The Magicians
A troubled loner is thrust into a world of magic and only he can stop the oncoming evil. The Magicians, which officially airs on Monday the 25th but is available online and on demand, bluntly addresses things like sex and violence and addiction and mental illness. You could certainly see it as Harry Potter for adults, or you could see it as The Chronicles of Narnia funneled through Mr. Robot, but the best way to see it is as a brand new magical world that we haven't even begun to discover that occasionally satires other fantasy. The first episode suffers from the translation of book to live-action, perhaps because it's rushing to get to the good stuff, but it's worth it because the good stuff is delivered. It's strange, dark, mysterious, and as wonderfully cinematic as the best of TV. Jason Ralph is swell as Quentin Coldwater, the graduate student who goes straight from the mental hospital to his new magical college known as Brakebills. In a small moment the series reveals its potential when a spirit guide of sorts tells Quentin that he won't be at Brakebills for long. The sooner he gets away from the Potter comparisons the sooner The Magicians can just be The Magicians, and that's when things can get really nifty.
Mad Men threat level: 9/10
Angie Tribeca
There's a very specific kind of silly comedy that has only been done well when Leslie Nielsen is involved. He's passed on now so instead Rashida Jones is trying her gosh darn best and cunting fuck if that's not good enough. She stars in the new TBS comedy Angie Tribeca that premiered and ended its first season earlier this week. I like to think the late Mr. Nielsen wouldn't object to having his body exhumed and Weekend at Bernie's-ed for a good enough joke but that may not be necessary with Rashida's excellent supporting cast. The consistently hilarious Deon Cole plays Angie's fellow detective DJ Tanner, the esteemed Jagger plays Tanner's partner David Hoffman and the legendary Alfred Molina works in the forensics lab for starters. As if that weren't enough, they are accompanied by a bevy of fantastic guest stars including Lisa Kudrow, Adam Scott, James Franco, and Bill Murray. On top of that, the series was created by the comedy power couple of Steve and Nancy Carell. With the idiotic writing and neat deliveries of Angie Tribeca, it would be hard to find a better tribute to the late Nielsen.
Mad Men threat level: 7/10
Legends of Tomorrow
The "Arrowverse" that started with Arrow and expanded to The Flash just introduced a new character who brought with him a whole new world. Time traveling rapscallion Rip Hunter has taken upon himself to save the timeline from the immortal Vandal Savage. To help him on this mission he has recruited a troupe of heroes (both anti- and pro-) and a couple of villains who all first appeared on The Flash or Arrow. Rip, played by Doctor Who alumnus Arthur Darvill, has a personal vendetta against Vandal, as do the star-crossed lovers reincarnate Hawkman and Hawkgirl. However, the heart of Legends pumps the blood of lighthearted adventure, and on that front Caity Lotz's White Canary is the true star. After dying and returning to life on more than one occasion like Arrow's own Phoenix, Sara Lance has a new lease on life. When Rip takes the team to the 1970's Sara leads the charge to get groovy. More than anyone else, including Brandon Routh's adorkable genius Ray "Atom" Palmer, Sara has made the decision to have fun on this temporal voyage and that makes her the soul of the show, whether she has one or not.
Mad Men threat level: 8/10
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