Rundown of this summers US pilot shows.
Still feeling empty from the loss of Breaking Bad, Almost Human and Hannibal (which will be back) I have been on the search for something half decent to fill the void. So when I saw the sheer volume of new shows coming out of america this summer, I decided to watch all the pilots and make a list of the good, the bad and the fugly.
Here beith the list with categories I have deemed to be important. Following is a list I am still to watch. New pilots seem to be airing every few weeks so the list keeps growing...
Title: 7 Deadly Sins
Synopsis: Morgan Spurlock (the guy from 'supersize me') looks at the sins.
Boobs:
Verdict: Pilot was gluttony. It was fucking weird. It was like an episode of derren brown in the way it was shot. The interviwed people talk straight into a camera. Its like watching an arty 'short', but its 20 minutes long
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Almost Royal
Synopsis: Two royal poshies go to america and act awkwardly to elicit a response from some (mostly) southern yanks. Ali G-style mockumentary.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Amusing at times, the bloke is particuarly entertaining. Wouldn't be sad if I missed an episode.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and all subsequently.
Title: Black Box
Synopsis: A neuroscientist is a schizophrenic
Boobs: no, but she's a sex pest
Verdict: Weird and not what I was expecting in any way. Premise was good but the way it was shot was bizarre. Like, film-noir with a voiceover and sultry saxophone music and a realy heavy blur whenever the camera was on her. Never again.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: The Bridge
Synopsis: A body is found on the boarder between america and mexico. Both sides of the boarder have to investigate.Spoiler:
Boobs: No
Verdict: Seems ok. Its the US version of the popular Danish series which aired in the UK.
Second episode watched?: Not yet
Title: Chasing Life
Synopsis: She finds out she has cancer.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Dull. But that may be because the episode was setting up the series.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Crossbones
Synopsis: John Malcovich is blackbeard, set in the carribean, and some dude has been sent to kill him
Boobs: No
Verdict: Quite good. Good actors, big budget and could be quite promising. Visually refreshing, well directed but the script is a tad dull.
Second episode watched?: No, but I dont know why. I have all the episodes on my HD for future viewing.
Title: Extant
Synopsis: Halle Berry went to space and has an alien baby in her. Oh, and her husband buillt a robot child that looks bare real. Oh and some sneaky rich-people agendas are happening in the background.
Boobs: No
Verdict: The pilot was intruiging. Large budget, her husband is the handsome one from ER.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and all subseqently. Its dragging terribly but my sister loves it.
Title: Finding Carter
Synopsis: A teenage girl find out she was kidnapped as a child and her mother is really her kidnapper. Her biological family bring her home while her kidnapper, whom she loves, is on the run.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Really interesting premise. Other than that, its just a show for teenage girls.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Gang Related
Synopsis: A hispanic policeman has his roots with the cartel. He wants to be a good guy but the cartel keep calling in favors...
Boobs: No
Verdict: Seems ok, certainly watchable but there wasnt any exciting element to it, not enough to keep me watching anyway.
Second episode watched?:No
Title: Halt and Catch Fire
Synopsis: Some peeps in the 80's are stealing each others ideas in a race to build innovative personal computers. Has some basis on real events.
Boobs: No, but some sex
Verdict: Eh, I texted the whole time. Dull as fuck. Thought it would have been interesting because it was about computers. It wasn't.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Intruders
Synopsis: Some 'beings' take over humans bodies. But some of the humans don't know they have been taken over. Some do. Some are inbetween. Its hella confusing. John Simm is in it.
Boobs: No
Verdict: I totally zoned out it was that dull. I'll have to rewatch the whole episode. Atmospheric, slow moving and some lovely scenery.
Second episode watched?: No.
Title: Jennifer falls
Synopsis: Hot shot lawyer loses her eewell paid job because of her anger issues and has to move in with her mum.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Very different to anything else a watched. Its a comedy (sitcom?) with most of the cast from my name is earl. It also feels like you are watching my name is earl. I bet they made it.
Second episode watched?: I don't want to admit it, but yes.
Title: The last ship
Synopsis: A disease wipes out most of the most of the world except for some people on a ship. The people have to find a cure or something.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Its ok, good premise but the woman is extremely annoying and a bit over dramatic which is off-putting
Second episode watched?: No
Title: The Leftovers
Synopsis: 2% of the worlds population disappears, rapture-style. The show follows the aftermath for the people left behind and is set a year after the event. Christopher Ecclestone is in it. Liv Tyler is in it. Justin Theroux is in it.
Boobs: Yes
Verdict: Great. The Ecclestone episode sole it for me but back to the pilot. Very intriguing, well directed and a very simple show. Focuses mainly on relationships and peoples personal flaws. GR are creepy as.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and all subsequently. My favourite series at the moment.
Title: The Lottery
Synopsis: The whole world is infertile. It has been six years since a baby was born on earth. America have fertilised 100 embryos in vitro and to boost the presidents popularity, they have a 'lottery' to find the 100 surrogates.
Boobs: No, but shagging
Verdict: Nice premise. Has little to do with the lottery and is all about the corruption and finding out how the infertility came to be. Its a wee bit boring though.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and all subsequently
Title: Matador
Synopsis: A cop goes undercover as a baseball player to find out some shit with the promise of freeing his brother from jail
Boobs: No
Verdict: Meh. Its fairly light-hearted and the episode is obviously a set up for the rest of the series. Its ok, people would like it.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Married
Synopsis: A disfunctional hippy-ish couple. They are on the screen and they say things.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Its ok, different from all the cop shows. I ant put my finger on this one. It's indy-ish but I think it really tries hard to be that way. Characters are likeable/awkward.
Second episode watched?: Yes
Title: Murder in the first
Synopsis: Cop show. Malfoy is in it.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Its good actually, I'm just hard to please these days. The best of the cop-show bunch. Its quite serious, good storyline etc.
Second episode watched?: No, but I don't know why, have all episodes on HD
Title: The Night shift
Synopsis: Some people on a night shift in a hospital. Comedy?
Boobs: No
Verdict: Pish. Stopped watching after 5 minutes. Supposed to have a charming/funny guy? maybe? Eugh. Scrubs it aint.
Second episode watched?: NO
Title: Outlander
Synopsis: Set just after the war. A reunited couple go to scotland for a holiday. Somehow she goes back in time to the colonial era and meets a bunch of hairy scots who call her a 'hoor'
Boobs: No
Verdict: Very different to anything else on TV. Looks like a british production, reminicent of something you'd find on sunday evening on BBC1. I mean, its narrated for chrissakes. Could be ok, but was quite dull and was another setting-up episode.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Partners
Synopsis: Some old geezers trying to be funny or something. Kelsey Grammer is in it.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Had a laughter track. Stopped watching at the 5 second mark.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Power
Synopsis: Drug lord decides he wants to start a legitimate life and opens up a club which is successful. His wife is aware he does bad shit but doesnt want to know the details. He still has a drug empire but clearly hates what he does.
Boobs: Yes. Everywhere. Its 45 minutes of boobs and beatings.
Verdict: Very gangster. For what it is, its quite good and I can see people enjoying it. Not my cup of tea, a bit dark, a bit too serious. Hah, what is Hannibal then?
Second episode watched?: No
Title: Reckless
Synopsis: Police corruption and the lawyer wanting to expose it.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Eh. It started off really well. Really well. Then it became clear that some awful love story/tension would be going on in the background which ruined what would otherwise have been a good plot.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: The Strain
Synopsis: And old vampire has been building connections to allow his return. An aircraft is attacked and as it touches down the authorities find that everyone on board is dead. Or are they?
Boobs: No
Verdict: Fairly graphic if you like that kind of thing (Not as bad as say Dexter or Hannibal) and the pilot had some good bits of direction. Following episodes to not follow suit and it becomes a clown race.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and reluctantly, all subsequently
Title: Satisfaction
Synopsis: Business man finds his wife shagging another guy. When he confronts the guy it turns out he's a pr0stitute and the mans wife is just a client. The husband has the pr0stitutes phone and then in a bizarre turn of events, becomes a pr0stitute himself.
Boobs: Yes
Verdict: Well. Its one of a kind thats for sure, not in a good way. Its weird. I suspect it might attract the '50 shades of grey' crowd. I think its supposed to be sexy?
Second episode watched?: Yes, but I dont know why
Title: Taxi Brooklyn
Synopsis: A cop has her license revoked and ends up using a skilled taxi driver for high-speed persuits. Odd couple show.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Entertaining. Its like a 10p version of Almost Human. Full of american 'banter' and not much detective work. In an unusual turn, the taxi driver and the detective have no underlying romance, which is much appreciated. Not the best series in the world but I enjoy it for what it is.
Second episode watched?: Yes, and all subsequently
Title: Tyrant
Synopsis: A middle-eastern guy with an american family travel to middle-east-land for a family wedding. The guy is the son of a dictator and his brother is a disgusting brutal POS.
Boobs: ish
Verdict: Dark. Dark, Dark, Dark. Very moody and reminded me very much of homeland. Wraught with tension and atmosphere. Fantastic pilot (the best so far) but difficult to watch at times.
Second episode watched?: No, but I will
Title: Undateable
Synopsis: As title
Boobs: N/A
Verdict: Laughter track. Didn't make it through the first scene.
Second episode watched?: No
Title: You're the Worst
Synopsis: A couple of laid-back twentysomethings 'hook up'
Boobs: No
Verdict: Undecided. It's like the american version of Him & Her, but nowhere near as good. Not terrible. I mean, we all watched friends right? Its better than friends. Man, friends was such a pile of shit.
Second episode watched?: Yes
Title: Legends
Synopsis: The bourne identity. A guy that is particuarly talented at assuming new identities for long-term undercover operations, starts to discover that his own identity is not real. Sean Bean is in it.
Boobs: No
Verdict: Looks promising. Sean Bean is pretty brilliant in it. The episode is shrouded in intrigue and has certainly dangled a carrot. Final line of the episode: "WHO AM I?!"
Second episode watched?: Not yet.
Still to watch:-
Houdini
Hysteria
Manhattan
Red Band Society
The Divide
The Knick
Forever
Hand of God
Red Oaks
All this 'cos they bloody cancelled Almost Human...
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Originally Posted by DJ Overdose
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