The 2019-20 MASKYS

Here are the MASKYS for the 2019-20 network season which will start sometime in September. I watched a total of 27 pilots on the five broadcast networks and they weren’t the worst crop I’ve seen but they weren’t the best either; they were sort of average with a few pleasant surprises.

This year, again, I will dispense with the snark and just offer you my take.

There were your fastball down the middle, by-the-book, cop/detective/legal shows one of which was so paint by numbers that it was almost impossible to get through.

There were your attempts at sci-fi that will be dead by episode four or five for all the reasons these genre shows always fail.

The comedies weren’t all that funny and the best of the liter were warmedies rather than sit-coms.

I’m going to miss JANE THE VIRGIN and CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND but I think ZOEY’S EXTRORDINARY PLAYLIST is not a worthy replacement. It will get the buzz and the social media love. It’s more CW than NBC, and it’s this year’s Emperor’s New Clothes show.

There were several shows where, after finishing the pilot, I had no idea what the show was or where it’s going. I could come up with some interesting paths (especially NOT JUST ME) but who knows what the creators have in mind.

As always, I pay homage to my all-time favorite wrestler Bret “Hitman” Hart who evaluated wrestlers by three simple criteria: Looks, Wrestling Ability and Mike (Promo) Skills. I evaluate the pilots in terms of Quality (is it well executed), Broad Appeal (hey this is network television we’re talking about) and Sustainability (is this a TV show or a good pilot).

There were two comedies that I felt were worth taking a second look MIXED-ISH on ABC and THE UNICORN on CBS

Regarding dramas, ABC’s STUMPTOWN and FOR LIFE were both pleasant surprises and I will always give props to CBS for figuring out how to ground an out there show like EVIL in a procedural format. I’m not a big fan of the CW super hero shows but I enjoyed BATWOMAN and will come back to see where it goes. I might watch a second episode of NOT JUST ME because there’s a version I would like but I have a feeling that’s not where it’s going.

COUNCIL OF DADS is this year’s attempt at THIS IS US. They pack so much shit into the hour I just don’t know how you do this every week but there is an audience for this saccharin.

A lot of people worked really hard on these pilots and I’m sure every one of them will have its supporters. I’m sure that the pilots I saw will be potchkyed with over the summer so they may be different by the time you see them.

Bottom line: judge for yourself.

Here they are ranked by letter grade. There are a few missing for all sorts of reasons.

FALL

STUMPTOWN (ABC)      B+

MIXED-ISH (ABC)     B+

EVIL (CBS)     B+

THE UNICORN (CBS)     B

BATWOMAN (CW)     B

PRODIGAL SON (FOX)     B-

NOT JUST ME (FOX)     C+

NANCY DREW (CW)     C+

SUNNYSIDE (NBC)     C

BLUFF CITY LAW (NBC)     C-

EMERGENCE (ABC)     C-

CAROL’S SECOND ACT (CBS)     C-

PERFECT HARMONY (NBC)     C-

BOB ❤️’S ABISHOLA (CBS)    D+

ALL RISE (CBS)     D+

MID-SEASON

COUNCIL OF DADS (NBC)     B

FBI: MOST WANTED (CBS)     B

FOR LIFE (ABC)     B

DEPUTY (FOX)     C+

FILTHY RICH (FOX)     C+

IT COULD HAPPEN* (ABC)    C

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (NBC)     C

NeXt (FOX)     C-

LINCOLN (NBC)      C-

OUTMATCHED (FOX)     D+

KATY KEENE (CW)     D+

INDEBTED (NBC)     D

*aka BEAUTY AND THE BAKER