We’ve wrapped up October and headed into November. The tide of new series is slowing as we move to the end of the year. But your free time might also be waning. 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 shows this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Fridays:
Nocturne, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV (Premiered October 30)
About: This new series from Rowan Joffe is based on the novel series from Lars Kepler. It moves the action to rural Pennsylvania and switches up some characters while keeping the idea intact. The first two episodes dropped on Friday, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly. Episodes run between 45 minutes and an hour, which makes for a quick and enjoyable watch. It’s a murder/missing person mystery. A former detective (Liev Schrieber) is called back into action working with his old Chief (Bill Camp) and his former partner’s daughter (Zazie Beetz), now a talented agent on her own. A boy missing for three years returns, but his sister remains gone. All the while, our detective is convinced that a criminal who is in a hospital (Stephen Graham) has a connection to it all and is still pulling the strings while locked up. It’s a great setup for a series that has some elements of classic films like The Silence of the Lambs and shows like True Detective. I liked Graham quite a bit in the role, and I like the rest of the cast. The pilot has a great, moody energy that pulls you in, while the second episode widens the mystery and the storylines. This feels like a good hit for Apple TV.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: B+

Newlyweds, Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC (Premiered October 23)
About: This new sitcom finds a pair of opposites played by Tim Daly and Tea Leoni who meet on a blind date and after six weeks elope to Las Vegas. This is despite living different lives and having different ideas of how life should be lived. The pilot set the stage with a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis and Al Madrigal, among others. The second episode continues the theme and focuses on how these opposites can find a way to live together despite their differences. And hilarity ensues. At least, that’s the point. This feels like a traditional sitcom, which is by design. It’s paired with another fairly traditional sitcom, likely aimed at older adults who are home looking for some breezy laughs on a Friday night. It’s fine, and there is decent chemistry between Daly and Leoni, as there has been in their other projects, but this isn’t the most interesting of concepts. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is for you. If you’re looking for something that feels fresh, this might not fit the bill.
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.