We’ve made it to Labor Day weekend, which marks the end of summer. We’re still a couple weeks away from the real launch of the Fall TV Season, but our summer season is winding down. Still, we got a few new series for the final weekend. Which of these new series is worth the late summer investment? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted, and select unscripted, series this summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
English Teacher, Mondays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered September 2)
About: The latest from FX is a new comedy that seems ideally timed for the start of the school year. Brian Jordan Alvarez takes the lead as a high school teacher in Austin. The first two episodes kicked off on Labor Day with subsequent episodes coming weekly. The series isn’t exactly Abbott Elementary, but it does try to follow a similar format with a group of teachers who are friends, struggling along, and a principal who is slightly out-of-touch. But this series deals with decidedly different and more edgy topics as befits a cable series. Alvarez is solid in the lead role, and the stories are amusing. The first two episodes moved at a good pace and offered some comedy and insights, on both teaching and the culture. There’s plenty of opportunity for this to develop into a fun weekly addition to the television landscape.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Sundays:
City of God: The Fight Rages On, Sundays on Max (Premiered August 25)
About: This sequel series picks up after the events of the original film from 2002. It features some of the same characters and actors, moving the action from the 1970s to 2004 in the City of God, located just outside of Rio De Janeiro. I thought the pilot did a nice job of catching up to the action and catching up with the characters from the original. One of the best aspects of the film was the compact time frame and the way we followed these heart-breaking stories play out. Repeating the cycle in a more drawn-out fashion and minus some of the visual flourishes that made the original sing feels like a bit of a misstep. I was curious about a return to the world, but through two episodes it lacks the dynamics of the original.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C-

Streaming Series:
Kaos, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered August 29)
About: Netflix launched a new series from Charlie Covell (End of the F***king World) that is a new spin on the world of the Greek Gods. It follows Zeus (Jeff Goldblum), ruling in Mt. Olympus. But he’s a bit neurotic, realizing that humanity doesn’t fear and revere him as he’d hoped. When he notices a wrinkle on his brow, the begins to suspect it’s the start of a prophecy that could bring about an end of his reign. He’s right. We know that thanks to the all-knowing Prometheus (Stephen Dillane), who lets us know about the prophecy and points us toward the humans who are now in place and don’t realize they could bring about the end of an era. There is a blend of humor and action here, and it’s clear the makers are trying to create a kitschy and memorable series. But it doesn’t all click. The cast is solid, and the premise has promise, but the first two episodes were boring. The series is eight episodes, between 45-50 minutes, and all now available to stream on Netflix.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Terminator Zero, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered August 29)
About: The other Netflix series is a Japanese-style animated series that is meant as something of a prequel spin-off to the Terminator universe. As the series begins, in 2022, a band of rebels see a Terminator has been sent back to 1997, as Judgement Day approaches, to end Malcolm Lee. Lee is developing an AI that will compete with Skynet, and the Terminator heads back to make sure that threat is quelled. Hot on his heels is Elko, a soldier who is tasked with protecting Lee, his family, and his work. If this feels familiar, that’s because it’s very much a standard type of Terminator story. Here, we get it as an eight-episode animated series, each about a half an hour. The voice cast includes Timothy Olyphant, Sonya Mizuno, and Andre Holland, among others. It’s a clever idea and likely a nice addition to the landscape for fans of the original and fans of this style of animation. I thought as an original series it was a little cliché. Still, it’s a quick binge for fans.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.