I’ve managed to wrap up When They See Us which was obviously a compelling story but I wasn’t that blown away by the four part series. Also managed to catch Pen15 and This Way Up both noted on a few best o’ lists and both had moments that I thought really worked, but not sure they’ll make my list. And caught the very quick presentation of season two of Making It that always has a unique creative approach from the contestants. I’ll still plug away at some backlog mostly making sure that I’m catching as many hidden gems before I do my top tv of 2019 list (stay tuned). But also tempted to dive into You which was a very fun diversion on Lifetime last year and picked up some steam on Netflix where season 2 will now live.

• Dare Me (USA) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/29 – Murder mystery and cheer leading, bring it on.
• Messiah (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/1 – A CIA officer investigates whether a man is a messiah or a con.
• Spinning Out (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/1 – Figure skater turns to pairs after a fall.
• Thieves of the Wood (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/2 – 18th-century Belgium shows a revolt against the corrupt aristocracy.
• Deputy (Fox) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/2 – No early reviews but I enjoy Stephen Dorff and would be happy for him to take a good turn as sheriff.
• Dracula (Net) Series Premiere, Saturday 1/4 – Back to the classics in 1897 London.

More streaming:

• Crash Landing on You (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 12/24 – A South Korean woman accidentally para glides into North Korea.
• The Bonfire of Destiny (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/26 – 1897 Paris show where three women’s lives are changed by a fire.
• The Gift (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/27 – Mystery in Istanbul as a painter unearth secrets.
• The Neighbor (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 12/31 – More superheroes, this one is Spanish, based on a comic.
• Yanxi Palace (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 12/31 – Chinese Qing dynasty princess has adventures.

Returning streaming: Carole & Tuesday (Netflix, 12/24), Lost in Space (Netflix, 12/24), Terrance House (Netflix, 12/24), Murdoch Mysteries (Acorn, 12/25), You (Netflix, 12/26), Alexa & Katie (Netflix 12/30), The Degenerates (Netflix, 12/31).

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST.

A light couple of weeks for new series as we get into the holiday season and gear up with Fall Finales, not sure when that term was introduced but basically it means everyone is taking a long break for the holidays. Gives me more time to catch up on some things as I turn to year end best of lists. I also managed to wrap Big Love which kept the novel topic interesting with its multitude of layers though a bit uneven throughout the years and Catastrophe which was a unique, funny, and terrible look at a couple’s relationship.

• Soundtrack (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/18 – Romantic musical drama follows the love stories of a group of peeps in LA.
• Wisting (SundN) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/18 – Crime thriller based on novels by Jorn Lier Horst following an American serial killer in Norway.
• Twice Upon a Time (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/19 – A dude receives a package that could help him win back his ex.
• The Witcher (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/20 – Monster hunter?

Returning streaming: The Expanse (Am, 12/13), Ultraviolet (Net, 12/19)

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Where varied times noted are typically PST.

I managed to wrap up the series Fleabag (second season of this off comedy even better than the first) and Transparent (some great television throughout the run and while the musical finale wasn’t must see tv it did a decent enough service to the odd tale). And the latest seasons of Goliath (odd but still sort of compelling, I’ll stay tuned for one more final season), Mr Inbetween (the second season leaned further into his brutal ways and worked), and It’s Always Sunny (always manages to find new ways for these terribles to entertain us).

The holiday season brings an odd balance of new, most of which little critical word seems to be available. I did enjoy the first season of reality fares Making It so likely tune back in to that and Project Runway which is back with Christian and Karlie.

• Merry Happy Whatever (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/28 – A father played by Dennis Quaid meets his daughter’s new boyfriend in this comedy.
• Servant (App+) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/28 – M Night Syamalan brings his thrills to tv as a couple hires a nanny to care for a lifelike doll after the loss of their child.
• Harley Quinn (DC) Series Premiere, Friday 11/29 – New animated take with Kaley Cuoco voicing the woman most known for going out with the Joker and her cohort Poison Ivy voiced by Lake Bell.
• The Gulf (SundNow) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/4 – A New Zealand set cop drama where a cop loses her memory and husband in a car crash.
• The Moodys (Fox) Minseries Premiere, Wednesday 12/4 – A three night comedy event with Denis Leary and Elizabeth Perkins as a couple reuniting with their adult kids in Chicago.
• V Wars (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/5 – V stands for vampire as Ian Somerhalder finds himself on the other side of vampireness.
• Truth Be Told (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 12/6 – Based on the true-crime novel a podcast host looks into her most famous case as new evidence turns up.
• Virgin River (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/6 – Searching for a fresh start a nurse practitioner moves to a remove NorCal town.
• The L Word: Generation Q (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/8 – A sequel to the series that ran 2004-2009.

More streaming:

• Levius (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/28 – This Japanese anime series looks at a young up and comer in metal boxing.
• Mythomaniac (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/28 – French dramedy has a woman feign an illness when she suspects her partner is cheating.
• The Road to Love (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/4 – This Latin romantic dramedy follows a woman from a family of macho truckers and goes it on her own.
• Home for Christmas (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/5 – This Scaninavian comedy has a woman needing to get a boyfriend fast.
• Three Days of Christmas (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/6 – Spanish drama looks at the secrets of four sisters.
• Triad Princess (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/6 – Chinese romantic dramedy where the daughter of a triad boss finds her way into being a bodyguard and finding love.

Returning streaming: Chip & Potato (Net, 11/29), Team Kaylie (Net, 12/2), Tell Me a Story (CBSAA, 12, 5), Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Am, 12/6), O Escolhido (Net, 12/6).

So I’ve had a little time to catch up on network tv and the shows that have been maintaining are Stumptown, Evil, Emergence, and The Unicorn. Though diverse in subjects each has good characters that I’m interested in following. Turns out I also get a year of free AppleTV+ since I bough an iPad and though I haven’t gone in yet planning to take a look at The Morning Show and Dickinson.

• High School Musical: The Series (Dis+) Series Premiere, Tuesday 11/12 – Based on the TV movies this series starts with auditions of course, if you’re into this then you might be into this.
• The Mandalorian (Dis+) Series Premiere, Tuesday 11/12 – Live action Star Wars series follows this guy across the galaxy, I’m so out of touch with Star Wars these days.
• Dollface (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 11/15 – Kat Dennings returns to comedy series as a woman who is just dumped trying to rebuild friendships, no word on this quirky show yet but Dennings (2 Broke Girls) has appeal.
• Mad About You (Spec) Series/Season Premiere, Wednesday 11/20 – We pick up with Jamie and Paul when their daughter goes to college but not entirely sure what spectrum.com is.
• Cheat (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/21 – This dark drama is a four part psychological thriller set in academia.
• Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 11/22 – Anthology series based on Parton’s songs, there’s something for everyone I suppose.
• The Feed (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 11/22 – Based on the book it’s a futuristic look at humankind’s interaction with technology.

More streaming:

• The Club (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 11/15 – In this Mexican drama misfit rich kids get into trouble dealing MDMA.
• The Stranded (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 11/15 – This Thai teen thriller has elite students trapped on an island by a tsunami.
• Mortel (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/21 – In this French fantasy, crime show two unlikely high schoolers with powers join forces.

Returning streaming: Motherland (SundN, 11/12), The Crown (Net, 11/17), No Activity (CBSAA, 11/21), High Seas (Net, 11/22), National Treasure (Hulu, 11/22).

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Where varied times noted are typically PST.

But wait there’s more…

• Treadstone (USA) Series Premiere, Tuesday 10/15, 10pm – This Bourne spinoff series takes a look at other sleeper agents.
• Limetown (FB) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/16 – Jessica Biel returns to tv where she plays a radio host looking into the disappearance of 300 people at a neuroscience facility.
• Living with Yourself (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/18 – Some early good buzz for this series where Paul Rudd plays two versions of himself, the original and the ‘improved’ version created when he went to a spa.
• Looking for Alaska (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 10/18 – Based on a Joh Green novel of boarding school and I think Alaska is a person.
• Modern Love (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 10/18 – Also good buzz for this anthology series of romantic comedies with stars like Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway, Catherine Keener and of course some dudes.
• Watchmen (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10/20, 9pm – Based on the graphic novel of an alternate today and done by Damon Lindelof this too is getting good buzz.
• Catherine the Great (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 10/21, 10pm – Four-part limited series with Helen Mirren playing the Russian empress.
• The Oval (BET) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/23, 9pm – Tyler Perry’s take on a new first family moving into the White House.
• Sistas (BET) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/23, 10pm – Tyler Perry’s take on a group of single black women.
• Daybreak (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/24 – A teenage outcast searches for his lost love in this post-apocalyptic tale.
• Brotherhood (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/25 – Brazilian thriller shows an honest lawyer and her incarcerated brother.
• Zomboat! (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 10/25 – Zombie survival via boat?
• Mrs. Fletcher (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10:30pm – Kathryn Hahn takes on the role of mother starting a new chapter in her life, mixed reviews on this on.

Returning streaming: Impulse (YT, 10/16), Baby (Net, 10/18), La Casa de las Flores (Net, 10/18), Meateater (Net, 10/18), Castle Rock (Hulu, 10/23), Greenhouse Academy (Net, 10/25), The Kominsky Method (Net, 10/25).

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST.

Last week was a busy week, I am likely going to give another watch to most network shows other than passing on Bob, Mixed-ish, and Bluff City Law. And now we’re back to a good steady pace of new shows with the wrapping up of Ink Master this week I’m intrigued for Ink Master Grudge Match, as well as returning MSec and Mr Robot.

• All Elite Wrestling (TNT) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/2 – Will wresting return to the glory days of early cable?
• Almost Family (Fox) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/2, 9pm – A good cast with Timothy Hutton and Brittany Snow among others is promising but the weird premise, fertility doc uses own sperm, might not strike the right tone.
• Raising Dion (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/4 – Raising a kid with special abilities poses its own set up unique challenges based on the comic book, no real word on this yet.
• Batwoman (CW) Series Premiere, Sunday 10/6, 8pm – Ruby Rose takes the title character Kate Kane back to Gotham, intrigued by superhero reboots the CW versions have been falling a little flat for me but Rose could give new life so we’ll see on this.
• Press (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 10/6, 10pm – A British drama showing journalists juggling challenges both personal and professional.
• Nancy Drew (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/9, 9pm – Follows Riverdale and seemingly wants to follow in similar vein, this updated story starts with Nancy caught up in her mother’s murder.
• Breaking Bad: El Camino (Net) Special presentation, Friday 10/11 – I occasionally regret dropping this series after season 2 but for the many dieharders this is a movie picking up at some point.
• The Birch (FB) Series Premiere, Friday 10/11 – Based on a short film this horror series is look at the relationship between a teenager and the protector of the woods.

Additional streaming:

• Seis Manos (Net) Series Premiere, 10/3 – Three orphaned martial arts warriors join forces with the DEA and Mexican Federale.
• My Country: The New Age (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/4 – Historical Korean drama set between dynasties about people who desire power while protecting their faith.

Returning streaming: Carmen Sandiego (Net, 10/1), Sorry for Your Loss (FB, 10/1), Big Mouth (Net, 10/4), Creeped Out (Net, 10/4), Goliath (Am, 10/4), Into the Dark (Hulu, 10/4), Light as a Feather (Hulu, 10/4), Peaky Blinders (Net, 10/4), Rotten (Net, 10/4), Super Monsters (Net, 10/4), Legend Quest (Net, 10/5), Haunted (Net, 10/11), Insatiable (Net, 10/11), Plan Coeur (Net, 10/11), Yoohoo to the Rescue (Net, 10/11).

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST.

Fall is here! Depending on where you are it still feels a lot like summer but tv waits for no man. I did my note of returning fall tv but in lieu of an intriguing new fall tv post without any advanced knowledge on many of these series I’ll call out anything I’m particularly looking forward to or have reason to believe it might be worth a look.

• Team Kaylie (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 9/23 – Teen celebrity gets a court order to lead an inner-city wilderness club for some reason.
• Bob (Hearts) Abishola (CBS) Series Premiere, Monday 9/23, 8:30pm – The latest Chuck Lorre comedy and while this could be the next gem the previews make it feels a bit like a Mike & Molly with immigration instead of weight as the hook as this romance takes off, maybe.
• All Rise (CBS) Series Premiere, Monday 9/23, 9pm – New judge tries to do things the right way, maybe.
• The Prodigal Son (Fox) Series Premiere, Monday 9/23, 9pm – Serial killer’s son helps solve crimes with what looks like the help of dear old dad, some early interest.
• Bluff City Law (NBC) Series Premiere, Monday 9/23, 10pm – Jimmy Smits returns to the courtroom in this new drama as his daughter returns to the firm following the mother’s death, maybe.
• Mixed-ish (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/24, 9pm – I never quite connected with Black-ish or Grown-ish but they both have ingredients I wanted to like more than I did so we’ll see on this.
• Emergence (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/24, 10pm – Another genre show, this one with Allison Tolman playing a cop who takes in a girl unscathed by a mysteries crash, and intrigue ensues to see if this could rise above some similar attempts.
• Stumptown (ABC) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/25, 10pm – This is my dramatic pick of the season with Cobie Smulders as tough PI, you know a little messy but trying to do the right thing, based on a graphic novel.
• Cake (Fxx) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/25, 10:30pm – Life action and animated short form animation, unknown but could have some good bits in the mix.
• Creepshow (Shud) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26 – This anthology series based on the film by Stephen King, unknown but could have some good bits in the mix.
• Perfect Harmony (NBC) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26, 8:30pm – Anna Camp and Bradley Whitford helm a church choir in need of help premise which hopes to bring the best elements of a Pitch Perfect with a little more hard on their luck comedy, good ingredients might make this work.
• The Unicorn (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26, 8:30pm – Walter Goggins more known for playing more sketchy guys in dramas stars as a widow starting over, including dating, and this looks to have good cast and some early signs of good comedy, comedy pick of the season.
• Carol’s Second Act (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26, 9:30pm – Patricia Heaton plays a divorce who takes a late in life career path is worth a look to see if her sitcom luck holds out (and I’m going to ignore the fact that she’s 61 playing a 50 year old, why?).
• Sunnyside (NBC) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26, 9:30 – Kal Penn stars as a scandal ridden councilman turns to tutoring Queens residents prepping for their U.S. citizenship test, strikes as a light premise but who knows maybe it’s the next Community.
• Evil (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/26, 10pm – This reads a little X-File-ish and a trio look into the scientific vs. supernatural display of evil, but with the Good Wife/Fight Kings at the helm this could stand out and I’m intrigued to see what they’ll do with this.
• The Politician (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/27 – Ryan Murphy’s latest introduces us to high school student with aspirations of Oval Office by way of student body president and this dark humor has potential to strike some right cords.
• Bless the Harts (Fox) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/29, 8:30pm – A new addition to the animated lineup, the voices of Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig among others bring some hope to this family and their hijinks.

More streaming:

• Bard of Blood (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/27 – Former Indian spy leads a rescue mission.
• Skylines (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/27 – German hip-hop producer gets caught up in the drug business.

Returning streaming: Abstract: The Art of Design (Net, 9/25), Glitch (Net, 9/25), Liza on Demand (YT, 9/25), Explained (Net, 9/26), El Marginal (Net, 9/27), Transparent (Am, 9/27).