We’re making our way through January and the flood of new shows continues. With winter gripping most of the country, you might have some extra time on your hands. But what of these new shows is worth the effort? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Mondays:
Memory of a Killer, Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX (Premiered January 25)
About: This new network drama got a two-night premier. It stars Patrick Dempsey as a hitman who is suffering memory loss. That impacts his work and his life as he tries to evade capture. It’s a high-profile swing that got a premier behind the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Then it settled into its regular Monday timeslot with episode No. 2. It’s a big swing for FOX, looking for a meaty new hit show. The cast is solid, including Michael Imperioli as the boss who directs Dempsey’s Angelo Doyle. He also is leading a double life, trying to keep his daughter and family a secret. By the end of the pilot, we see that attempt implode. We also see that Angelo’s memory is starting to fail, leaving him in a precarious position. The second episode deepens the mystery and the problems. Both moved at a decent pace. This feels like the kind of series that has a clock on it due to the premise, but I’m enjoying the ride so far.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Wednesdays:
The Beauty, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered January 21)
About: This new show from Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson based on the comic book of the same name from Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley. It’s about a corporation that invents a drug that provides you beauty. It’s also transmitted as an STD. It causes violent changes in a person and has some very violent side effects for users. We split our time between those who have been changed by it, the corporation that is trying to keep it a secret, and the FBI agents investigating. The cast includes Ashton Kutcher, Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, and Rebecca Hall, among others. It’s a wild swing that has some very violent sequences. It will also remind you of The Substance, an Academy Award-nominated film from 2024. That comes despite this being based off a different source material. It’s the style here that feels a bit like a rip-off. It’s also not that great. The acting is a series of choices. The style is in-your-face. And the story, through the first two of three episodes dropped on the premier, was a lot. The pilot runs about an hour, the second episode being more like a half hour. So, the run times vary wildly. The series has an 11-episode season, with three out now and the rest dropping weekly. It wasn’t for me, but if you’re a Ryan Murphy completist, this will be your jam.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Fridays:
The Nowhere Man, Fridays on Starz (Premiered January 16)
About: This new action series is set in South Africa, focusing on a former soldier who is called to help those in need. In the pilot, that meant saving an abused spouse whose drug-dealing husband was still posing a threat from jail. The second episode wrapped up that particular storyline in about as violent a way as you’d expect. The rest of the six-episode season will focus on him plying his skills to help others who have no other option. If you’re looking for a fairly generic action series, this is your jam. But it’s on an obscure site at an odd time without much of a recognizable cast. It’s fine as an action piece, but hardly compelling. Episodes are released weekly and run about an hour.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Sundays:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO (Premiered January 18)
About: This new series from the world of Game of Thrones takes place before the action of the original series and is based on a series of novellas that bring a lighter side to Westeros. The series, which runs about a half hour an episode, is attempting to do the same. The pilot offered an introduction to Ser Duncan the Tall, better known as Dunk (Peter Claffey) and his would-be squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). We didn’t learn much about Egg in the pilot, but that’s coming, I’m sure, as Dunk tries to find someone to vouch for him so he can enter the tournament. The second episode spent more time with Dunk and Egg together, and that was somewhat magical. I picked up the humor better in episode two, which felt tighter. There is some promise here, and the tighter episodes and lighter tone make it more of a fun endeavor. If you’re a fan of the world, this is can’t miss. If you’ve been put off by the Game of Thrones world before, this might speak to you in a different way.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C+

Streaming Series:
Steal, Now Streaming on Prime Video (Premiered January 21)
About: This new drama on Prime Video is a six-episode series focused on a high-profile theft from an investment firm. The pilot, which is tautly paced, focuses on the theft itself, which ropes in a couple of traders (Sophie Turner and Archie Madekwe) into helping the thieves get the funds. In the aftermath, though, it becomes clear they weren’t merely victims of opportunity. With the heist in the books, the manhunt begins. And that puts these traders squarely in the target line of the police and the criminals. I like the flow of the series and the premise. Turner does a nice job with the first couple episodes. This is a six-episode series, with episodes running from 40 minutes to an hour. It makes for a quick binge, and it should appeal to those who are interested in these type of heist dramas.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Free Bert, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 22)
About: Comedian Bert Kreischer is back with a new, six-episode sitcom that finds him playing a version of himself as husband, father, and performer. The episodes run about 20 minutes, making for a quick binge. It’s also very much a piece of Kreischer’s comedy style, including some stand up sequences from him. If you’re a fan of his shows, you’ll be a fan of the series. If not, this might not appeal to you. The stories in the first few episodes are a lot. His style is a lot, too. This will likely appeal to a certain demographic depending on your preferred comedy style.
Pilot Grade: C-
Second Episode: C-

Finding Her Edge, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered January 22)
About: This new Canadian series is centered on a skating family trying to train for the Olympics and keep their business afloat. Will Russo (Harmon Walsh) was a top skater and now is a top coach. But he’s reeling after the death of his wife, while his daughters are among a group he trains. Adriana (Madelyn Keys) is helping run the rink, but when her sister (Alexandra Beaton) is injured on the ice, she becomes the best hope if she can click with her new partner. This is a teen soap, based on the novel from Jennifer Lacopelli. Episodes run about 40 minutes, with an eight-episode season all now available to stream. If you’re a fan of teen dramas, this will be in your sweet spot. If not, this isn’t really going to be your speed. I thought the first two episodes were fine, but hardly compelling. I’m probably not the target audience.
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.