook with the revelation that a shy paralegal at the firm is actually Sydney’s half brother, from one of her father’s affairs. The former is formulaic and the latter is not as interesting as the show would like it to be. It is certainly not enough to save the show from its cringeworthy dialogue, like this exchange between father and daughter that breaks every rule of “show don’t tell” that even the most basic writer should remember:
“There’s a reason it was a disaster the first time! We’re both alphas! Two alphas just don’t mix! Not to mention, we’re total opposites with how we do the job. You’re conservative; I wage war!”
Did anyone in the writer’s room stop and read that line to themselves and still think that is how real people talk? Even for TV dialogue, that is beyond awkward. When my only visible reaction to a show is to cringe at it, you know it’s bad. I don’t know the younger stars on Bluff City Law, but Smits and Atkinson have better pedigrees than this. Perhaps the show gets better in episode 2, perhaps Sydney calms the hell down and stops harping on everyone like a banshee, but I likely won’t be watching.
Interest Level After Pilot: 4: Looks like shit but there’s one or two things I like. There is only one thing I liked, and it’s Jimmy Smits, but he alone is not enough to hold my interest.
Mixed-ish
The 5-second Description: A prequel spinoff of Black-ish that follows the childhood of matriarch, Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, growing up in a mixed race family in the 80s after moving to the suburbs.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 5: Not my cup of tea but I can see the appeal for others.
Analysis: In 1985, a young Rainbow “Bow” Johnson (Arica Himmel, with the adult Tracee Ellis Ross narrating) lived a carefree life on a hippie commune with her parents and two younger siblings… until the commune was raided and broken up for resembling a cult. Bow and her family are forced to relocate to the suburbs and integrate into regular society where the kids are forced to learn what they never realized in the commune: that they are not the norm and may have trouble being accepted–not because they are hippies, but because they don’t look like anyone else.
Having never seen an episode of Black-ish, I worried that I would be lost watching the pilot of Mixed-ish but it was not hard to follow, since it is a prequel and not happening concurrently. While there may be some jokes or references a new viewer could miss down the road, nothing in the pilot is inaccessible if you’re a new viewer tuning in.
Bow’s parents, Alicia and Paul, are played by Tika Sumpter and Mark-Paul Gosselaar and while both seem like interesting characters, there is not much time in the pilot to delve into their histories. Alicia adjusts to suburban life much more quickly than her husband, accepting a job at Paul’s father’s law firm. Paul and his father Harris (played by the always-hilarious Gary Cole) are nothing alike and Harris’ brash, say-whatever’s-on-his-mind attitude elicited some genuine laughs from me.
Paul and Bow initially resent the swiftness with which Alicia changes her look to blend in. While both come around at the end of the episode to bond as a family, it is obvious that the lifestyle clashes will continue to be a point of conflict for these characters. Alicia’s sister Denise (Christina Anthony) is another source of conflict, introducing the children to the notion that they must choose one of their sides (black or white) in order to fit in. The younger kids, Johan (Ethan William Childress) and Santamonica (Mykal-Michelle Harris) have great comedic timing, especially Santamonica, who also had me laughing out loud a couple times.
This is a great start for the show with seldom-explored subject matters that seem all too relevant to the times we live in. It will make a good companion to ABC’s family-oriented sitcoms if it can hold onto the ratings.
Interest Level After Pilot: 7: It has the potential to be good. I’m hopeful but cautious. I may not stick around long term for this show, but I think it has a real chance.
Emergence
The 5-second Description: A police chief in Long Island takes in an amnesiac young girl found at the site of a plane crash but finds herself embroiled in a mysterious plot when people come to reclaim the child, who is harboring many secrets.
Interest Level Before Pilot: 8: Bring it on. (a.k.a. I’m in for half a season at least.)
Analysis: Every season we get some sort of ‘event’ series, a sprawling, moody, science fiction or fantasy show that spreads its plot out over the course of the series. Last season, it was Manifest; in past years, we’ve had Lost, FlashForward, Salvation, V, Heroes, Revolution, and one series literally called The Event (subtlety is key). As you can tell by the pedigree above, this formula’s success is really hit or miss.
Emergence clearly has a lot to unpack and it will probably take its time. The show centers on Jo Evans (Fargo’s Allison Tolman), a police chief in Long Island’s Peconic Bay. She and her family are woken in the night by a brief power surge and a small plane crash on a local beach. Upon investigation of the crash, Jo finds a frightened young girl (Alexa Swinton) hiding nearby and takes her to the hospital. The girl can’t remember where she is from, what her name is, or whether she was on the plane, but without a mark on her, the latter seems improbable.
Some men posing as law enforcement try to apprehend the girl at the hospital but she sneaks away and hides in Jo’s car so the chief takes her home for the night. The child instantly bonds with Jo’s teenage daughter, Mia (Ashley Aufderheide) and Jo’s elderly father, Ed (Clancy Brown) and they give her a name: Piper, but there is clearly something off about the girl. Weird things seem to happen around Piper that defy the laws of physics. Later, a couple posing as the girl’s parents try to claim her at the station but Jo is sharp and prevents the potential kidnapping. She alerts her family and they spend the rest of the episode hiding from the mysterious people after her but it is clear this is only the beginning.
I was exceedingly pleased with Emergence. It did a lot of things right that these types of shows often botch. Jo’s teenage daughter isn’t a flippant brat who cares more about herself–she takes to Piper immediately, the way a big sister would, and doesn’t seem to resent her for the trouble the girl has brought to her family. The same seems to be true for Jo’s ex-husband and Mia’s father, Alex (Scrub’s Donald Faison), who obediently responds to Jo’s protective instincts, even if he feels they are slightly paranoid. Seeing this level of trust in a family–especially one that has been split by divorce–is beyond refreshing. Normally characters are so involved with their own interests, they repeatedly do stupid things just for the sake of ramping up tension or moving the plot forward. It has only been one episode, so it remains to be seen if Emergence will keep up their winning streak of having characters react sensibly to things, but it’s a good start, I must admit.
Also refreshing was Jo’s reaction to a stranger she finds near the crash site after it has been mysteriously scrubbed clean. Benny Gallagher (Owain Yeoman), an investigative journalist, seems to have an eye for conspiracies and knows more than he is letting on. Jo trusts him enough to bring him into her fold, and given that her instincts about everything else proved to be good, it seems like a good call, but Jo will undoubtedly keep him at arm’s length until she can know for sure.
Interest Level After Pilot: 9: I am super stoked for this show; there’s maybe one thing I’m iffy about. This will be a show I enjoy intensely for one season and then it will probably be canceled. This has nothing to do with the writing or the acting–Allison Tolman is, as always, insanely charismatic; she would have chemistry with a toaster if the plot required it. The unfortunate truth is that the show is filled with actors that are good but not exactly well-known and these shows only tend to survive with ‘bankable’ actors at the forefront. I hope I am proven wrong.
