FOXApologies for the horrible headline pun, there's just no other way to say it—Fox has a home run with its stunning new drama Pitch. It's one of the E! TV Team's favorite shows of the fall, and we couldn't help but gush about how amazing star Kylie Bunbury is as the first female Major League Baseball player—and how hot her costar Mark-Paul Gosselaar is as her bearded teammate.
But along with our quick take on Pitch, we also give our brutally honest opinions on Fox's other two new dramas, both based on decades-old movies, and strange new comedy Son of Zorn.
Check out our rapid-fire reviews of Lethal Weapon, The Exorcist, Pitch and Son of Zorn below, and stay tuned for our thoughts on NBC and The CW's new series tomorrow. And if you missed them, we took on CBS yesterday and ABC the day before!
Lethal Weapon
Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: The Goldbergs/Speechless (ABC); Survivor (CBS); Blindspot (NBC); Arrow (The CW)
Stars: Damon Wayans, Clayne Crawford, Keesha Sharp, Kevin Rahm, Jordana Brewster
Premise: Grief-stricken rebel Riggs and by-the-book Murtaugh must learn to work together as partners in this update of the 1987 movie.
Tierney Bricker: Of the insane influx of revivals and reboots this season, Lethal Weapon is the best one, in my humble-ish opinion…and I've never seen the original movie. I was pleasantly surprised by the effortless chemistry between Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford, and it felt like a throwback without being too cheesy, which is a very fine line to walk.
Chris Harnick: Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans have great chemistry. This pilot was full of buddy cop clichés, but then again it is Lethal Weapon, so if that's your bag, you won't be disappointed here.
Jean Bentley: Yes, another remake. No, not necessary. But twist: this is a delightful buddy cop procedural. It was funny and fun and I'll definitely add it to my DVR rotation, though the jury's still out over whether it'll be a show that piles up until I erase the series recording or if I actually watch week to week.
Lauren Piester: The straight-laced cop mixed with the wild and crazy out-of-the-box partner has been done before on TV, and done better, so I wish there was something new to mix it up. But the pilot's not bad, and Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford make a fun duo, so it could be good!
Billy Nilles: Did we need a modern update of Lethal Weapon? Not exactly. But if we have to have one, this is the very best case scenario. Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayons have a breezy chemistry that is a delight to watch, and Clayne brings an unexpected depth to his recreation of the Riggs character. Do I plan to watch each week? Probably not. But this is the sort of show I am going to get sucked into a syndicated marathon of on a lazy Sunday five years from now. And I mean that as a compliment.
The Exorcist
Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Shark Tank (ABC); Hawaii Five-0 (CBS); Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)
Stars: Geena Davis, Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, Alan Ruck, Hannah Kasulka, Brianne Howey, Kurt Egyiawan
Premise: Based on the horror classic, this updated TV version sees a Chicago family turn to two priests for help fighting evil forces in their home.
Tierney Bricker: Clearly, Fox is winning in the whole "reviving classic movies Tierney has never seen" genre 'cause guess what, I've never seen the original of this one either! In my defense, I don't like scary movies, and I was a little nervous going into this one, but it actually wasn't that scary! Which I now realize is probably not the best thing to say about a show hoping to be the scariest show on TV?
Chris Harnick: To be honest, anything with Geena Davis instantly has my attention, but do we really need an Exorcist TV show? I was prepared to hate this, just because of the onslaught of reboots and remakes that has taken hold, but I was surprised to find myself intrigued by the pilot. Will I watch past the second episode? That remains to be seen.
Jean Bentley: Yes, another remake. No, not necessary. Another twist: It was intriguing! It's not for me, but can definitely see the slow-paced horror paying off in a real, creepy way should you choose to tune in.
Lauren Piester: There's a reason I've never seen the movie, and it's the same reason I won't be watching this. I just don't like demonic possession, OK?!
Billy Nilles: Horror on TV is a tricky gambit. There's some incredibly icky imagery here, but it didn't necessarily scare me as much as it grossed me out. I'm all for Geena Davis on TV, and I thought the ending of the pilot was a particularly neat subversion on my expectations that has me returning for at least one more week, but if I never see a two-pupil eyeball again, it'll be too soon.
Pitch
Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Notorious (ABC); Mom/Life In Pieces (CBS); Chicago Med/Thursday Night Football (NBC); Supernatural (The CW)
Stars: Kylie Bunbury, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Ali Larter, Mark Consuelos, Dan Lauria, Mo McRae
Premise: Rookie pitcher Ginny Baker (Bunbury) is called up by the San Diego Padres to make her Major League Baseball debut.
Tierney Bricker: Take me to the ballpark! This one knocks it out of the park! Talk about a homerun! OK, I'll stop with the horrible puns, but I will not stop my gushing over Pitch, one of the best (if not the best) pilot of the fall. It has so much heart you can practically hear it beating in the background of each scene. And can I also gush over Kylie Bunbury, the breakout star of the fall? Trust: you won't be able to take your eyes off of her. You won't need season tickets when you've got a season pass to this one.
Chris Harnick: Easily one of the most promising pilots of the fall, I found myself caring about Pitch and I don't care about sports! Kylie Bunbury is the breakout star you've been waiting for and you'll be hard-pressed to refer to Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the former Saved By the Bell star after this. Very interested to see where this goes from here—mainly to see how they get a handle on the weekly episodic stories.
Jean Bentley: Amazing premise, amazing pilot, amazing cast. Plus, not to get all Spice Girls on you, but I LOVED the girl power of it all.
Lauren Piester: My favorite thing about this very good, very emotional pilot, in which there are a lot of things that I like, is Mark-Paul Gosselaar as a husky bearded catcher. I've never found MPG so attractive before and I don't know what to do with this revelation, other than just plan to watch this show every week.
Billy Nilles: Hands down, one of my favorite pilots this fall. Kylie Bunbury is one of the season's greatest finds and the feminist in me is obsessed with this female empowerment story. Beyond just being an All-Star show, this could do some good in the world. I'm on board.
Son of Zorn
Premiere Date: Special preview on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 8:00 p.m.; moves to regular time slot Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Once Upon a Time (ABC); NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS); Sunday Night Football (NBC)
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Cheryl Hines, Tim Meadows, Johnny Pemberton, Artemis Pebdani
Premise: An absentee dad returns to the 'burbs to bond with the son he left behind. Also he's animated, but everyone else is live-action.
Tierney Bricker: Animation is not my jam, but I can definitely see fans of Family Guy and Last Man on Earth digging this one. You have to admire the ambition of this one…along with Zorn's abs.
Jean Bentley: This is a show for a very specific audience and while it was funny, it's also not something I'm going to keep watching. To each her own!
Lauren Piester: I genuinely don't know what to do with this show. It's really funny, but the mix of animation with real life makes me oddly uncomfortable. Is he or is he not animated to them? Why can't they just put a loin cloth on Jason Sudeikis? Not sure I can watch this without my brain falling apart each week.
Billy Nilles: This one is a mixed bag for me. There are parts that I really liked, like all of Zorn's interactions with his new boss Artemis Pebdani, and parts that I didn't. (Like, almost everything else.) But it's not a good sign that I found myself wanting a show from Pebdani's point of view, having to deal with his ridiculous animated hunky dolt as her new employee.