New TV Shows To Watch, What To Skip (2017)
Fall TV Best Worst
MATT WEBB MITOVICH SAYS....
WATCH!
THE GIFTED (Fox): I hesitated to "Pick" two Marvel series, but 1) Runaways is that good and 2) this family-based tale of mutants on the run is very well-made, instantly engaging and packs the best, "Tune in next week!" cliffhanger of any fall pilot. (Monday, Oct. 2 at 9 pm)
MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS (Hulu): A clunker-free young ensemble (imagine!), an extremely well-cast "pride" of parents and an eerie, mysterious premise make for a Marvel series that will have you glued to the screen.(Tuesday, Nov. 21)
THE MAYOR (ABC): In the fall's best new comedy, a fun hook (young rapper runs for mayor as a lark, but wins!) is elevated by a top-to-bottom charming cast. Pure joy. (Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 10/9c)
SKIP!
9JKL (CBS): Inspired by series star Mark Feuerstein's real life, though it's very hard to imagine that his parents worked this blue. The great Linda Lavin and Elliott Gould deserve better.
Fall TV Best Worst
DAVE NEMETZ SAYS...
WATCH!
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (CBS All Access): Yes, I've only seen a trailer, but as a lifelong Trek fan, I'm trembling (Tribbling?) with excitement for the next chapter in Gene Roddenberry's outer-space opus — and the effects look incredible. (Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8:30/7:30c)
THE DEUCE (HBO): The Wire's David Simon dives headfirst into the sleazy muck of 1970s New York and emerges with a vibrantly colorful tale of sex for sale; Maggie Gyllenhaal highlights a stellar cast. (Airs Sundays at 9 pm)
KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD (ABC): It's (probably) too weird to last long, but this spiritual dramedy about a suicidal man tapped for celestial greatness is a real charmer, thanks to a winning lead performance from Jason Ritter. (Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 10 pm)
SKIP!
9JKL (CBS): Are we entirely sure that this corny throwback sitcom starring a fleet of TV veterans isn't one of those instantly forgettable sitcoms that aired between Friends and Seinfeld in the mid-'90s...?
Fall TV Best Worst
KIM ROOTS SAYS...
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THE MAYOR (ABC): Watch five minutes of Brandon Micheal Hall as a young wannabe rapper trying to put himself on the map by running for mayor of his small town, and I defy you to not get completely taken in by his charisma. The scenes when he's playing opposite Community grad Yvette Nicole Brown as his mom are the best. (Tuesday, Oct. 3, 10/9c)
THE DEUCE (HBO): An ensemble this big and a subject so titillating — seedy, 1970's New York City just as porn is about to become a real industry — could mean certain disaster... unless it's in the more than capable hands of David Simon (The Wire), who knows from complicated, nuanced, sweeping drama. Plus, as savvy hooker-with-big-plans Eileen "Candy" Merrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal is working at the top of her game. (Airs Sundays at 9/8c)
TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY (ABC): Kyra Sedgwick is the perfect pick to play smart, conflicted TV writer Jane Sadler, whose secrets start to get exposed when her young daughter goes missing one night. I thought this would be a pretty straightforward kidnapped-kid drama (which doesn't really interest me), but by the end of the pilot, just about every character has a possible motive/huge question mark blinking over his or her head, and I. Am. In. (Sunday, Oct. 1, 10/9c)
SKIP!
YOUNG SHELDON (CBS): [knock knock knock] TVLine viewers? [knock knock knock] TVLine viewers? [knock knock knock] TVLine viewers? The most annoying Big Bang character is even worse as a child, and though Scandal alum Zoe Perry gives a warm, well-acted turn as the baby genius' mom, spend your precious TV-viewing time elsewhere this fall.
Fall TV Best Worst
MICHAEL AUSIELLO SAYS...
WATCH!
GHOSTED (Fox): This X-Files sendup was always going to live and die by the chemistry of its two leads, and I'm happy to report that Adam Scott and Craig Robinson make a hilariously goofy team. The show's secret weapon, however, is Ally Walker as the pair's authoritative-yet-idiosyncratic boss. Something is off about her and I am here for it.
YOUNG SHELDON (CBS): What the Big Bang prequel's pilot lacks in flat-out guffaws it more than makes up for in Wonder Years-esque charm. And the cast — from Iain Armitage's eerily spot-on Sheldon to newcomers Montana Jordan and Raegan Revord as his hilariously apathetic TV siblings — is aces. In fact, the family's repartee is so effortless and natural that I'm convinced the actors are secretly related.
THE MAYOR (ABC): The fish-out-of-water sitcom unapologetically wears its enormous heart on its sleeve, but a generous serving of sarcasm keeps the sentiment in check. And I defy you to find a more likable leading man than Brandon Micheal Hall's improbable politico.
SKIP!
9JKL (CBS): The best thing I can say about this urban take on Everybody Loves (Single) Raymond is that leading man and EP Mark Feuerstein seems to be having a really good time, and his infectious energy occasionally elevates the meh-terial. But the whole thing feels derivitative and pointless.
Fall TV Best Worst
RYAN SCHWARTZ SAYS....
WATCH!
THE DEUCE (HBO): The Wire's David Simon and George Pelecanos manage to make the seedy streets of 1970s New York a captivating backdrop for this stellar ensemble drama. (Airing Sundays at 9/8c)
GHOSTED (Fox): The pilot is nearly all exposition, but this X-Files-esque comedy is oozing with potential, thanks in no small part to the chemistry between leads Adam Scott and Craig Robinson. (Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8:30 pm)
YOUNG SHELDON (CBS): Big Little Lies' Iain Armitage is perfectly cast as a young Sheldon Cooper in this endearing Big Bang Theory prequel, which immediately embarks upon uncharted territory by exploring the relationship between Sheldon and his father. (Monday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 pm)
SKIP!
9JKL (CBS): Even worse than the title is the show itself, which manages to embody everything people hate about multi-camera sitcoms. Easily the worst new show of the fall.
Fall TV Best Worst
ANDY SWIFT SAYS...
WATCH!
ME, MYSELF & I (CBS): Here's a sentence I never expected to write: This multi-generational Bobby Moynihan comedy has a lot of heart — much of which comes from breakout actor Jack Dylan Grazer (It) as his character's younger self. (Monday, Sept. 25 at 9:30/8:30c)
DYNASTY (The CW): I'm a sucker for trashy primetime soaps, and this reboot — though not perfect — scratches a very particular itch. Worst case scenario, I just hope we get to meet Alexis 2.0 before the ax is dropped. (Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9 pm)
MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS (Hulu): If you only watch one new Marvel show this fall, make it Hulu's teens-vs.-parents joint featuring a cool cast, compelling story and absolutely no giant, teleporting dogs — not that there's anything wrong with that. (Tuesday, Nov. 21)
SKIP!
9JKL (CBS): Though this cliché-riddled sitcom is technically considered a comedy, there's something so tragic about the way it allows a cast of talented comedic actors to drown in a sea of uninspired, unfunny jokes.
Fall TV Best Worst
VLADA GELMAN SAYS....
WATCH!
MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS (Hulu): Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage's comic book adaptation is far and away the best new Marvel show coming out this fall. (But The Gifted is also fun.) (Tuesday, Nov. 21)
TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY (ABC): Instantly engrossing, full of intrigue and flowing with secrets, the Kyra Sedgwick thriller is the TV equivalent of an addictive page-turner. (Sunday, Oct. 1 at 10/9c)
YOUNG SHELDON (CBS): The Big Bang Theory prequel is much sweeter than its snarky older sibling, and the talented young cast rivals the kids on ABC's family comedies. (Monday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 pm)
SKIP!
VALOR (The CW): I hate to say this because The CW has produced some of my favorite pilots in recent years (e.g. Jane the Virgin, iZombie, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), but this overly soapy military drama is a misfire.