Today we come to the end of our summer pitches, covering shows Sp-Y. A tremendous thank you to everyone who pitched shows this time. There are no articles without you! Thanks also to everyone who read the pitches. I hope you found some new shows to try or it sparked you to rewatch some you’ve already seen. There were over 160 official pitches with around 75 people pitching their favorites. Timeless, again, had the most pitches with 14, and Whiskey Cavalier was right behind it with 13. I appreciate all the people who look forward to Pitch Your Show and all the hard work you put into it to make it a success. Until next summer, may you never run out of great TV to watch...and of course, stay tuned for the Character Cup. If you like discussing shows here, there’s a whole contest of TV Talk Topics for you to enjoy there.
Pitches - Part A
Pitches - Part B
Pitches - Part C
Pitches - Part D
Pitches - Part E
Link to spreadsheet
7 seasons, 77 episodes
Amazon Prime, Hulu
Along with Line of Duty, Spiral/Engrenages stands head and shoulders above most crime shows that aren’t called The Wire. It deromanticizes the city of Paris, showing the ugly side as it spends its time with Parisian police, lawyers, and judges in their everyday struggles. Each season tackles a new case in a mostly serialised format, and the compelling performance from lead Caroline Proust is worthy of a mention. Her no-nonsense Captain Laure Berthaud doesn't take long to be established as one of the most memorable television portrayals of a law enforcement officer ever. The humanisation of these characters makes them feel real rather than distant and entirely believable. With the high stakes, well-written and well-paced drama that comes with a veteran show like Spiral, which debuted in 2005, you know you’ll be in good hands. For those looking for something different from your standard US television procedurals, Spiral raises the game to another level. (Milo)
6 seasons, 131 episodes
Set in the years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the show follows the adventures of well known characters such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi as they battle Count Dooku and his army of Separatists. The show does well with delving deep into the Star Wars mythos, as well as fleshing out the characters. It gives them substantial backstory in a way the movies never did, while introducing new original characters such as Ahsoka, Anakin’s brash snippy apprentice, and the loyal Clone Captain Rex. With action packed adventure, humor, and heart, this show has everything a Star Wars fan can ask for. The show was so popular that a final season was commissioned years after it abruptly ended, due to complications of the Disney merger, in order to provide closure. (The North Remembers)
14 seasons, 307 episodes
CW Seed, Netflix
The CW’s longest running show comes to an end this fall so if you’re new to the franchise, here is the rundown. After his mother was killed in a mysterious fire, Sam Winchester is raised to hunt and kill monsters. Eventually he decides to make a normal life for himself at college, until his estranged brother Dean arrives to tell him that their father is missing and Sam is pushed back into the life he sought to escape. The two brothers travel the country, looking for their dad as they protect people from the things that go bump in the night. Unlike most CW shows, this has no nauseating love triangles but instead focuses on the genuine brotherly bond between Sam and Dean. While originally a horror show, over time it became so humorous and meta that you end up laughing as much as you get scared. With humor, heart, horror, and the central tenet that family is not just who you share blood with but also who you choose, this show is a must watch if you want to escape The CW’s usual tiresome, love-centric, melodramatic shows. (The North Remembers)
It’s a story about 2 brothers, hunting monsters and saving people but mostly about their love and devotion to each other. Werewolves, vampires, demons, and angels can’t break their bond; not even death can! Sam and Dean Winchester have both been to hell and back, lost each other, and gave their lives for the other one! Supernatural is an incredible, non-romantic, love story of two brothers who are heroes but not perfect. (Deborah)
It is awesome. It’s about two brothers who hunt monsters and travel to different places in their ‘67 Chevy Impala. (Kristen)
1 season, 10 episodes
DC Universe
The best horror show on air right now! (Patrick)
Swamp Thing is one of those extremely rare horror shows that actually manages to make me shiver. The show takes full advantage of its swamp location to set the creepy atmosphere of each episode. The sense of something out there watching you is enhanced by the fact that the swamp in Marais, Louisiana, is actually alive and willing to kill to protect itself. Most of the show’s success is due to the fact that the scariest stories are grounded in the characters on the canvas. After 15 years, CDC doctor Abby Arcane is assigned to investigate an epidemic in Marais. She’s stayed away out of guilt over the death of her childhood best friend, Shauna. Abby’s guilt and Shauna’s mother’s anger are the emotional core of this story and make every creepy moment very effective. This show isn’t simply a ghost story though. There is small town intrigue surrounding the richest man in town trying to hang onto his power, a scientist trying to figure out how he brought the swamp to life (if he did), and Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing, trying to figure out what happened to him and what he is now. (Prpleight)
1 season, 10 episodes
MTV
I tend to hate “important” shows, ones that clearly have a message to deliver. I am also not a fan of shows with sexual assault because they are usually a “very special episode” plotline that gets dropped too quickly or they get too dark. However, I watched the pilot of Sweet/Vicious and was immediately hooked. It is the single best portrayal of the aftereffects of rape that I have ever seen, and yet it equally adds in moments of levity and action so that it doesn’t get overwhelmingly dark. The main characters feel real and are very diverse at first, not friends at all. Still, their shared secret brings them together and, in the end, Jules realizes that Ophelia is her strongest supporter. This show does female friendship like none other. While it can be a whole lot of fun, and I promise you will laugh throughout, it takes its serious moments very seriously and never makes light of rape. In fact, the scene where Jules finally confronts her rapist is the rawest TV moment I have ever seen. Eliza Bennett deserved an Oscar for that scene alone. (Dahne)
2 seasons, 27 episodes
NBC, Hulu (USA), Netflix (UK)
Timeless is a sci-fi show about a team recruited to travel through time to stop an evil organization called Rittenhouse from altering the future. The team is led by Lucy Preston, a teacher/historian. The show has great characters and highlights people from history most know little about. It’s fun, exciting, twisty, and worth the watch. (Rachel)
Timeless is not only a pretty accurate and very educational show, it is also entertaining! It manages to keep a show about history amusing. Not to mention you have to pay attention because Timeless has twists in almost every episode. Timeless is honestly the best thing I’ve ever spend my time doing. (David)
Timeless has everything you could possibly want in a show: action, adventure, romance, and humor! The cast is awesome and their characters are relatable. The writing is great and the storylines are different than other television shows. The sets, especially season 1, and wardrobe are very realistic for the time periods. You can’t go wrong checking out Timeless! (Melanie)
Timeless is a beautiful storytelling of the history that brought us where we are today. It's truly unique and I have a deep affinity for the historical figures that are in each episode. Timeless is full of laughter, wonder, joy, love, loss, magic, and friendship. It transports you to another world that we can only dream of knowing. My life has more meaning now because I can appreciate the value and impact of history! I am so thankful for all our ancestors who have fought for what we have today. I promise when you watch Timeless, you will be utterly blown away. (Kenny)
3 seasons, 24 episodes
HBO, Hulu
Some may have been put off by the second season of the True Detective anthology crime series, which may lead viewers to wonder if the 3rd season is worth viewing at all? It is. It's true it doesn't have the A-list actors of previous seasons, but rapper Mahershala Ali paired with Stephen Dorff is as good of a duo as any. Season 3 is a deep portrait of a broken man across three time periods. The unsolved case of missing girl serves as a plot device to the struggles of a African-American Vietnam war vet, husband, father, and detective working within the confines of a predominantly white police force, starting in the 1980's. Like the first season, the choice of the Ozarks gives it back its urban feel, but where maybe the monster isn't some force being battled with on the outside, but on the inside. Even if you've never seen True Detective before, I still recommend the third season above the previous two for its master storytelling and more intimate look at human nature and time, while preserving the best of everything that came before. It may be a good place to ease yourself into the series at large. (Darthlocke)
4 seasons, 70 episodes
Amazon Prime, Hulu
The Unit is an action military drama created by Shawn Ryan (The Shield and Timeless) that follows the lives of members of a special ops army detachment, who deals with high-stakes operations around the globe. While the soldiers deal with the stress of their assignments, the show also depicts the psychological and emotional struggles that affect them just as much as the danger they face. Back home, their families and loved ones deal with equal turmoil regarding the stress and worries of whether or not the servicemen they love will make it back alive. It’s a four season show that any fan of military action or deep emotional human conflict should put on their list. (The North Remembers)
1 season, 10 episodes
YouTube Premium
Wayne, a young, angry kid with a righteous yet brutal sense of justice, is constantly down on his luck. He makes his way to Florida with Del, a girl he likes and who is just as messed up as him, in order to retrieve his dead father’s car from the man his mother left them for. Hot on their trail is Del’s father and brothers, a determined police chief with a very Zen-like life philosophy, his deputy, and their school principal. With every stop they make, they get into some kind of trouble and meet a plethora of equally zany characters as themselves. If you like a good road-trip show/movie/story with multilayered, humane, and endearing characters, then it’s likely this dramedy from YouTube is the show for you. Fair warning: this show is not for the faint of heart. There’s enough punching, kicking, blood, and gore. However, for a show as violent as Wayne gets to also have as much heart as this does, is what really makes it special. (Folie-lex)
If you loved The End of the F***ing World, then this You Tube original is definitely for you. A troubled young man teams up with a girl he just met to go cross country and recover his dad’s stolen car. There are a lot of similarities between the two shows, especially with how the relationship develops between the leads, but Wayne is also its own thing as well. I really love the performances from Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo. (Lou)
1 season, 13 episodes
ABC, Hulu
Will Chase is one of the FBI’s top agents. Frankie Trowbridge is one of the CIA’s most prolific spies. After butting heads on a mission to capture NSA analyst Edgar Standish, who seemingly had gone rogue, they are forced to work together and run a team that includes Standish, FBI’s top profiler Susan Sampson, and the team’s designated inventor, Jai Data. Together they constantly save the world from terrorists, human traffickers, arms dealers and other international threats, while having to report to Will’s ex-best friend Ray Prince, a not-so-bright FBI agent who is desperate to “get Will back”. Whiskey Cavalier knows exactly what kind of show it is, a rompy, fun, action show and it fully embrace its identity and plays to its strengths. While never failing to lean into the tropes of the genre, it always knows how to subvert them because these characters are so lovely, lovable, and self aware. With a marvelous ensemble, led by Scott Foley and Lauren Cohan, that has amazing chemistry across the board and some serialized elements, this cute spy show is definitely worth your time. (Folie-lex)
This is spy drama/comedy is packed with tons of action and great international locations! The cast has amazing chemistry and the character development is great! You will be hooked after the first episode. It’s a great mix of serious and comedy in each episode. You will not be disappointed! (Carolyn)
Whiskey Cavalier is a refreshing, clean show about spies who save the world. This show has action, drama, romance, and comedy. Many times you have one or two characters that are your favorite, but not here. I seriously love them all. You can relate to each character but they are all unique. It is filmed in beautiful locations, places I believe most people won’t see, and the music works perfectly. It lets you live vicariously through the show and entertains you for an hour, letting you forget the hustle and bustle of life. It’s a must see. (Shannon)
6 seasons, 81 episodes
USA Network, Hulu
To describe the show, think of a lighter version of Blacklist with less “who is the daddy” and more bromance and heart. The essence of the show is that two enemies end up working together and become the unlikeliest of friends. FBI Agent Peter Burke finally catches his nemesis, master con artist Neal Caffrey. Rather than serve prison time, Caffrey gets the chance to work off his sentence as an FBI consultant using his expertise in the criminal world to help them catch his far more dangerous associates. With action-packed drama seasoned with quirky tongue and cheek humor, White Collar is a show that will have you crying messily one second and then laughing your butt off the next. (The North Remembers)
5 seasons, 60 episodes
Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu
While The Shield is more Shakespearean, The Wire is more like the narrative from a Charles Dickens novel. One of the shows that made HBO a big name cable network, it ran for five season and each handles a different case. Jimmy McNulty is a burnt out, alcoholic, Baltimore cop, who more often than not is the center of each season's mystery. While initially a man who has given up, his need to do good causes a change in his character and despite the more of the questionable things he does in later seasons, he remains steadfast in doing what's right for his city. The show does an incredible job at how the case not only affects the cops, but also the high ranking politicians, who seek to capitalize on the crimes, and even the effect is has on the city's criminals, who are equally as compelling. It shows how the systematic infrastructure of Baltimore as a whole is affected by crimes that are committed. (The North Remembers)
6 seasons, 134 episodes
NBC, Tubi
Xena is one of the earliest series that set the bar for female protagonists and created one of the most iconic lesbian TV icons. In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings, Xena is a mighty warrior who fights injustice and protects the innocent alongside her companion Gabrielle. While originally set in ancient Greece, the show expands to other ancient regions such as China, India, Norway, and Japan. Xena and Gabrielle journey, fighting against monsters and gods as Xena attempts to find redemption for her dark past. Gabrielle develops from a meek, innocent girl to a warrior in her own right. While action and drama are expected, the show has occasional comedy. Some episodes were hilarious such as “A Day in the Life.” If you like action and adventure shows with fantasy elements or just want to see the show that gave Lucy Lawless her start, this is recommended, although production and special effects were kind of mediocre given that the show was filmed in the 1990’s. (The North Remembers)
1 season, 6 episodes
HBO
Trump got elected for a second term, dropping a nuclear bomb before leaving office and was replaced by a puppet in the form of Pence. The right-wing, bigoted, populist Four Star Party led by Vivienne Rook are edging closer to Parliament. The economy is in free-fall, technology is making more jobs obsolete, and things are only about to get worse. Welcome to the nightmarish future that is Years and Years, a show that asks with terrifying realism and frightening accuracy, “Where Are We Headed?” Since the finale aired after a PM leadership election debate in the UK, where despicable frontrunner Boris Johnson didn’t even show, the whole thing looks very believable. This show puts Black Mirror to shame, with former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies weaving a passion project, highlighting the dangers of the world we live in today and society at large. Torchwood: Children of Earth and Doctor Who’s “Turn Left” were trial runs, jumping years into the future each episode to look at what’s coming next for the world, and all made plausible by a powerhouse ensemble performance from the likes of Emma Thompson, Russell Tovey, Rory Kinnear, Jessica Jynes and T’nia Miller. (Milo)
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