This week, we have the first part of a two-part episode in which I review more new TV shows. The final part will be available in a few days.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Back in Episode 75, I set myself the goal of writing a brief review of every new TV show that premiered from September through November this year. I accumulated a list of 31 shows. I did several of them in episode 75 and intended to do a review episode every other week until I was done. But I got on a roll with writing my regular autobiographical podcast, and some of the TV shows were so good I had to binge-watch the entire season. So, I’m just now getting around to finishing up the remaining reviews. I should probably split this into two episodes, but I’m just going to make a really long one since it probably won’t come out on time. I apologize in advance for the length.

I was going to make this one big long episode, but after doing some editing I realized it was just too long. So, we are going to split this into Parts A and B. Here is Part A.

Unfortunately, many of the shows will receive my lowest two ratings of “Skip It” or “Worthless.” But there are some that I’m going to highly recommend. So, let’s get rid of a bunch of the stinkers first.

For some reason, I’ve never been a big fan of Fox’s Sunday evening animation. I’ve probably only seen one or two episodes of “The Simpsons.” I appreciate that it is highly popular. It has run for 36 seasons and earned 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, but for some reason, it never appealed to me. I know that other Fox animated series have been popular as well, most notably “Family Guy,” but I’ve never seen it. So, I’m probably not well-qualified to be objective about the newest entry in the lineup, “Universal Basic Guys.”

The premise is that a bunch of guys got laid off from work, and as severance, they were awarded guaranteed universal basic income. Other than the title and an opening sequence explaining that premise, the concept of UBI never came up in the first episode. It seems that it’s just a gimmick to explain a bunch of guys who sit around with nothing to do all day except come up with harebrained schemes. In the first episode, our lead character, Hank, tries to do his wife a favor. She is upset that the local country club does not admit women, and she wants to play golf there. He cooks up a scheme to get admitted to the club to try to get her access. It turns out that the members’ wives want to keep the club male only to keep their husbands occupied so that they can pursue more important feminist agendas. It’s not very funny. It doesn’t work as social commentary. I’m sure that other Fox animated series are more entertaining. We’re giving this one a big fat “Worthless” rating.

I’m similarly unqualified to be objective about the next entry from Fox – “Rescue: Hi-Surf.” This is a basic ripoff of “Baywatch” set in Hawaii. It follows the lives of a bunch of lifeguards who cover the beaches of the North Shore and rescue people in trouble in the high surf. While the action sequences of rescues are well done and exciting, you can’t help but feel it’s going to be the same thing week after week. How many different ways can a surfer get in trouble and be rescued? The characters are thinly drawn. The only plot is a politician who holds the pursestrings over the program insisting that his son be hired as a lifeguard. Wow. How compelling…No, not really. If you’re desperate to see beautiful people running around in bathing suits, go watch the new ABC series “Doctor Odyssey,” which we gave a bad review of last time. It’s not any good either, but it’s better than this. I’m giving this a strong “Skip It” bordering on “Worthless.”

I hate to trash Fox continually, but I also give the new procedural “Murder in a Small Town” a hard pass. The title tells you everything you need to know. I watched the opening episode about a week ago, and I’ve already forgotten what it was about. They solved the murder, so there will be a new case every week. There is nothing to see here. Again, I rate it “Skip it,” bordering on “Worthless.”

Let’s take a quick look at several new game shows. The CW network offers “Trivial Pursuit,” hosted by LeVar Burton, who was recently rejected as a possible host of “Jeopardy!” I had no problem with his ability to host the iconic game show, even though I really like Ken Jennings, who is the new permanent host. I have no problem with Burton hosting this show. But this show is extremely boring. The pace is too slow, and the questions are either trivially easy or ridiculously difficult. Rating it strong “Skip It.”

I was even less impressed by CW’s other adaptation of the board game “Scrabble.” While I enjoy playing the game, watching other people play it is incredibly boring. You’ll never find yourself saying, “They played the wrong word! They could’ve scored higher if they’d spelled something else.” Host Raven-Symoné is adequate but brings nothing interesting. Another strong rating of “Skip It.”

Only slightly less boring is Amazon Prime’s “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity.” While I generally enjoyed the original “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” this spinoff, which uses adult celebrity helpers rather than fifth-grade children, lacks all of the charm of the original. It might be better if they used celebrity kids to help adult contestants rather than adult celebrities helping adult contestants. The format is identical to the original “5th Grader” game. Contestants answer questions ranging from first through fifth-grade levels. Host Travis Kelce brings nothing interesting to the effort. I doubt that his relationship with Taylor Swift will draw viewers to this show, even though she vastly increased the viewership of Kansas City Chiefs NFL games. Unless she shows up as one of the celebrity helpers, I doubt the Swiftlies will tune in. Kelce lacks the charm and humor of original “5th-grader” host Jeff Foxworthy.

Speaking of Kelce, he is a better game show host than an actor. He has a minor part in the Hulu series “Grotesquerie,” but his performance was grossly inadequate and amateurish.

So, let’s talk about “Grotesquerie.”

I’m not a huge fan of the horror genre, but this one caught my attention from the beginning, and I had high hopes for it. It stars Niecy Nash as Detective Lois Tryon, who is trying to solve a series of bizarre homicides in which the killer leaves the bodies staged in bizarre tableaus filled with religious symbolism. She is accompanied by a young nun who is a reporter for a Catholic newspaper and website. Her true crime articles about this bizarre serial killer not only increase the readership of her website but also boost attendance at local churches. This show is highly reminiscent of the NBC series “Hannibal,” which ran for 39 episodes from 2013-2015. That series covered the early days of the killing career of iconic character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, brilliantly portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen. I really enjoyed “Hannibal” and was ready to declare this a worthy successor.

This is a compelling mystery with excellently written episodes and deeply drawn characters with despicable flaws. With the exception of Travis Kelce, there are quality performances throughout.

I found “Grotesquerie” so disturbing I actually had a nightmare about it.

Throughout the first 6 1/2 episodes of the series, I wondered if there was going to be a supernatural component to this story. The series was co-created by Ryan Murphy, who is known for his excellent series “American Horror Story,” so it would not surprise me if there were a supernatural plot element. I’ve only seen 8 of the 12 seasons of “American Horror Story,” but my favorite was season 7, which contained absolutely no supernatural elements. Often, real life can be more terrifying than demons and witches.

Episode 7 of “Grotesquerie” introduces a plot twist that completely upends the entire story. By the end of the series, in episode 10, you will be totally confused. Although I think I understand “what really happened,” the entire thing was such a disappointment that it left a really bad taste in my mouth. It turns out to be another version of a horror trope that I’ve never liked in any of its other implementations, and this one did nothing to change my opinion. I won’t spoil it by telling you what trope I’m talking about.

Had I written this review prior to episode 7, I would have given it a strong “I’m watching it” rating. But all I can say at this point is that I watched it, and I’m not sure it was worth the time. Your mileage may vary. Let’s officially downgrade this to “Skip It.”

By the way, I love a good plot twist. But when the twist reveals that the story is deliberately deceiving the audience rather than just setting up a mystery or a big reveal, I cannot help but feel betrayed. While we are on the topic of betraying the audience, I want to talk briefly about the 2022 Netflix film “On the Line” starring Mel Gibson. By the way, I’ve always been able to separate the art from the artist, so no matter how I feel about him as a person, I’ve always been able to enjoy his work both as a director and actor. He gives a quality performance in this deeply flawed film.

Gibson plays a late-night radio talk show host that takes phone calls from listeners. Someone calls in, claiming to have kidnapped his wife and daughter. We eventually learn that he is holding them in the office building where the radio studio is located. Gibson and a new employee who runs the control room start searching the empty office building. Along the way, they find the bad guy has killed a security guard and a janitor.

As the show reaches its climax, there is a plot twist that will leave you extremely angry. I won’t hint at what it is. Just when you are about to forgive them for tricking you with this ridiculous twist, and you think the movie is back on track, there is another twist guaranteed to piss you off again. I tried to explain these twists away, saying that the characters in the film were heartless people who toy with each other’s emotions, but ultimately, the real victim is you, the audience, that is toyed with throughout the film.

Going back to the horror genre for a moment and back to our TV reviews, we have the Peacock TV series “Teacup.” It is described as a horror sci-fi thriller in which a group of neighbors who are trapped on a farm in rural Georgia must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. It stars Yvonne Strahovski, who was recently seen as one of the villains in “A Handmaid’s Tale” and Scott Speedman, who is known for playing Dr. Nick Marsh on “Gray’s Anatomy” for 37 episodes.

Somehow, I managed to struggle through the first episode, but it took me multiple attempts. I’m hoping that because IMDb described it as sci-fi, it’s some sort of alien invasion rather than demonic possession, but I couldn’t get far enough into the show to find out even the basic premise. That description, which says these people are trapped on a farm, like a bug trapped under a teacup, presumably, only becomes apparent early in the second episode, which I couldn’t stand watching. I will be generous and rate it a solid “Skip It” rather than “Worthless” because there is the tiniest possibility it could get better. It runs just eight episodes, so maybe if you have more patience than I do, you can figure it out. But the pacing is so slow that it is unbearable, and I just couldn’t stand it.

While I enjoy reality competition shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” I’ve never been a fan of so-called reality shows like “Real Housewives” or Kardashians. CW network has a new series described as a “Documentary charting the lives of ranch employees in Montana, navigating personal relationships and work duties at the Circle Bar Dude Ranch.” This has to be the most phony “reality” show I’ve ever seen. In case you are unaware, a “dude ranch” is where city slickers go on vacation to experience allegedly authentic cowboy life. The casts of wranglers, ranch managers, and other staff are about 60% female. While that is commendable, it could hardly be considered an authentic representation of classic cowboy life. The job of head wrangler is open so the staff is going to be competing for the new position. The previews hint that there are going to be romantic entanglements among the staff. The whole thing simply wreaks of fake situations created by the producers. Let’s call this a strong “Skip It” unless you are the kind of person who would go to a dude ranch but can’t afford it.

That wraps up most of the really bad ones. Let’s move on to something slightly more interesting. The CW network has a new series called Joan, based on the real-life exploits of British thief Joan Harrington, who was known in some circles as the “Godmother.”

It stars Sophie Turner, best known for playing Sansa Stark in “Game of Thrones,” and Frank Dillane, who played Nick Clark in 44 episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Turner plays Joan, an ordinary British housewife whose boyfriend is a small-time criminal. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, she turns the girl into Child Protective Services, telling them that she is homeless and cannot care for her daughter. She gets a job working in a jewelry store and has the opportunity to make off with a handful of diamonds. She tries to sell the diamonds to an antique dealer named Boisie, played by Dillane. They fall in love and begin working on bigger jobs.

We are supposed to sympathize with Joan, who is turning to a life of crime to establish herself financially and get her daughter back from authorities. Personally, I don’t feel that much sympathy for her. Had she made some smarter choices and stayed legitimate, she would’ve had a better chance of getting her daughter back. But now, enjoying the fruits of a life of crime seems to be more of a motivating factor than regaining custody of her daughter.

I’ve seen three of the six episodes, and so far, I’m giving it a week rating of “I’m Watching,” but I’m doing so more out of curiosity to see what happens than because it’s a compelling story, which it is not.

Let’s look at some sitcoms. Maybe we can find something to laugh about there.

NBC/PeacockTV brings us “St. Denis Medical.” I’ve never been a big fan of the “mock documentary” format in which the story is interrupted by the characters talking to an unseen interviewer. It worked for “Modern Family,” but I’ve never cared for any of the other uses of this gimmick, such as “The Office.” It’s not just the format that stinks here. Sadly, this works much better as a drama than it does a comedy. I’m not talking about the kind of mix of comedy and drama we saw in a series like “M*A*S*H,” which could get uproariously silly, but then there would be a poignant moment to reflect the dire circumstances of the setting. The show tries to be funny, but it isn’t. When it goes for poignant, it almost works, but it fails so miserably at the comedy that is not worth waiting for the touching parts. I’m giving this one a strong “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ brings us “George and Mandy’s First Marriage.” It is a spinoff from “Young Sheldon,” which is, in turn, a spinoff from “The Big Bang Theory.” I never missed a single episode of BBT, and I must admit I’m about a season and a half behind on “Sheldon,” but I have been catching up. In this series, Montana Jordan reprises his role as George Cooper, big brother to Sheldon. His wife, Mandy, is played by Emily Osment, who appeared in 39 episodes of “Young Sheldon.” I don’t particularly recall her because George had lots of girlfriends in the series. And as I mentioned, I’m way behind.

My guess is that there was an episode of “Sheldon” that served as a pilot for this series. It seems to hit the ground running, assuming that you already know that the young couple is living with her parents. Mandy has such a difficult relationship with her mother that, at first, I wasn’t sure it really was her mother but perhaps a stepmom. In the opening episode, after a feud with her mom, in which her mother questions George’s intelligence, the couple moves out and tries to make it on their own. By the end of the episode, they make up and move back in with her parents.

My number one criterion for a sitcom is that it has to make me laugh. I may have chuckled once or twice, but I can’t remember at what. We will be generous and call this one “Could Be Watchable.” However, given that I am a huge fan of the parent shows from which this spinoff was created, I’m severely disappointed. I would have rather seen a spinoff series with Sheldon’s sister, Missy.

NBC is keeping Reba McIntyre busy these days. In addition to her role as a coach/mentor on “The Voice,” she returns to scripted television and a new sitcom called “Happy’s Place.” In this series, she plays Bobby, a woman who just inherited a diner from her father, who had the nickname “Happy.” As she is trying to manage the restaurant while dealing with the loss of her father, she discovers she has a half-sister she never knew about who is now co-owner of the facility.

The character McIntyre is playing has the exact same perky personality as her own, so there is no acting stretch involved here at all. I never saw her previous self-titled sitcom, so I can’t really compare this, but if you were expecting anything different, you won’t find it here.

If I laughed, I don’t recall at what, but I will be generous and give this one a weak “Could Be Watchable.” But it’s not for me.

A slightly better choice if you’re looking for a new sitcom might be “Poppa’s House.” Damon Wayans plays Damon “Poppa” Fulton, who is a radio personality. He is forced to take on a female psychologist as a new sidekick on his popular show to attract a more diverse audience. At home, he deals with his son Damon Jr., played by Damon Wayans Jr. Was the writing team so untalented that they couldn’t even come up with a fictitious first name for these characters, or were the Wayans such bad actors they couldn’t remember to refer to one another by the character names consistently? Draw your own conclusions.

That said, the show did have some laughs. Both stars have proven their comedic talents in other vehicles, and you can see them shine in this open-ended situation, which essentially lets them play themselves. I will give this one a stronger “Could Be Watchable,” but I don’t have room for it in my busy viewing schedule. You might want to check it out and see if it appeals to you.

The only other comedy that has potential is Disney Channel’s “Wizards Beyond Waverley Place.” As best I can tell, this is a spinoff of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which ran for 106 episodes from 2007- 2012. I’ve never seen the original. David Hernie reprises his role as Justin Russo, who, in this series, has decided to give up his wizardly powers and live the normal life of a mortal. His wife and children have no idea about his magical past.

Life gets turned upside down when his sister Alex, played by Selena Gomez, brings him a young girl named Billy, who is a wizard in training. Apparently, Justin was a teacher at a wizard school in the previous series. Billy conjures up a silly monster to impress Justin’s children and then can’t figure out how to put it back from wherever it came from.

Although the kids now know that Billy is a wizard, they remain clueless about their father’s abilities, as does his wife.

This Disney Channel series is clearly aimed at a younger audience, and I think it will do well with them and fans of the original series. It shows lots of potential. Let’s call this one “Recommended Watchable,” which means if you like this kind of thing, I can highly recommend it, but personally, I will not be watching.

While we’re on the topic of watchable kid’s shows, Max streaming has a CGI animated kids’ show called “Barney’s World” featuring the iconic purple dinosaur. As I understand it, only kids can see him, and he has the ability to transport them to fantasy situations that only they can experience. The show is full of positive life lessons about being responsible, cooperative, and helpful, along with a dose of positive vibes about diversity. If you are anti-woke, then you are probably out protesting this show right now. But for reasonable parents, the show is completely harmless and quite positive. Obviously, it’s not for me, but we will call this one “Recommended Watchable” for your toddlers.

That’s going to wrap up for Part A of this two-part episode. Give me a couple of days to edit Part B, which will be coming very soon.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.