And now we’re on a roll.
Another batch of fall TV shows have premiered, so here’s my take on each new regular series show:
‘Wisdom of the Crowd‘
8 p.m. Sundays on CBS
As much as I’d like to see this show is original, it’s not.
It’s “Bull” but with more with police and crime and less with the law. Even Michael Weatherly and Wisdom’s Jeremy Piven sport the same look in the shows. And they’re on the same network!
Jeffrey Tanner (Piven) believes everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Very true, but it’s not as riveting to watch as one might expect, and there were two plot points that bothered me: the romance between Tanner and his associate was unnecessary, and the hacker issue was solved too quickly.
I appreciate the idea behind it, the idea that a social media network could crowdsource information to help solve crimes. It seems poignant and timely considering how many of us are on our phones 24/7.
Grade: B-
‘Ghosted‘
8:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox
Buddy comedy meets “The X-Files” in this comedy starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson.
Fortunately for them, the dry humor works well in this sci-fi mystery comedy. Scott and Robinson play off each other while portraying an ex-professor and ex-cop both in low points of life.
Unfortunately, the supporting characters are archetypes, and since they’re the behind-the-scenes brains of the mission, we’ll probably have to deal with the overdone antics and overplayed jokes.
Grade: B
‘9JKL‘
8:30 p.m. Mondays on CBS
By the time the opening credits started, I knew this show wouldn’t be good.
After toughing it out (and I mean that literally, most jokes were awkward or painful), I can safely say this show is terrible.
Full of has-beens and B-list actors (including Elliott Gould, David Walton and Liza Lapira), the premise of a family all living next door in the same New York apartment complex came off way too-over-the-top, and not in a good way.
Grade: D+
‘The Gifted‘
9 p.m. Mondays on Fox
This drama reminds me of “Heroes.”
The pilot focused on one family fleeing after their two children reveal they’re mutants by causing chaos at a school dance.
It keeps your interest as the family goes through many hoops, but the show was cheapened by Stephen Moyer‘s character.
The “True Blood” actor plays a prosecutor specializing in mutant cases, so he’s portrayed as a good-guy-gone-rogue. At the end of the episode, (spoiler) he’s shot, as if that wasn’t expected. His character is overall unsatisfying.
Grade: B-
‘The Mayor‘
9:30 Tuesdays on ABC
This comedy threw me by surprise.
The previews made it seem so chilly, but it’s a nice, actually funny, parallel to the last election cycle. Even David Spade makes a cameo looking a bit like our current president.
Lea Michele‘s campaign manager/chief of staff character is a bit too familiar — essentially a political version of Rachel Barry, her character on “Glee“— but this show has a heart that I’m interested in seeing more of.
Grade: A-
‘Kevin (Probably) Saves the World‘
10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC
Kevin last of the righteous, but he’s not a good person.
Maybe Kevin, played by Jason Ritter with the right mix of confusion, lazy and heart, will learn with the help from Yvette (Kimberly Hebert Gregory), a gift from God who gave up paradise for Kevin.
The casting of JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Kevin’s Amy sister is off — they don’t look anything alike — but this movie-like show has potential.
Grade: B