By Matt Roush
Question: Which of the fall’s premiere shows have held up, and which ones have you had to let fall by the wayside? — Ryan
Matt Roush: My favorite network pilots at the time of Fall Preview were NBC’s This Is Us and ABC’s Designated Survivor. I’m still loving This Is Us, and I’m thrilled it’s a success, while I’m thisclose to bailing on Designated Survivor, which is falling victim to the sort of ludicrous plotting that doomed Quantico before its first season had even concluded. The inconsistency of tone on DS is so jarring week to week. The thriller aspects are more exasperating than thrilling, recently culminating in the FBI boss confessing to the terrorist’s murder to save his kidnapped son — and the administration buying it. Other new shows I’m still liking include ABC’s Speechless, NBC’s Timeless (hokey but fun) and the quirky The Good Place, Fox’s Pitch (though I haven’t stayed current) and as a guilty pleasure, Lethal Weapon. The biggest surprise: Fox’s The Exorcist, which kept getting scarier and better, with some truly jaw-dropping twists. If I had infinite time, I would have made more of an effort to keep up with The CW’s No Tomorrow and Frequency, but neither became priorities. Beyond network TV, favorite freshmen include FX’s Atlanta and Better Things, HBO’s Westworld and Insecure, and Netflix’s majestic The Crown.
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