We’re barreling into October, and that means a flood of new shows is upon us. That’s even more true as we’re swinging full into Network premier season. So, what of these new shows is worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Thursdays:
9-1-1: Nashville, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC (Premiered October 9)
About: This is the second spin-off of the original series, but the first to originally air on ABC, now the home of 9-1-1. While the first spin-off, Lone Star, ended last year, this one offers further potential to expand the formula and the world. This takes the action to Tennessee and focuses on another fire company (sort of ditching the police aspect, at least in the pilot). And much like the first spin-off, this one puts family at the center. Chris O’Donnell plays Capt. Don Hart, who runs a local company with his son, Lt. Ryan Hart (Michael Provost). Within the first half hour, we meet his other son—Blue Bennings (Hunter McVey)—the result of an affair, and now the newest recruit. That keeps both Don’s wife, Blythe (Jessica Capshaw), and his former flame, Dixie (LeAnn Rimes), as a part of the action. Oh, and did I mention his sister-in-law (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) is the chief 9-1-1 operator. Yes, there are people outside the family in the cast. But this is already more twisty and more soap opera than the original, which was a direction the last spin-off went, often to its detriment. We did have time in the pilot for some interesting cases, and a guest appearance by singer Kane Brown. But this doesn’t have the punch of the original. If you’re a fan of the formula, this is a welcome addition. If not, this doesn’t establish itself as must watch TV in the pilot.
Pilot Grade: C

Fridays:
The Last Frontier, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV (Premiered October 10)
About: This new drama for Apple TV comes from Jon Bokenkamp, the creator of The Blacklist. This is another government action drama centered on bringing dangerous criminals to justice. This time, we kick off with a high-value target being loaded on a prison transport plane at a remote base in Alaska. Not long after takeoff, the plane experience a problem. It crashes near Fairbanks, setting dozens of prisoners free. This includes a former CIA operative (Dominic Cooper), who was being brought back to answer for crimes. Now, the local Marshal (Jason Clarke) is tasked with finding the operative and rounding up the rest of the prisoners. He’s soon sent a down-on-her-luck CIA Agent (Haley Bennett) who gives him some information but has an agenda of her own. Can they restore order? This is a fascinating concept for a drama, and the pilot really leans into the setting, the characters, and the potential. There are a few high-stakes sequences that work well. You can also see the seams of the show, which feel at times similar to his last outing. This is a bit different, and I liked the first two episodes released Friday, but I’m not completely sold, yet. There’s potential, and Clarke and Cooper are good in the early going, but it could devolve into some cliches quickly. Episodes run about an hour with the rest of the 10-episode season dropping weekly.
Pilot Grade: B+
Second Episode: B-

Sundays:
Brian and Maggie, Sundays at 8 p.m. on PBS (Premiered October 5)
About: This PBS special comes from director Stephen Frears. It’s a two-part mini-series featuring Steve Coogan as MP turned broadcaster Brian Walden and Harriet Walter as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Their interviews throughout her time in office became legendary. This mini-series focuses on their last interview, which was one of the last of its kind in terms of political commentary. The first episode focused on the past and establishing their relationship. The second focused on Thatcher’s later years, the final interview, and her stepping down. It features some good performances and it’s an engaging piece of entertainment, as well as a story that won’t be as familiar to American audiences. It was worth checking out.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Maigret, Sundays at 10 p.m. on PBS (Premiered October 5)
About: The Masterpiece Mysteries installment this Fall is Maigret, which is based on the set of novels about the French detective. Here, the adaptation is about a French detective in France, but all the actors are decidedly British. This then falls into a typical pattern of this type of series, with each big case running over the course of two episodes. The first case, in fact, wrapped up in the series second episode. If you’re a fan of these type of Masterpiece Mysteries, this will be a welcome addition. I thought it was an odd choice to keep the setting and nationality while not even attempting to be French in the production. But, to each his own. This isn’t the first time the novels have been adapted, but this doesn’t feel like a special or unique take aside from feeling very British. It’s OK, but hardly stands out in a crowded Fall landscape.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

The Chair Company, Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered October 12)
About: This is the latest comedy from Tim Robinson. He stars as a husband and father who just got a big promotion working on a mall. At the introductory press conference, he’s sitting in a chair that breaks on stage. It creates an embarrassing situation. Our hero can’t quite let it go and begins digging into the chair company, leading to a larger, possibly dangerous conspiracy. Robinson has a specific style of comedy. It either works for you or it doesn’t. That’s made his previous series—I Think You Should Leave—and his summer film Friendship as cult favorites. I’ll admit that his comedy style doesn’t work for me in the least. That makes this new series something of a tough watch. I thought the pilot—which runs about 33 minutes—was more cringe-inducing than entertaining. It’s likely a blueprint for what’s to come. If that kind of edgy, off-beat comedy is your bag, this will be a Sunday night treat. If his movie earlier this year (now streaming on HBO Max) didn’t work for you, this won’t, either.
Pilot Grade: C-

Streaming Series:
Red Alert, Now Streaming on Paramount+ (Premiered October 7)
About: Back in 2023, on October 7, Israel suffered a major terrorist attack. In remembrance of that day and the lives lost and those still being held captive, we got not one but two limited series exploring the events and the every day heroes that survived it. The first is Red Alert, which is a four-part series streaming on Paramount+. The episodes are about an hour and are somewhat somber, with some ongoing stories and a focus on some of those who were taken captive. This series comes from a singular point-of-view and probably means the most to those who were directly impacted. This would be like watching 9/11 content if you grew up in Spain and trying to relate. It wasn’t my favorite.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

One Day in October, Now Streaming on HBO Max (Premiered October 7)
About: This is the second October 7 project. This one follows largely the same blueprint as Red Alert and has many of the same problems. The episodes are shorter, around a half an hour, but there are seven of them. So, it’s about the same kind of commitment. This takes a different approach, at least through the first two episodes I watched. Each was a self-contained story with different actors looking at different people and how they experienced the events of the day. Each ends with a tribute to the lives lost, too. It’s an interesting approach and I liked the first two episodes here slightly better. Still, unless you’re taken with the subject, this probably won’t have big appeal.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Boots, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered October 9)
About: This new series for Netflix is based on the memoir The Pink Marine, from Greg Cope White. It is set in 1990, where a secretly gay teen, Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), joins the Marines as an escape from his everyday life where he lacks friends and is bullied. He hopes joining the Marines will change his fortunes and allow him to remain close to his friend, who has also joined. What he finds is an experience he never expected. The series is eight episodes, each about 40 minutes. That makes for a quick enough binge for those interested in the story, which is an exploration of Cope’s experiences and life in the United States in the 1990s. I enjoyed Heizer’s performance, and the rest of the cast is fine. But the story didn’t particularly grab me, and the episodes weren’t funny enough to make me laugh of compelling enough to leave me hooked. Likely your enjoyment will depend on how much the episodes grab your attention or match your preferred content style.
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.