There's a powerful show in Pitch, but it's not fully realized within its pilot. The bases are loaded. The eye is firmly on the ball. But it's not hitting home — at least, not yet. It's in a bit of a slump. The new Fox drama from creators Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love.) and Rick Singer (TV Land's Younger) is eager to knock it out of the park, but it doesn't quite have the muscle power to pull it off. The confident-but-heavily-cliched first episode isn't necessarily a foul ball, but it's not a grand slam like it should be. It's a middle-of-the-road introduction for a rookie series with serious potential for greatness, though it'll need a few more practice runs before it's ready to make it into the big leagues. I'll cut it out with the baseball metaphors now.
Kevin James is a simple entertainer. His blue collar-friendly brand is designed to appeal to undemanding middle-aged schlubs, or at the very least, easy-to-please hard-working people who just want to kick their feet back, gulp down a couple beers and enjoy themselves for a few hours. The kind of people who don't expect more than the familiar pleasures they've been given before. And there's nothing particularly wrong with that either. James' style might be boring and repetitive to some of us (well, maybe most of us), but he's a smart businessman. He knows what his fans expect from him, and he tries to meet their modest demands. That logic drives Kevin Can Wait, James' return to CBS and broadcast television.
Cardboard Boxer is an underdog fighter that, despite its considerate and often good performances, often finds its punches pulled. It's a shame, too, because it could've been a knockout.
Sexually liberated, free-drinking, recklessly uninhibited 30-something Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) tries to make sense of her disorganized life in the heart of London, through the support of her successful, uptight sister Claire (Sian Clifford), her widowed father (Bill Paterson) and her perpetually on-and-off again boyfriend Harry (Hugh Skinner). Her small business —a guinea pig-themed cafe — is failing, her funds are deflated, her wicked artist stepmother (Olivia Colman) endlessly pesters her, she's haunted by the memory of her deceased best friend Boo (Jenny Rainsford) and, under such high-stress circumstances, her sexual appetite is hungrier than ever.
It's not as powerful as it should be, but Confirmation is still never-less-than-commendable, as strong performances from Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Alison Wright, Jeffrey Wright and Bill Irwin make it worth watching.
