Fall TV Freshman Report Card: Here Are 20 Ways To Improve 11 New Shows

Back after a one-year hiatus, TVLine's Fall TV Freshman Report Card is here to take stock of what's working... and what needs work... on nearly a dozen new broadcast shows. So, how is this year's freshman class performing?

Even though two newcomers (The CW's 4400 and ABC's Queens) have only aired a pair of episodes or fewer, first impressions are a very big deal, and even the strongest dramas and comedies have room for improvement.

To that end, the TVLine staff has come up some 20 suggestions for how 11 of the fall's new arrivals can work out their distinct kinks, while also recognizing what these shows have been doing well during their first few weeks on the air.

What cue does NCIS: Hawai'i need to take from its predecessors? How can The Big Leap avoid unforced stumbles? How can Ghosts scare up even more laughs? Which of the La Brea characters tend to pull momentum into a veritable sinkhole? Does CSI: Vegas suffer from an identity crisis?

Does the Hidden Temple need to "age up" its obstacles? What tweaks might extend Queens' reign? Which of Joe's lives is simply too Ordinary? Is Our Kind of People too party hearty?

Scroll through the list below to review all of our suggested improvements for many (though not all!) of this fall's new broadcast shows, then hit the comments with your own recommendations!

WHAT WORKS: Newbie Simone Recasner has sparkle, wit and talent for days. The characters, who could so easily be written as caricatures (the plus-sized single mom, the bitchy former ballerina, the morality-free reality-show producer), are fun and fleshed-out. And that goes along with the show's inspirational, can-do message. Plus, the dramedy doesn't take itself too seriously: It's a tough tone to achieve, but The Big Leap nails it.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: While the dance sequences that take place within the show-within-a-show are great, the ones that are set in the characters' everyday lives — like Mike's tripping the light fantastic to The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" — feel shoehorned in. We'd drop them altogether in favor of more rehearsal footage; give us all the So You Think You Can Dance-esque goodness we can handle!

WHAT WORKS: Jorja Fox, William Petersen and the other OG CSI cast slipped right back into their roles and rhythms as if it was yesterday, and the case against Hodges is sufficiently vexing (if slow-moving). Paula Newsome, meanwhile, is the perfect blend of savvy, authoritative and likable as the crime lab's current boss, Maxine. But while her team is also well cast, it feels a bit puny; what happened to CSI Park from the premiere?

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Though arguably by design, this is very much two separate, nearly independent TV shows — one about Sara and Grissom and their mission to prove Hodges innocent of evidence tampering; the other, Maxine's team cracking an unrelated Case of the Week. So if you're only vested in one of the two, the other feels like a distraction. (Oh, and change that time slot!)

WHAT WORKS: The series premiere (which is all we have seen thus far) set up plenty of tantalizing mysteries and intrigue, while giving the reboot a fresh, timely point of view.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: One could argue that the pilot episode introduced too much, too soon, with its myriad of characters, backstories, dynamics and questions. Also, we're not entirely buying that a parole officer and a social worker would be so heavily leading such a far-out investigation.

WHAT WORKS: The ghostly ensemble is an all-around delight with hilarious character quirks that have us picking a different favorite spirit every week. And even though Sam is a mere human, the comedy has still made use of the charming and talented Rose McIver. Her husband, on the other hand...

WHAT NEEDS WORK: The show needs to find some way to work Jay into more of the supernatural hijinks, even if he can't see the ghosts. Utkarsh Ambudkar is too funny to just be the straight man/odd man out.

WHAT WORKS: The premise of this fall's top-rated new series is superfun, and we never would have guessed that what's going on "topside" (Gavin can "see" the survivors!) would oftentimes be as nutty as life in the "land down under." Natalie Zea is a perfectly plucky heroine, and we're counting the minutes until Jon Seda gets to toss aside that cane and be a more active participant.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Filming wrapped a while ago on the 10-episode Season 1, so in the event of renewal: Some of the plot-driving coinky-dinks — "The L.A. excavation team dug exactly where the survivors set up camp 12,000 years ago!" — threaten to make our eyes roll out of our head. And while we're too polite to name names, some of the acting is... um, indicative of having limited options for a months-long, mid-pandemic shoot in wintertime Australia.

WHAT WORKS: From the Temple's production design to the colorful team names, The CW's reboot honors and appreciates all the little details that made the original '90s series so fun to watch. And even when she's saddled with some cornball jokes, host Cristela Alonzo brings an upbeat, engaging charisma to the proceedings.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Now that Hidden Temple involves adult contestants instead of kids, the individual games could stand to be more difficult: The Shrine of the Silver Monkey, for example, was memorably challenging for kids, but now seems almost comically easy. And though COVID precautions are surely partially to blame, the outdoor setting and lack of studio audience have left these new episodes in need of an energy boost.

WHAT WORKS: Any doubts about Vanessa Lachey ably playing a NCIS team leader have subsided; that said, we really do wish Special Agent Tennant got to display more flintiness, as her counterparts across the NCIS-verse do. Among the supporting cast, Yasmine Al-Bustami was an instant standout as Lucy, while Jason Antoon is delivering a fun spin on the eclectic tech whiz (but remember, writers — less is more). Add in well-measured dollops of Enver Gjokaj, and you have watchable Monday fare.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: The recent episode that featured horseback riding across lush mountainsides stands out as a showcase of the Aloha State's beauty, so why haven't there been more?... A couple of the early cases have been too convoluted for their own good.... Is more Gjokaj needed?

WHAT WORKS: The high-concept, This Is Us-like drama's main selling point is its engaging cast, particularly the always likable James Wolk and surprise standout Natalie Martinez. Plus, the "What if...?" premise makes for interesting changes, big and small, from one timeline to the other.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Some viewers have complained about it being difficult to keep track of the different (though color-coded) worlds, but we're more concerned about the fact that not all timelines are created equal, and one is just not as compelling as the others. (We'll give you one guess which one it is.)

WHAT WORKS: Creator/showrunner Karen Gist and EP Lee Daniels do a great job of giving audiences loads of drama, greats clothes, hairstyles and pretty people behaving badly. The cast, which includes Joe Morton, Nadine Ellis, Debbi Morgan and Yaya DaCosta, is also stellar. Edifying more people about Martha's Vineyard's Black one-percenters is also noteworthy.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: The storylines and dialogue are disjointed and at times nonsensical. Each episode is overstuffed with details and backstories and all the characters seem to do is go to parties. How does DaCosta's Angela have time to do hair, make product, raise her child and fix an old firehouse if all she does is hobnob and fight with her half-sister Leah?

WHAT WORKS: Casting three actual musical stars of the early 2000s as fictional members of a girl group from the early 2000s? Genius. Having the show's action toggle between the Nasty Bitches' tortuous career and the ladies' current-day lives? Inspired. Bringing Swizz Beatz on as the show's executive music producer? A perfect move that lends the show an authentic feel and — more importantly — sound.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: We'd love to see the show's soapier elements (paternity questions, Brianna's cheating hubby's possibly-fake amnesia) amped up, because it's exactly the type of freewheeling ridiculousness we love to see play out in primetime, and these women have the chops to sell it.

WHAT WORKS: The show hardly feels like a reboot because it established its own tone and distinctive voice right off the bat, with help from narrator Don Cheadle. It's funny, charming and relatable, and its delightful cast is icing on the cake. Elisha Williams really shines as Dean Willians, and his natural earnestness pulls everything together nicely.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Laura Kariuki is underutilized as Dean's big sister; it would be interesting to explore more of Kim's story with the Black Panthers, and how she struggles with some of the more extreme actions (as was teased in Episode 2). Oh, and we could definitely use more of Dulé Hill singing as Bill Williams. He is a musician, after all.

Want scoop on any of the above shows? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line.