Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Cloak & Dagger

Freeform’s superhero soap offers some positive messages, but it takes a troublesome path to get to them.

The Grinder

This odd-couple comedy from Fox is a pleasant PG surprise, but there’s still some content that could grind the show’s gears a bit.

The Mob Doctor

The mafia doesn’t worry about HMOs or the complicated new health care laws. If wiseguys need a doctor, they just call Grace Devlin, and she comes running—even if perhaps she shouldn’t.

The Leftovers

A premium series takes a stab at a Rapture-like event where those left behind are forced to find earthly meaning wherever they can. Of course the result on HBO is abysmal.

The X Factor

UPDATED REVIEW: What’s the X in The X Factor? Is there something about this singing show that outshines all the others?

Dead of Summer

Does a diamond in the rough lurk behind all that ’80s horror-movie content in this new Freeform series? Not really.

GLOW

The show’s flying chairs of content make this a difficult ring to climb into.

Bachelor Pad

ABC has channeled the worst elements of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette into this sleazy spin-off. Click for our review. (Or maybe that was our review.)

The Suite Life on Deck

Fresh from a three-year tour on Disney’s The Suite Life With Zack and Cody, twins Zack and Cody Martin strap on their life vests for another Disney sitcom.

Famous in Love

It’s a little like La La Land, only without much to sing and dance about.

Cult

Cult plumbs the sometimes unbridled bond between TV shows and their fans, and mulls the connection between virtual violence and real-life obsession. Sadly, it’s not nearly as interesting as it sounds.

Rush Hour

CBS, always in the market for teams of off-kilter crime busters, has decided to resize the Rush Hour duo for the small screen.

Baby Daddy

UPDATED REVIEW: Are men uncomfortable with baby? Check. Does baby’s diaper smell sometimes? Check. Does baby sometimes spit up unexpectedly? Check. All the standard jokes are in place for this very predictable sitcom.

Santa Clarita Diet

Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet is both witty and wicked—as graphic as The Walking Dead, but in the form of a darkly comedic sitcom.

Roseanne

Shows about zombies have been popular for a while now. But what about a show that’s something of a zombie itself?