Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Pitch’

The underdog sports story is a tried and true formula for coercing even the most apathetic sports fans into committing to a show or film (see: Friday Night Lights), and FOX’s latest sports drama, Pitch, embraces this fully. Created by the ever-busy Dan Fogelman (also responsible for NBC’s new fall drama This Is Us), Pitch attempts to fill the void of quality sports drama series on television this fall. We’re here to let you know if it strikes out or knocks it out of the park. 

A Guide to Our Rating System

Opening Shot: The opening of a pilot can set a mood for the entire show (think Six Feet Under); thus, we examine the first shot of each pilot.
The Gist: The “who, what, where, when, why?” of the pilot.
Our Take: What did we think? Are we desperate for more or desperate to get that hour back?
Sex and Skin: That’s all you care about anyway, right? We let you know how quickly the show gets down and dirty.
Parting Shot: Where does the pilot leave us? Hanging off a cliff, or running for the hills?
Sleeper Star: Basically, someone in the cast who is not the top-billed star who shows great promise.
Most Pilot-y Line: Pilots have a lot of work to do: world building, character establishing, and stakes raising. Sometimes that results in some pretty clunky dialogue.
Our Call: We’ll let you know if you should, ahem, Stream It or Skip It.

PITCH

Opening Shot: Our protagonist Ginny (Kylie Bunbury) awakes to her vibrating alarm in a hotel room full of an assortment of gift baskets.

The Gist: Ginny Baker is a 23-year-old pitcher who’s been called up by the San Diego Padres to start. Facing media frenzy, a crazy cast of teammates, a no-bullshit agent, and the voice of her (spoiler alert) deceased father always in her ears, Baker must conquer the history-making challenge of being the first female player in Major League Baseball.

Our Take: While rife with cliches, Pitch has plenty of heart, and that’s what keeps it breathing. Bunbury’s performance is quiet and controlled, and her chemistry with the other Padres (particularly Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s Mike Lawson) allows for endless possibilities. The show definitely plays into the tropes often seen in sports stories (including an inspirational speech on the mound from Gosselaar in the episode’s last few minutes!) but the gender issue is what makes it fresh and hit all the right notes on an emotional level. It’s relevant – whether it’s the sight of a little girl holding up a sign reading “I’m next!” or a quick shot of a note from Hillary Clinton in Ginny’s hotel room, it’s difficult not to be affected by this fantasy.

The pilot also doesn’t attempt to knock it out of the park right away – Ginny caves under the pressure at her first game and performs extremely poorly. Pitch also spends a lot of time trying to make this as accurate as possible – she’s bombarded by raving fans, she has a new social media coordinator, and the news commentary on her ranges from excited young women to sexist old men. The strong cast (particularly Ali Larter, Mark Consuelos, and Bob Balaban) also aid in the show’s strength. The way the it’s shot is charged with a unique, authentic energy, and that makes it easy to become emotionally invested.

Sex and Skin: There’s a rather gratuitous shot of Ginny in her sports bra when the episode begins and she is changing, but aside from that, you won’t find much sexy-time here.

Parting Shot: In a final dramatic sequence, it’s revealed that Ginny’s father was killed in a car accident before he ever got to see her play the majors, but she continues to hear him and see him everywhere.

Sleeper Star: Moe McRae’s Blip Sanders (Ginny’s old friend and now teammate) adds a layer of sincerity and humor that the show needs. He’s in her corner despite her failures, and he wants to rally the rest of the team to do the same. McRae’s honest, energetic performance despite his limited screen time during the pilot demonstrates the growth from him that surely lies ahead.

Most Pilot-y Line: “She’s a fighter. She’s a fighter.” There are many instances of characters discussing Ginny’s traits throughout the episode, but a debate between teammates at a bar about whether or not she can handle being on the team proves itself to be a rather clunky conversation.

Our Call: Stream it. While there are certainly a number of kinks that need working out and the show’s sustainability may be questionable, the premise as a whole and a large part of the execution of it makes it a breath of fresh air among the other fall dramas. It’s more relevant than ever.

[Watch the pilot for Pitch on FOXNow or Hulu]

Jade Budowski is an indecisive sometimes-writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.