Gallery: Pass or Fail? A Midseason Report Card for 10 New TV Shows
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Now that the holiday break is over -- for us and for television -- it's time to take a look back at the most notable new network shows that debuted last fall, and how far they've come at the midpoint of the season. From *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* to *Dads*, we had our favorite -- and less-than-favorite -- [pilots last fall](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2013/05/new-tv-shows-fall-2013/), but how have they held up since those initial episodes? Read on for our mid-season report card on which new shows earned your eyeballs, and which ones still don't deserve a spot on your DVR. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ------------------------------- In the interest of diplomacy, let's just say that *MAoS* has had trouble finding its feet, shall we? There was tremendous excitement and expectation surrounding the series ahead of launch, and with good reason: Not only is it a new Joss Whedon-affiliated series, but one spinning out of mega-blockbuster *The Avengers*, and Marvel Entertainment's first big shot at bringing its brand of irreverent, exciting filmmaking to television. Unfortunately, the show has proved uneven at best, filled with generic characters and moving far too slowly to reveal any sense of direction or reason to care about what happens. Easter eggs and goodwill can't save a show, and it seems that those responsible for *MAoS* know that; the last couple of episodes -- including a [particularly strong *Thor 2* tie-in](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2013/11/shield-jonathan-frakes-well/) directed by Jonathan Frakes -- have shown slight signs of course correction in terms of fixing its numerous problems. The question may be whether those problems can be fixed while enough people are still watching the show to save it in the long run. *Grade:* C
02Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow ------------- It's not entirely surprising that the [wholesale insanity](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2013/09/sleepy-hollow-tv-review/) of *Sleepy Hollow*'s pilot hasn't held up throughout the series to date. What made that episode so appealing was the sense of "Surely they wouldn't ... wait, they *are*" disbelief that greeted every ridiculous plot twist, and that's difficult if not impossible to sustain longterm. That doesn't mean that the show has fallen off a cliff, though; it's still an enjoyably over-the-top mix of (often laughably incorrect) history, horror, and melodrama. It's just that it's not quite as enjoyable as originally promised by the headless, machine-gun-wielding horseman of the pilot. But what could be? *Grade:* B
03Brooklyn Nine Nine
__Brooklyn Nine Nine__ ---------------------- The pilot may not have convinced doubters that Andy Samberg could carry a sitcom, but *Brooklyn Nine Nine* has been the rarest of beasts this season: A network series that's visibly improved, week after week. The cast have settled into their roles and their rhythm with each other, while the writers have established enough of the quirks, running jokes and personalities necessary to make everything flow more organically. And without the pressure of introducing everything that the pilot suffered from, the plots have settled into an appropriate scale for a half-hour sitcom. The result? A new comedy that's already close to must-watch status. Really, who saw *that* coming? *Grade:* A
04Almost Human
Almost Human ------------ This is a hard one to grade. The pilot for *Almost Human* had its problems -- particularly a tone, ambition, and sense of world-building that outpaced its execution -- and many of those problems still exist. And yet, *Almost Human* has ended up being weirdly addictive because of those very flaws. It doesn't quite work as a sci-fi drama, but as an off-kilter sci-fi comedy, it's oddly charming. And watching the show as such allows things that would otherwise inspire raised eyebrows or frowns -- like an episode whose conceit seems ripped off of *Sherlock*'s "The Great Game," by way of an appallingly lazy "internet geeks who can't get laid are psychopaths" gimmick -- to be laughed off as some kind of extreme parody. Plus, Karl Urban is really, really working hard with what he's been given, bless him. *Grade:* Let's go with a solid B+. It hasn't fixed the problems from the pilot, but it's almost convinced me that its bugs are actually features.
05Dads
Dads ---- Yes, I watched *Dads* again for you people. Despite being one of the most panned pilots of the fall season, the show somehow seems to have gone downhill since then. Where the first episode merely flirted with racism, a more recent episode included a joke about Chinese immigrants being forced to live in storage spaces. The punchline? Seth Green smugly saying "I'm glad I wasn't born in another country!" The only notable thing about *Dads*' evolution across the first season is that it hasn't evolved -- at all. There still aren't any real characters here, just actors saying snarky things and mugging for the camera; there's no one to empathize with, or like, nothing for the viewer to find any common ground with. Watching *Dads* is like watching a mash-up of *Two and A Half Men* and *The Big Bang Theory*, but with what little drops of humanity exist in those shows carefully removed. It's just a terrible, terrible experience. *Grade:* F. There was almost no way it couldn't improve after that pilot, but instead it found some way to get worse.
06The Blacklist
The Blacklist ------------- The pre-launch promotion for this NBC drama asked, over and over again, "Who is Red Reddington?" Sure enough, as the series has continued, that question -- and James Spader's wonderful scenery-chewing performance as Reddington -- has dominated the show. Thankfully, there's been more to *The Blacklist* than the faux *Silence of The Lambs* set-up suggested by the pilot, despite its tendency to let "the bad guy" -- i.e. Reddington -- keep winning at the cost of those he's theoretically helping. While the growing hints at a larger mythology are a little worrying (The show doesn't *really* need them, and it's already worryingly close to *Alias* levels of coincidence-slash-conspiracy), this series has so far proven to be far better than first glance may have suggested. *Grade:* A-
Craig Sjodin07Trophy Wife
Trophy Wife ----------- The pilot of *Trophy Wife*, ABC's sitcom about a young woman who marries into a family with three children and two ex-wives was pleasant enough, if trying too hard to truly make much of an impression. As the series has continued, it's settled into a groove that's somewhat reminiscent of last year's dearly departed *Ben and Kate*, that gentle family sitcom about today's post-nuclear family. It's not the funniest new show on television this season (that's probably *Brooklyn Nine Nine*), but there's something charming about this show, nonetheless. I blame Natalie Morales as bad influence best friend Meg. Who doesn't like Natalie Morales? *Grade:* B
Craig Sjodin08The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs ------------- Another sitcom that had a good but not great pilot, *The Goldbergs* has turned out to be that *Wonder Years*/*Modern Family* mash-up that you never even knew you needed. Much credit has to go to Wendi McLendon-Covey as matriarch Beverly and Troy Gentile as permanently put-upon older brother Barry. It's already showing worrying signs of turning Barry into the Barney Stinson of the series -- that is, the breakout character who gets overused to the point of becoming worthless. (Don't argue, *How I Met Your Mother* fans. You know deep down it's true.) But right now, it's a solid family sitcom that manages to turn its retro-fetishism into something far more universal. *Grade:* A-
09The Michael J. Fox Show
The Michael J. Fox Show ----------------------- If the title of Michael J. Fox's return to television suggested that it was a throwback to simpler days when all celebrities had to do to have their own sitcom was show up, the pilot promised more: an unsentimental comedy that wasn't afraid to make light of Fox's Parkinson's Disease without being mean. A shame, then, that the series ended up being as lackluster as its title. This turned out to be an odd and tepid show, as if NBC simply looked at *The Cosby Show* and thought "That doesn't look too hard, right?" The likable Fox makes an unconvincing misanthrope, and scripts that poke fun at the internet, reality shows and "kids these days" just make the show seem like an unintended relic of the past rather than anything relevant. A modern *Cosby* would be a great thing indeed -- but this show is nowhere close. *Grade:* C-
10Dracula
Dracula ------- The pilot for the NBC makeover of Bram Stoker's classic novel split critics back in October (although they remained united when it came to lame puns: It [didn't suck](http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/dracula-doesnt-suck-review-nbc-1200731604/) for one critic, and [lacked bite](http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/10/dracula-review-jonathan-rhys-meyers-lacks-bite-in-nbcs-toothless-take-on-the-legend.html) for another). Subsequent episodes have pushed the needle further towards the negative, thanks to a focus on soap operatics and turn-of-the-century mythologizing -- They're going to see Ibsen! They're making electricity! -- rather than, you know, that whole vampire thing. There's a space out there for a glossier, more knowingly pulpy *Downton Abbey*, perhaps even one with fangs, but this isn't it. Seven episodes in, *Dracula* still fails to live up to its name. *Grade:* C+
