“Jack Ryan” -- the new 8-episode Amazon series that drags the CIA-analyst hero of “The Hunt For Red October,” “Patriot Games,” “A Clear and Present Danger” “The Sum of All Fears” and “Shadow Recruit” onto iPad and computer screens -- is masterminded by writer-producers Carlton Cuse (“The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.,” “Nash Bridges,” “Martial Law,” “Lost,” “Bates Motel,” “The Strain,” “The Returned,” “Colony”) and fellow Bad Robot vet Graham Roland (“Lost,” “Fringe,” “Almost Human,” “The Returned”).
... Competent storytelling isn’t something that should need praising for a TV show in 2018, yet Jack Ryan … stands in striking contrast to so many sluggishly-paced, poorly-lit streaming drama wallows of recent vintage. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... The result is a rock-solid series, with a possibility of real excellence in the future, if co-creators Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland can solve a few pacing problems. John Krasinski is the most winning Jack Ryan since Harrison Ford, with a strong narrative and action beats that are close to big-screen blockbuster quality. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... a little bit of a pokily-paced pilot until the last quarter of the hour when Jack takes a trip overseas and unwittingly becomes part of a fire fight. … A more exciting episode two makes clear that “Jack Ryan” lands somewhere between the soapier “24” and the more political/intellectual “Homeland” on a scale of terrorism-themed TV dramas. … the presence of the always-likeable Mr. Krasinski easily pulls viewers through to the next exciting action set piece. …
... the thing it has going for it, more than anything else, is brand recognition. … shiny objects [distract] from scattered character development, an all-too-familiar storyline and entirely too many scenes that are drained of maximum impact because they play out identically in every entry in the genre. …
... The first four episodes of “Jack Ryan” are cause for optimism; the best sign is the casting of John Krasinski …
Premiering or returning tonight:
Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Aug. 31
Jack Ryan (Amazon) Aug. 31
One Dollar (CBSAA) Aug. 30
Ozark (Netflix) Aug. 31
Paradise PD (Netflix) Aug. 31
Return of Shelby The Swamp Man (History) Aug. 30
Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix) Aug. 31
“Big Brother” tied an NFL ballgame last Thursday and did exactly the same thing last Sunday. 1.6s all around.
Thursdays, July 12-Aug. 23, 2018
(18-49 finals; repeats in grey; prior weeks in parentheses)
1.6 (1.7) (1.4) (1.5) (1.5) (1.6) (1.5) Big Brother
1.6 (0.9) (0.6) (1.8) (---) (---) (---) NFL Football
1.0 (0.9) (0.7) (0.9) (0.8) (1.0) (1.0) Big Bang Theory
0.9 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Mom
0.8 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Jersey Shore
0.7 (0.7) (---) (---) (0.6) (0.7) (---) Game of Games
0.5 (---) (0.4) (0.5) (0.5) (0.5) (0.5) The Gong Show
0.5 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Story of the Royals
0.5 (0.4) (0.4) (0.5) (0.5) (0.5) (0.5) SWAT
0.4 (0.4) (0.4) (0.5) (0.4) (0.4) (0.4) Flip Or Flop
0.4 (0.3) (0.4) (0.4) (---) (---) (---) Impractical Jokers
0.4 (0.5) (0.5) (---) (0.5) (0.5) (0.5) Law & Order SVU
0.4 (0.4) (0.4) (0.3) (0.4) (0.4) (0.4) Queen of the South
0.4 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) Rachel Maddow
0.4 (0.4) (0.4) (0.4) (0.4) (0.6) (---) Snowfall
0.4 (0.5) (0.4) (---) (0.4) (0.6) (---) Trial & Error
0.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) AC360
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) Beat Bobby Flay
0.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) CNN Tonight
0.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Cuomo Prime Time
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (---) (---) Food Truck Race
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) House Hunters
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) House Hunters Intl
0.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Lawrence O’Donnell
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (---) Mountain Men
0.3 (0.5) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Nightwatch Nation
0.3 (0.3) (0.3) (0.3) (---) (---) (---) Someone Thought
0.2 (0.2) (0.1) (0.1) (---) (0.1) (0.2) Supernatural
0.1 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) The Originals
Thursdays, July 12-Aug. 23, 2018 (selected cable)
(18-49 finals; repeats in grey; prior weeks in parentheses)
0.2 (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (---) (---) Shooter
0.1 (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (---) (---) American Woman
