Okay -- the new Fall TV season is rolling out.  Any early impressions?  Wanna give a show a grade?

For the new shows I've seen, here are some early comments.  I will typically give any new show a month or two before I finalize my opinions.  But here goes:


Lethal Weapon -- B-.  It's actually better than I expected, especially since I hated the "Rush Hour" summer show which was so horrible.  But LW is pretty good, but I wish the actor playing Riggs was more appealing & sympathetic.

Pitch -- C+.  It harps a little too hard on the woman's issues slant, and at the risk of sounding sexist, I wish the lead actor didn't throw like a girl (watch her elbow). 

The Good Place -- B+.  I like the creative premise, and I'm a fan of both Bell & Danson.  I'll watch.

MacGyver -- C.  It's pretty predictable, and the MacGyver character doesn't really improvise as much as the original show's main character.  It's more action -- car chase -- explosion and not so much creative thinking.

This Is Us -- B-.  It's this year's "Parenthood", so it'll take a long time to establish the characters' back stories.  Not all of these characters are appealing to me.

Son of Zorn -- B.  Has potential and has a creative premise.  We'll see...

Kevin Can Wait -- D.  Is a formulaic sitcom, no different from hundreds of other sitcoms.

Speechless -- B-.  Some of the premise is difficult to accept (like how quickly the disabled character can communicate with a laser pointer), but it's got a little potential, especially if some attention is given to the secondary characters.

Designated Survivor -- B.  It feels like a serial drama, and I don't like serial dramas.  A lot of the plot vehicles are a tad unrealistic, but we'll see where it goes.

"Designated Survivor" has been excellent (so far).

Bull -- D+.  There's a lot I don't like about this show:

...  "I can't afford a lawyer", complains the "victim" -- so who pays for the half-dozen staff members, the fancy state-of-the-art video toys, the mock trials, the dedicated detectives, the attendance of the lead character at every trial session, etc.?

...  It suggests that it uses illegal methods to get into the heads of the jurists. 

...  It implies that all our private information is on-line.  That might be true for some, but not all.

...  Not every defense lawyer will defer to the jury consultant.  That's not believable.

...  There's a lot of electronic communication going on in a courtroom, where such communication is not allowed.

...  It underlines that "perception is reality" and that truth is overlooked in our criminal justice system.

...  While I'm okay with the lead actor (Tony DiNozzo ), I tend to find shows with only one lead character tedious.

This show might make the cut, but it's far from the best of this year's offerings.

The Huffington Post's take on show to watch and shows to avoid.