These 3 shows held promise (esp. with their lead actors), but I couldn’t make it past the first ep.
Night Sky Sissy Spacek and J. K. Simmons star as a couple who have a secret chamber in their back yard that’s a portal to another planet. It looks cool from their brief visit, but then they go about their lives, visiting doctors and elderly friends. We have to assume that the sci-fi element develops in further eps, but the mundane, slow pace makes is hard to keep going. On the positive, both actors are captivating, as always. (8 one-hour eps) 
(2 / 5)
The Essex Serpent In the late 1800s England, a determined woman (Claire Danes) sets out to seek the truth about the mysterious creature supposedly living in the waters outside Essex. When she arrives, she meets a local pastor (Tom Hiddleston) and things get more complicated. From the early scenes, this is NOT a sci-fi thriller, but a gothic romance (based on the novel of same name). The deliberate pace echoes the period. This is more about their slow-burn relationship, than providing any serpent thrills. (6 one-hour eps) (2 / 5)
Irma Vep This series is based on the 1996 film by Olivier Assayas, about a star and the movie she’s remaking (the French silent classic, Les Vampires). Alicia Vikander takes on the lead as the American star who’s not happy about her career in blockbusters or her recently-ended relationship. While there are some cool looks at the glamour of a star’s life and the making of a film, the self-important dialogue drags it down. This look at art vs. commerce isn’t interesting. (2 / 5)