Last night, people who were up to date on Succession and Barry said farewell to the hit shows. I spent the time contemplating what the hell I just watched in one of these shows, and how I planned to grade and talk about it. It wasn’t one of the big shows from last night, but i started something that was… interesting.

12) Clone high (MAX)

English Audio Description?: no

Status: Ended

I kinda just wanted to check out the original series a bit before watching the revival. I barely remember the show. The pilot basically centered around Abe Lincoln buying beer, but it’s non-alcoholic. Unless you can remember who all these characters represent, or can pick out the occasional accent attempt, this just really did very little for me.

Episode Grade: C+

11) Cheers (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: No

Status: Ended

There were two plots, and neither of them were particularly funny in this episode. Something having to do with photos, and Frasier wanting to see them, and being reminded that Diane and he aren’t together, which led to Sam wanting to go out for a boys night… and then Norm was up for a promotion against a guy who was supposedly sleeping with his bosses wife.

Episode Grade: B-

10) Family Matters (MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Ended

Eddie gets a report card with Straight A’s, only to find out it was a prank from one of his friends. But, he had really started to feel good that he was smart. And he enjoyed having his family be proud of him. Is this how we get Urkel? Does he tutor Eddie?

Episode Grade: B

9) Fatal Attraction (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Not Yet Renewed

I learned this is hoping for a second season, and i was under the impression it was a limited series. It really needs to stretch teh hell out then. The movie doesn’t provide seasons worth of content. In the first episode, we’re shown what happened from the present, where Joshua Jackson’s protagonist was found guilty of murder, and is trying to get paroled. The rest of teh series is mostly in flashback, to how he came to this point, but it does also flash forward to him getting parole and trying to reconnect with his daughter, and prove his innocence. Lizzy Caplin, taking a page from the Glenn Close book, is straight up odd almost from the first time we see her. In the first episode, she has an overtly provocative conversation with Jackson in an elevator. It’s not really clear if he’s even the cheating kind yet. I’m worried the series might not be having the best approach, but the cast has bought it at least a couple of episodes to grow.

Episode Grade: B

8) Bupkiss (Peacock)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Renewed

God help us. I’m not a pete Davidson hater, but this first episode… I don’t know what to do with this. A pilot sets the tone. It lets the audience know what they are in store for. THIS was the pilot? I’m not a prude, and even I have to say this was a bit much for a half hour pilot. Was I entertained? This is joe Pesci in a TV Show. Are you kidding? If Pete Davidson spends the next ten episodes ejaculating all over the place, I’d still watch it for the Joe Pesci moments. how he got Pesci in this show is beyond me. God help him if Pesci is written off. Because based on this pilot, Davidson is really trying to break uncharted ground. in the pilot alone, he tackles virtual reality porn, by masturbating in a scene that ends with him ejaculating onto his own mother (Edie Falco, who must be rethinking her life choices). And after that daring sequence, we close out on Davidson hiring a hooker initially for his Grandpa (Pesci), that ends up with his Uncle (Brad Garrett), who experiences hip dysplasia while inside the sex worker. So, it’s up to pete to perform the thrust, and physically move his uncle so he can finish. To be honest, this is one of the worst audio described shows I’ve seen in recent memory, where there are plenty of gaps in dialogue that go unused. And I really can’t blame them, because I’m a little surprised this is out there. Of course, Euphoria tore down the gates on what we can show on TV, but since these are all recognizable actors… what was it about this show that made them say Yes? Like I said, I’m here for joe. This grade reflects a lot of how happy I was to have Joe Pesci around again. I’ve watched every crude film I think known to man, and this episode still gave me pause.

Episode Grade: B

7) Everwood (FreeVee)

English Audio Description?: no

Status: Ended

Ephram attempts to save a deer and take it back to the area it’s from so it doesn’t get shot, only to find out the deer doesn’t have a home anymore. Kind of like Ephram. Meanwhile, Delia is looking for proof of God.

Episode Grade: B

6) All In The Family (Free Vee)

English Audio Description?: No

Status: Ended

Revisiting the wedding of Archie’s daughter to meathead resulted in a lot of Polish jokes, but it was Jean Stapleton who stole the show, when Edith has a conversation with her daughter about “The Wedding Night” and ‘Marital Duties” for the first time, and Edith reacts like she also has no idea what’s going on.

Episode Grade: B+

5) The Diplomat (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Renewed

Some great bursts of dialogue here,occasionally bogged down by this show really wanting to be The West Wing. It’s not quite there yet. Though, I’d love to see what Aaron Sorkin could do if hired to be the showrunner on season 2.

Episode Grade: B+

4) Queen Charlotte (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Not Yet renewed

Well, the pilot was fun and matched the vibe of the original. My biggest and only concern is that all of a sudden, everyone seems to notice each others skin color. I thought that was the point of Bridgerton that traditional roles were not cast the sam old boring way. The first two seasons didn’t spend a lot of time ever on differences in skin color, but the first episode to Queen Charlotte is basically the introduction to why. I think it took a bit of the magic away, how everyone seemed to perfectly co-exist, regardless. Now, I know that at the time of Queen Charlotte was when this really started, which means if we reach further back in the Bridgerton multiverse we will find racism, segregation, and all the lovely things that Bridgerton avoids which makes it refreshing in the first place. Basically, I never questioned how this sausage got made, and now I know. But, once again, the casting is very much on point.

Episode Grade: A-

3) Young Sheldon (MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Renewed

Sheldon’s intro to MeeMaw, as well as some thoughts on religion, thrown into an episode where his dad also has a minor heart attack and the kids drive a car while hitting every trash can. A lot thrown in one episode, but it all worked.

Episode Grade: A-

2) Beavis and Butthead (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Hopefully Renewed For All Eternity

The first sketch featured the duo achieving enlightenment, and the second had them voting because they saw something about polling, and thought it was a strip club. Meanwhile, in the video shorts, they did a solid job of mocking a lil Nas X music video.

Episode Grade: A

1) The Marvelous Ms Maisel (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Status: Final Season

While this was not the finale, this was a great episode. Midge got a joke in, only for it to be botched, and I’d say that whole thing worked out for her. Meanwhile, Suzy is now “the muscle”, after helping Midge’s mom with her problem. And, Abe has one of the best monologues in the shows history when he sits down to talk to his grandson about fear.

Episode Grade: A+