Your guide to Saturday TV this fall

Yeah, let's be real, Saturdays aren't really big TV nights. As far as the broadcast networks are concerned, it's basically the night for football and re-runs. That doesn't, however, mean that there's nothing worth watching full stop, especially if you're a sci-fi or comedy nerd.

MUST-SEES

Doctor Who (8pm on BBC America, currently airing)
I love Doctor Who and adore Peter Capaldi, so I'm having trouble figuring out why this season hasn't totally clicked with me yet. I do really like that, as with the later episodes of Amy and Rory, there's been an effort to show that companion Clara has a life outside of her adventures with the Doctor—something it seems like tomorrow evening's episode will address head—but, like her, I feel oddly distant from Number Twelve, so far. I don't dislike him, I just haven't completely warmed to him yet, despite my loyalty to the actor portraying him. But then, this is kinda how this show works, every few years you're asked to lay your old loyalties to the main character on top of a new actor and there's always a bit of a growth period.

Saturday Night Live (10:30pm on NBC, premieres September 27)
It's always super trendy to moan about how SNL isn't what it once was, especially if the era you're comparing it to was when you were about 7 and thought much stupider things were funny. Don't get me wrong, not every episode of SNL is a winner and there are always bum sketches that run on too long and don't have ending, but this is without a doubt still a fun show to watch, especially when they get awesome guests like Chris Pratt to launch their new season. Myself, I'd tune in every week just to see Kate McKinnon be a total comedy boss. That and I'm anxious to see what Michael Che does behind the Update desk.

Note: If it weren't airing it's midseason finale tomorrow night and not returning for an excruciating seven months, Starz's Outlander would totally be on this list. It's a show that took me awhile to get totally on board with, but I highly recommend catching up on this engrossing genre-bending drama before its April return.

Your guide to Friday TV this fall

Let's be real here for a moment. Friday nights, they're not really stay at home and watch TV nights. And yet, they're still evening that channels are expected program, and, some are actually doing and okay job of trying to fill the gaping void that is the evening when when most people go out and actually leave their TV behind.

MUST-SEES

Constantine (9pm on NBC, premieres October 24)
Despite being a very extreme fan of the Vertigo comic label, I did not have very high hopes for this show and yet, I found the pilot extremely entertaining. It reminded me of the Buffy spin-off Angel in all the right ways. It combines the the supernatural elements with an irreverence that makes it extremely accessible, which is more than I can say for it's lead-in, Grimm, which never succeeded in winning me over.

The Knick (9pm on Cinemax, currently airing)
Have you been watching this? Because, OMG, I have never seeing something so simultaneously disgusting and engrossing. Full disclosure: body horror is weakness of mine and, boy howdy, does The Knick have it in spades. Yet, even if I'm watching through fingers over the rims of my severely prescriptions glasses, I can't help but admit that I'm hopelessly addicted to this show. Maybe it's Steven Soderbergh's direction, maybe it's Clive Owen's performance or maybe it's Cliff Martinez's brilliantly anachronistic score (which I'm hopelessly addicted to), but despite the elements of this series that completely put me off, I keep tuning in week after week, because it's utterly fascinating and unexpected.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

Cristela (7:30pm on ABC, premieres October 3)
I'm gonna level with you here: this isn't a good show, at least not based on the pilot, which is the only episode I've seen. It's derivative and reeks of an old template for multi-cam sitcoms that is long past it's prime. And yet, I laughed, more than once. Never at the supporting characters or the flimsy excuse for a plot, but always at the woman at the center of it all. The framing might be hopelessly weak and the set-up might be painfully canned, but one thing is for certain, Cristela Alonzo is the type of comic talent that deserves to have her own show. Sadly, she deserves a show far better than this one and I hope, for her sake, that it eventually rises to her level of immense talent.

Your guide to Thursday TV this fall

Well, folks, it was a good run but the 2-hour block of NBC comedy is officially dead. Other than that, Thursday looks surprisingly similar to previous years, with a few new shows filling familiar roles in the network schedules (Shonda Rhimes has once again taken over ABC's full schedule, CBS has produced another sitcom to fill out its 2-hour comedy block, etc.). Chances are, if you're excited about a Thursday premiere, it's for something you've been watching for a few years now.

MUST-SEE

Reign (8pm on CW, premieres October 2)
I don't believe in guilty pleasures, because I don't feel guilty about enjoying things I like, but I'm fairly certain that most people would classify my adoration of this show as a such. I don't care that it's not historically accurate (believe it or not, most historical films aren't either), I love it because it appeals to the 14-year-old girl inside me. Watching Adelaide Kane's version of Mary, Queen of Scots morph from a wide-eyed, lovesick teenager into a ruthless queen has been deliciously entertaining. And, since the show follows the CW model of not caring how fast it's burning through story, the first season saw Mary's will-they/won't-they relationship with the man we know she marries (it's a little historically accurate) quickly move into a loving marriage and then into a more complex pairing between a couple that is forced place the well-being of their of respective nations above their love for each other. Given that the accelerated timing of the series puts poor Francis desperately close to his real-life expiration date, I'm dying to see if the show has the stones to uproot Mary and her ladies and move the show's setting from France to Scotland soon. Though, if so, I hope they contrive a reason for Megan Follows to visit a lot, because my Anne of Green Gables loyalty to her knows no bounds.

Parenthood (9pm on NBC, premieres September 25)
The Bravermans have hovered on the cancelation bubble for years now, but its sixth season will officially be the last. Jason Katims delivered an outstanding final season and episode of the equally poignant Friday Night Lights, so I fully expect even more tears than an average episode of Parenthood and that every last member of this wild and crazy extended family will get a fitting end.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

The Big Bang Theory (7pm on CBS, moves from its Monday slot on October 30)
See the Monday edition of this blog series.

Scandal (8pm on ABC, premieres September 25)
I adored Scandal from the beginning but last year was a bit of a bumpy and has my confidence wavering. For one, I don't ever want hear "B613" again. The fictional clandestine agency took up way too much story real estate last year and it kept Olivia far too distant from the Associates of Pope & Associates, who didn't fare very well in her absence. I want to be in love with this show again, but there's a lot of mess to clean up for me to get back there.

A to Z (8:30pm on NBC, premieres October 2)
The premise of this rom-sitcom, which starts with will-be couple Andrew (Ben Feldman) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti) meeting and purports to tell the full story of their relationship, is a bit tenuous and overly cutesy with Katey Sagal narrating the ins and outs of it for no discernable reason. But casting can go a long way and Feldman and Milioti are so gosh darn adorable that I can't help but want to see them be cute together for a least a few more episodes before I throw in the towel. Plus, with the fabulous Lenora Crichlow on board, this already has the most promising supporting cast of the four rom-com pilots premiering this season.

Your guide to Monday TV this fall

With NBC and ABC blocking off two-thirds of their Monday night line-ups with reality competition programming, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's not much worth tuning into, but there's some still some great new and returning original programming worth catching.

MUST SEES

Mom (7:30pm on CBS, premiering September 29)
If you have pre-conceived notions about what a Chuck Lorre sitcoms and you haven't checked out Mom, you definitely should, it may force you to re-evaluate those opinions. In its freshman season, this unconventional comedy proved to be quite fearless, tackling the tricky subject of substance abuse recovery, while also leveraging the fine comic talents of stars Allison Janney and Anna Faris. Yes, French Stewart's loony chef is constantly over the top and reminiscent of the worst aspects of 2 Broke Girls and the show never really found good use for the the very funny Nate Corddry but Mom's strengths (including an extremely poignant season finale) far outweigh its weaknesses.

Jane the Virgin (8pm on the CW, premiering October 13)
I know some have been put off by the tongue-in-check title (at least it's better than Selfie, right?) but don't judge this quirky new comedy by its cover or you'll be missing out on something truly special. The vibrant Gina Rodriguez anchors this fetching dramedy which skewers soapy telenovelas in fun and frisky way as the titular Jane, through unfortunate and dramatic circumstances, ends up accidentally inseminated with the sperm of a wealthy, attractive and married man she once shared a kiss with. The show translates these overly dramatic plot points into heartfelt comedy. It's easily one of the best new shows premiering this fall.

Sleepy Hollow (8pm on Fox, premiering September 22)
There were lots of snickers when this show was greenlit, but Sleepy Hollow has proven that a goofy concept can easily be matched by cracking execution. This unconventional adaptation has proven to clever and heaps o' fun. Co-stars Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie have a glorious platonic chemistry that's on display beautifully in the second season's opening episodes and, not for nothing, this has snuck by as one of the most diverse casts on network television. It's been a long wait since the massive cliffhanger the show aired back in January, but this sophomore season starts out with guns blazing, continuing to make it a delectable hour of escapism and the perfect way to unwind on a Monday evening.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

The Big Bang Theory (7pm on CBS, premiering September 22)
Eight season in, you've probably already decided how you feel about this juggernaut of a sitcom. Personally, I'm still hooked thanks to the refreshingly peppy ladies in the ensemble who continuously make me forget that the fellas are just recycling the same old stories they went through in the early years of the series.

Gotham (7pm on Fox, premiering September 22)
Okay, I'll say this first: this is not a good pilot. That doesn't, however, mean that there aren't good things in it. For starters, Donal Logue is so good as a dirty cop with a heart of gold and partner to future Gotham City police chief (and current detective) James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) that he's almost reason enough to stick with this series, despite its bumps. Robin Taylor is similarly impressive os Oswald Cobblepot (for the uninitiated, he eventually becomes The Penguin). Still, the conceit of this series, which sets up a rogues gallery in training of Batman supervillains alongside a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne, doesn't quite seem on solid ground. As an audience well aware of The Dark Knight mythos, we know none of these villains will rise to their for many years, so what exactly will be tuning in to watch each week? Poison Ivy practicing her botany? Selina Kyle as a not quite accomplished cat burglar? At best this seems like a seedy police procedural peopled with characters that we know will become more interesting years from now. As a fan of comics and Batman and, as you might have guessed, Donal Logue, I really want this to be great show but I'm still waiting to see something worth getting excited about.

Your guide to Sunday TV this fall

Thanks to every possible water cooler chat-generating prestige cable drama getting packed into the weekend-ending evening, "Must See TV Thursdays" have now been supplanted with "My DVR Is Dying Sundays." And, thanks to football games, constantly futzing with the network schedules, fall is a particularly brutal time to try to take in the best shows, so buckle up because there's plenty to watch before you head back to work on Monday.

MUST SEES

The Simpsons (7pm on Fox, premieres September 28)
An unexpected side-effect of FXX's recent "Every Simpsons Ever" marathon seems to have been that those who abandoned the show years ago came to realize that, while it may no longer be the Golden Age of the show, it's still often in very high form. To be sure, there's still plenty of laughs in Springfield.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (7:30pm on Fox, premieres September 28)
The cop comedy from the folks behind Parks and Recreation came onto the scene with an extraordinarily funny pilot, flattened out a bit and then finished extremely strong in its last weeks. Like their civil servant cousins in Pawnee, the Nine-Nine crew is packed with very extremely funny and talented actors. In fact, it's often surprising and amusing that accomplished comic talent Andy Samberg is shown up by the likes of Terry Crews, Andre Braugher and, my personal favorite, the fabulously deadpan Stephanie Beatriz. The second season begins just as strong as the first concluded.

The Good Wife (8pm on CBS, premieres September 21)
The untimely death of Will Gardner, for all its attention, wasn't nearly as fascinating as the launch of Florrick Agos law firm. I can't say I'm that jazzed about the idea of Alicia running for State's Attorney, but Diane jumping ship to join her and Cary in their scrappy start-up, that sounds like gold.

Boardwalk Empire (8pm on HBO, currently airing)
Most of my favorite characters have already met their untimely ends but even I've never really warmed to Nucky Thompson, I'm anxious to see how this final, shortened season plays out. Boardwalk is one of the finest looking shows on television and it's sure to go out in style. I will say, though, the flashbacks to Thompson's childhood are, so far, boring me stiff.

The Newsroom (8pm on HBO, premieres November 9)
This has been far from Sorkin's finest work but in the midst of its frustrations (someone please tell the man to stop writing romance, it's not where his strengths lie), there have always been high points and the second season showed notable improvements over the first. Here's hoping its third and final continues to learn from the show's past mistakes.

Homeland (8pm on Showtime, premieres October 5)
Sadly, screener issues prevented me from watching more than the first 38 minutes of the new season, which was enough to be certain that Carrie is still very much Carrie, warts and all, though not enough to get a decent idea of the new directions the show will be taking in its fourth year. I do really like what little I saw of Corey Stoll. Season three was quite a mess, so hopefully now that they've shed the volatile weight that was Nicholas Brody, the show can remake itself into something that recaptures the power of its incredibly strong first season.

Manhattan (9pm on WGN America, currently airing)
Only the second new series from WGN America, this drama, set amongst the scientists at Los Alamos working to create the atom bomb has been a surprising treat from a network whose only previous show was goofy drama that suggests that maybe there actually were witches in Salem. Complete with an outstanding cast that boasts the likes of John Benjamin Hickey and Olivia Williams, Manhattan is rolling up a very impressive premiere season this fall.

Masters of Sex (9pm on Showtime, currently airing)
There are only two more episodes left of Showtime's brilliant series about William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The mid-season time jump still has me scratching my head a bit, especially since it killed the amazing momentum that show going after delivering some of its strongest episodes ever. Still, this is easily one of the smartest shows on television and one of my absolute favorite things to watch.

The Affair (9pm on Showtime, premieres October 12)
After ABC's dreadful Chicago-set infidelity drama Betrayal, I was certainly not itching to see another series about an extramarital affair, but this series has a lot more going for it than your average Adrian Lyne rip-off. For starters, Dominic West and Ruth Wilson are glorious, even if they've traded in their luscious English accents for American ones. Secondly, The Affair adopts an intriguing True Detective-esque narrative style, where West and Wilson's characters each tell their versions of how their indiscretions played out. Given that both of these stories are told from an interrogation room, we can assume that something went horribly awry along the line, but given how slowly the story is being told, it may be awhile before we actually know what that is. The best part about this storytelling device, is that it actively engages the viewer as we try to suss out which one of the lovers is telling the truth (of course, is likely that both of them are getting it wrong) and why we think that. Do you side with West's Noah purely because his side of the story is the first that we hear or with Wilson's Allison who, unlike her partner, doesn't have a wife and children to protect? This is the type of series that was made for Monday morning conversations with your buddies, as you pick apart everything that transpired and I can't wait to see what kind of think pieces it inspires.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (10pm on HBO, currently airing)
If you haven't been watching The Daily Show alum kill it every Sunday night then you've seriously been missing out. The man has been brilliant on a number of complex issues, while utilizing the freedom that HBO allows to occasionally get a little bit dirty.

Your guide to Wednesday TV this fall

Fox continues to be the first out of that gate as they launch their new series Red Band Society tomorrow evening. It's a great show, one of my favorite pilots of the season and it joins some great returning dramas and comedies on what looks to be a very packed Wednesday evening this fall.

MUST SEES

Arrow (7pm on the CW, premieres October 8)
What started out looking like a Nolan Batman clone has grown into a fine helping of superhero fun. The show's second season improved on its solid first, delivering a barn-burner of a finale. If that wasn't reason enough to get excited about its third year, every bit of information out of the Arrow camp has me buzzing with excitment. A new setting for the occassionally stale flashbacks is a welcome change, I'm always happy to see Brandon Routh appear in anything (especially when he gets to show his comedy chops) and the beloved Felicity Smoak is getting her own episode (it's number five and it airs at the beginning of November, not that I'm counting down the days or anything). This show needs to come back now, please before I start to get the shakes.

Red Band Society (8pm on Fox, premieres September 17)
An hour-long dramedy about patients and personnel in the children's ward of a hospital sounds like a bit of a minefield, but this new series is surprisingly adept at balancing its depressing subject matter with a brand of humor that doesn't in any way undercut the serious illnesses its characters are suffering from. The young ensemble has shades of Glee to it but in far less annoying, overplayed way. It's heartfelt without being sappy and funny without being disrespectful.

The 100 (8pm on the CW, premieres October 22)
I was pretty surprised at how much I enjoyed this Lord of the Flies meets Battlestar Galactica sci-fi/teen soap when it premiered earlier this year. Yes, the teen drama can wear thin and the young cast members frequently leave something to be desired but, as is often the case with CW shows of this era, it's gleefully unafraid to burn through plot at an alarming rate. In only a half season it killed off several characters and, by the finale's end, completely turned the show's entire premise on its head. Even if The 100 weren't as entertaining as it is, I'd be tuning in just to see the writers continue their amazing story acrobatics.

South Park (9pm on COM, premieres September 24)
Yes, I still love Trey and Matt, what more is there to be said.

The Bridge (9pm on FX, currently airing)
The first season started strong but then fizzled some as it got wrapped up in the resolution of its not that interesting murder mystery. The second season has, thankfully, re-aligned to focus on the fascinating relationship between the two detectives from either side of the Texas/Mexico border, while also charging headlong into the murky subject matter of the long arms of the Mexican drug trade. It's been an excellent, if under-watched sophomore season and Diane Kruger and Demian Bichir have been turning in consistently  fabulous performances.

The League (9pm on FXX, currently airing)
It's impossible not to love this case and the glorious ways they play off of each other. The antics are crazy fun and even if, like me, you give two shits about football, you'll have no problem enjoying yourself.

Key & Peele (9:30pm on COM, premieres September 24)
This continues to be one of my favorite shows and television. In its new season that show has made a few cosmetic changes, most notably, dropping the forced Comedy Central format of having the fellas introduce sketches on a stage, in front of an audience. Now it's just a half-hour of pure sketch goodness that's both filled with joyfully nerdy observations and send-ups, while also making biting social commentary.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

Black-ish (8:30pm on ABC, premieres September 24)
The premise of Black-ish, in which a well-to-do middle-aged black man becomes concerned that good life he's provided for his family has lead his children to be too disassociated from their cultural roots, is sound and fruitful subject matter for a family sitcom. The execution, however, leaves something to be desired. There’s too much reliance on stale point of distinction like hair and butt size for the series to be as ambitious as it seems like it really wants to be. Still, the cast is packed with talent, even amongst the kids. Once it shakes off the status quo, this could really be something special.

Your guide to Tuesday TV this fall

Fall is here, folks, and the new broadcast season officially kicks off Tuesday, September 16 with Fox premiering the new seasons of New Girl and The Mindy Project. So here's my breakdown of what's worth you and your DVR's time on Tuesday nights.

MUST-SEE

The Flash (7pm on the CW, premieres October 7)
The team that brought us the wildly fun Arrow makes another step towards bringing the Justice League to TV. Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg have already proven that you make a faithful comic book adaptation that's filled with easter eggs and goodies for the nerds, that's still grounded and relatable enough for the newbies. With The Flash, they've taken everything that's made Arrow great and added a nice dose of whimsical fun. Oliver Queen has loads of baggage, but Grant Gustin's Barry Allen is far more smiley superhero and the tonal shift is a welcome change given that DC Comics characters seem to all be super scowly during their recent appearances on film and TV. Gustin leads an impeccably cast ensemble that includes the likes of Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanaugh and even the original TV Flash John Wesley Shipp. It's just a good, fun hour of TV.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (8pm on ABC, premieres September 23)
While it took some time to pick up steam, the post Winter Soldier plot revelations turned Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from passive entertainment to appointment television. Time will tell if similar Marvel Cinematic Universe elements will play into the show's sophomore season but there's still plenty of story fuel to burn after last year and plenty of unanswered questions about Coulson and Skye. There's no reason this show shouldn't be packed to the gills with excitement in its second year.

New Girl (8pm on Fox, premieres September 16)
Last season took a notable dip in quality that even creator Liz Meriwether has acknowledged but even in its rockiest moments, this comedic ensemble is still fun to hang out with, especially now that the cancelation of Happy Endings has brought the wildly talented Damon Wayans, Jr. back into the fold. The first couple episodes of season four have the loft-mates and Cece engaging in the goofy shenanigans they're best at without dwelling too much on the soapy antics that have dragged the show down in the past. It's not yet clear that Meriwether and co. have completely shed last year's demons, but so far things are looking quite good. And for the first time ever, I actually genuinely laughed at Jessica Biel (though in truth that has more to do with the writing than the actress).

The Mindy Project (8:30pm on Fox, premieres September 16)
Mindy Kaling's quirky sitcom went full rom-com in the latter half of its second season, which was great for Kaling and her onscreen paramour Chris Messina, though not always so for the rest of the supporting cast. Of course, this has long been an issue with this show and it might be a bigger one if Kaling and Messina weren't just so much fun to watch. Their crackling chemistry continues in the third season premiere as the newly minted couple butts heads over how much they discuss their personal lives with their fellow co-workers.

Ground Floor (9pm on TBS, premieres December 9)
December is ways away but this bubbly multi-cam sitcom is worth getting excited about early. It's first season was sweet, fun and peppered with joyous goodies like Skylar Astin randomly belting out tunes, John C. McGinley doling out pearls of unique wisdom, Rory Scovel being kooky and Briga Heelan being luminous and adorable. Like all shows that bear the stamp of Bill Lawrence, it's full of warmth and laughter and will always leave you with a smile on your face.

Faking It (9:30pm on MTV, premieres September 23)
The set-up for this teen sitcom about a pair of besties that fake being a lesbian couple to gain the attention of their classmates was rife with potential landmines but the first season proved that there was more than meets the eye. Much of this credit goes to Rita Volk, whose Amy was awoken to her own deep-seeded romantic feelings for her BFF on account of the rouse. It's quirky little comedy and after a brief 8-episode first season last spring, I'm definitely thirsty for more.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

Selfie (7pm on ABC, premieres September 30)
If this show didn't have the benefit of boasting the talents of writer Emily Kapnek and stars Karen Gillan and John Cho, I probably wouldn't give it the time of day as the pilot isn't much to write home about and that's not even addressing the loathsome trend-chasing of that title. But even without her fetching Scottish brogue, Gillan is quite the charmer and it cannot be stated enough how lovely it is to see an Asian-American actor—especially one with the comedic chops of Cho—playing a romantic lead. Still, this Pygmalion re-make has a long way to go if it wants to set itself apart of this fall's curious trend of mediocre rom-com half-hours.

Marry Me (8pm on NBC, premieres October 14)
Speaking of that troubling trend, here's another entry as Happy Endings creator David Caspe cast his new wife Casey Wilson with Ken Marino as a couple that's struggling to enter the next phase of their relationship. Wilson and Marino are incredibly funny performers and Caspe proved his comedy chops with his previous sitcom, so why is Marry Me's pilot so disappointing? Why does it fail to what this show be like from week to week? Again, if it weren't for the good pedigree of its cast and creator, this is a show I would've given up on after the first half-hour.

Sons of Anarchy (9pm on FX, currently airing)
It's never a good sign when you're looking forward to the end of a show you once loved. But sadly, that's where I find myself with this one. The bloated runtimes, the overly used musical montages, the repetitive storytelling, the inability for any major character to learn from their mistakes, it frequently leaves me exhausted after watching episodes of a show that once exhilarated me. But for all its faults, I'm hoping that the six years of investment I put into this show will pay off. Unfortunately, the early episodes of this season aren't bearing that out. But then, Sons of Anarchy's greatest strength has always been in its finales, so this is one series ender that I expect great things from.

Awkward. (9:30pm on MTV, premieres September 23)
Showrunner hand-offs are tricky things and when Awkward. creator Lauren Iungerich left her teen soap-com after the third season, I was hopeful that the show wouldn't suffer for it. Unfortunately, this was not the case. At first it seemed like things might be okay and they suddenly got very, very not okay as the absurd comic hybrid of My So-Called Life meets Gilmore Girls suddenly began to resemble a horrible version of 90210 (which, shouldn't have been surprising, given that that's where the new showrunners hailed from). By season's end there had been scores of sudsy story lines, from Matty finding out he was adopted to Tamara "Catfishing" Jake post breakup to loony new character Eva stalking everyone at Palos Hills and oh, by the by, she also may have trapped Matty into a long-term commitment by getting knocked up. After the atrocious season finale I don't have a lot of hope that the old Awkward. will return but I'm willing to give it a few more episodes to try.

Review: The Honorable Woman

It's hard to say whether the timing of The Honorable Woman is horribly unfortunate or conveniently on-point. Sundance's new mystery thriller miniseries, which premiered in the UK at the beginning of the month, is set amidst the tangled web of geopolitics that is the Israel/Palestine conflict. It's a taut and compelling drama that manages to confront its tricky subject matter by focusing on its expertly portrayed cast of characters.

Businesswoman Nessa Stein (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is well known in England for her philanthropic work in the Middle East, such that she's just been named a Baroness. She's known for converting her father's company, The Stein Group, from a business that distributed weapons to Israel to an organization dedicated to rolling out a fiber optic communications network in the West Bank. Eight years prior, Nessa took control of the institution from elder brother Ephra (Andrew Buchan), the only family she has since the two witnessed the assassination of their father as children. But it turns out that the transfer of control between the siblings may have been a lot more complicated than it appeared. The apparent suicide of one of The Stein Group's business partners and the kidnapping a young boy threaten to uncover some long-held secrets that could impact the good works they've spent years trying to accomplish.

The greatest strength of The Honorable Woman is its stellar, lead by the radiant and perfect Gyllenhaal, whose English accent is so spot-on, you'll never want her to play an American again. Nessa is a brilliantly drawn and complex character, whose moments of vulnerability never undercut how unbelievably strong she is and Gyllenhaal is up to the task at every turn. She's surrounded by a collection of fascinating female characters including Lubna Azabal as Ephra's housekeeper, the mother of the kidnapped child and old friend of the Stein siblings, The IT Crowd's Katherine Parkinson as Ephra's wife Rachel, and Janet McTeer and Eve Best as a pair of intelligence agents. The fabulous Lindsay Duncan also plays a recurring role. Buchan, Tobias Menzies and Stephen Rea are also great, though, as the title might suggest, this is very much the ladies' show.

The early episodes of the series can drag a bit as creator Hugo Blick gets a bit too invested in one of Nessa's more transparent secrets. Once the truth is finally let loose, the drama picks up more steam and the far more riveting character conflicts are allowed to take center stage. The Honorable Woman is a sophisticated and intelligent thriller that has as much respect for its audience as it does its rich cast of characters.

The Honorable Woman premieres at 9pm CST on the Sundance channel.

You should be watching this: Tonight's episode of 'Masters of Sex'

I've written before about my intense love of Showtime's Masters of Sex before, both when the show premiered last fall and again when it began its second season a couple of weeks ago. It's a unique series that approaches the typically salacious sexual content that premium cable series contain with a refreshingly intellectual and compassionate attitude. And so, given the tremendous amount of affection that I have for the show, it's not terribly shocking that it's produced one of the best hours of television I've seen this year (give me some more time to digest and watch it a few more times and the time frame may expand).

In "The Fight," which airs this evening at 9pm CST, Masters of Sex eschews its talented ensemble cast to focus exclusively on the percolating sexual relationship of its co-leads in an hour of television that takes place almost exclusively in a single hotel room. It's a credit to both the writing of the series and the skills of its lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan that stripping away the talents of fabulous performers like Beau Bridges, Allison Janney and Julianne Nicholson and abandoning the ongoing serialized plot lines like Bill Master's new job and Virginia Johnson's relationship with her new boss, does nothing to eliminate the tension and storytelling in this episode. By shutting out the rest of the world, we get to experience what it's like for both Bill and Virginia to engage in their current affair, the reprieve they're allowed from the other stresses in their lives.

The only semblance of a plot that exists outside of Bill and Virginia's hotel room relates to infant with ambiguous genitalia that Dr. Masters delivered earlier that day. As a bookend to the meat of the episode, which includes Bill and Virginia unpacking lessons they've over the years learned about being a strong man and a vulnerable woman, it serves as an intriguing commentary about the sticky nature of gender roles in society. As with many of the difficult cases that Masters confronts as a forward-thinking OB-GYN, his battles against the sexual puritanism of the 1950s feel incredibly familiar.

If you haven't yet begun Masters of Sex, I would surely encourage you to catch up from the beginning, as it's one of the best shows on TV right now, but the sheltered nature of "The Fight" means that it's a great opportunity for newbies to get a taste of what the series does best, without needing to be concerned with continuity. It's a taste that will surely leave you wanting more.

Review: The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail

If you're a podcast junkie like me, you've heard of Meltdown Comics before. Not only is it a comic shop whose clientele includes the likes of Robin Williams, it also houses a back-room comedy theater that hosts stand-up shows and podcast recordings like Harmontown, all while serving as a home for Nerdist offices where Chris Hardwick and his podcast co-hosts Matt Mira and (Meltdown co-host) Jonah Ray record episodes. To those of us hundreds of miles away from Sunset Boulevard, Meltdown seems like some kind of nerd mecca woven out of our fantasies and now, Comedy Central is offering us a peek inside by televising one of the theater's regular shows, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail.

Comedy Central has hosted many stand-up comedy showcases over the years, some more fruitful than others (John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show was a recent favorite of mine) but The Meltdown is the first to really offer a new take on the format by leveraging the intimate nature of the NerdMelt Showroom and loose and friendly attitude of the show. Most stand-up showcases mirror a typical night at a comedy club but The Meltdown, in addition to showing the onstage performances, let's the camera travel into the green room to see the chummy comics hanging out, singing songs and performing magic tricks and co-host Kumail Nanjiani's wife Emily V. Gordon gleefully watching the show from the wings. Viewers are more than just audience members, but also backstage buddies.

Of course, a change in format mean nothing to comedy show if there isn't some great talent to fill out the stage and, fortunately, The Meltdown has a ridiculously impressive line-up. Not only do co-hosts Ray and Nanjiani have a fun and frisky rapport, but they also seem to be friends with every up-and-coming funny person in L.A. Comics include Maria Bamford, Doug Benson, Garfunkel & Oates, John Hodgman, Marc Maron, T.J. Miller, Nick Offerman and several more names, most of whom anyone who cares about comedy would certainly recognize. It's no wonder that so many great people would jump at the chance to be a part of this show. The green room revelry gives the air of a chill and funny house party and the comics are generally only onstage for a few minutes, allowing them to either whip out their best material or take a chance try something crazy. The quickly-paced editing, the brief sets and the 30-minute runtime lead to a potent half-hour of entertainment. In fact, the greatest fault of The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail may be that it always leaves you wanting more.

The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail premieres Wednesday, July 23 at 11:30pm CST on Comedy Central.