When adapting an existing media property, there’s an inherent conflict for a series’ writer: How much do you stick to what already exists versus going your own way? That tension is apparent in the first episode of the new Paramount+ series “Halo,” adapted from the popular video game, which in its first hour settles for splitting the difference.

Now streaming, the “Halo” premiere episode features a huge firefight between villagers and an attacking horde of Covenant aliens. When the super-human Spartan soldiers arrive, the show starts to feel like when you watch someone else play a videogame.

But to its credit, “Halo” moves through this sequence and gets on to the business of being a modern, premium drama that’s more focused on character and relationship development and world-building.

Already renewed for a second season, the first two episodes of “Halo” focus on Master Chief, Spartan-117 (Pablo Schreiber, “Orange is the New Black”), who disobeys his orders to murder a young survivor (Yerin Ha) of the village attack (shades of “The Mandalorian”). Instead, he deposits her with an escaped Spartan (Bokeem Woodbine, “Fargo”) who lives in an asteroid colony with one of the more ambitious and fresh transportation systems seen in recent science fiction.

Meanwhile, Spartan program creator Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhone) tries to satisfy military officers with a plan to reign in Master Chief while also launching the next evolution of super soldiers with Cortana (Jen Taylor from the “Halo” video game).

Adapted into a series by Kyle Killen (“Awake,” “Lone Star”), who left and was succeeded by Steven Kane (“The Last Ship”), and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, “Halo” has been years in the making and was originally intended for Showtime before moving to Paramount+. The millions poured into it certainly show on screen in the first two episodes that successfully build out the “Halo” world in four primary locations, including the villainous aliens’ base where they are led, inexplicably so far, by what appears to be a human teenager.

Where this all goes and whether the balance tips more toward character and story or more toward video game-like battle scenes is unclear, but if the first two episodes are any indication, character stories will win out. As long as that remains the case, I’ll gladly go along for this sci-fi ride.

‘Bridgerton’

If you can get past the ridiculousness that only half of the couple viewers rooted for in season one, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), is back in season two – Simon (Rege-Jean Page) is off-screen the whole time since Page declined to return – and that the plot of season two is as obvious as the season one story, then, I guess, welcome back “Bridgerton”? At least it’s pretty to look at. (Of course, the same can be said for the far more entertaining HBO period drama “The Gilded Age.”)

As soaps go, one can certainly do worse than “Bridgerton,” but season two, streaming Friday, feels like a bland mimeograph of season one. This time the focus is on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) who seeks to marry Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) even though it’s blatantly obvious he’s really drawn to her feisty sister, Kate (Simone Ashley).

Happily, the new season gives scene-stealers Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) more to do. And “Bridgerton” continues to build on the revelation that Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is actually Lady Whistledown, who would surely have a scathing word or two about stories that ask viewers to invest in a central relationship and then push it entirely off stage.

Pittsburgh doc drama

Variety reports Michael Strahan is executive producing “The Front Line,” a proposed Pittsburgh-set ABC medical drama about a pro football player-turned-doctor, Sebastian “Bass” Clark.

“The project follows Bass and an ensemble of doctors and staff at a prestigious Pittsburgh hospital as they navigate high-stakes medical cases with all the adrenaline, warmth and big-heartedness of a great sports movie,” per ABC’s description of the show that is only in development at this point. Whether it moves forward to the next stage, a pilot order, remains to be seen.

It’s unclear why Pittsburgh was chosen as a setting. The show’s writer, Marc Halsey, is from Minnesota. Representatives for Strahan’s production company did not respond to requests for comment.

WTAE adds Story

Weigel Broadcasting, the company behind digital subchannels MeTV, Decades and Start TV will add another channel, Story, featuring factual and historical shows drawn from A&E and History Channel programming.

In Pittsburgh, Story will be carried as digital subchannel 4.3 of WTAE-TV beginning Monday.

Kept/canceled/revamped

BET will bring back Tyler Perry’s “The Oval” and “Sistas” for a fourth and fifth season, respectively.

HBO renewed “And Just Like That…,” the “Sex and the City” sequel, for a second season and will bring back “My Brilliant Friend” for a fourth and final season.

The CW gave early renewals to “All American,” “The Flash,” “Kung Fu,” “Nancy Drew,” “Riverdale,” “Superman Lois” and “Walker” for the 2022-23 TV season.

NBC pulled “The Courtship” from its lineup and is burning off the remaining episodes on USA at 11 p.m. Wednesdays.

Daytime talk show “Maury” will end its 31-season run this year.

CBS ordered reality dating competition series “The Real Love Boat” that will be filmed aboard a Princess ship during a Mediterranean cruise

Channel Surfing

Homewood native Antoine Fuqua and his Hill District Media company have signed an overall television/streaming deal to develop scripted and unscripted content for Paramount. … Ken Burns’ nine-part “Baseball” documentary is streaming for free through April 29 at PBS.org and on the PBS Video app. … Jerrod Carmichael hosts NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” April 2 with musical guest Gunna; Jake Gyllenhaal hosts April 9 with Camila Cabello; Lizzo is host and musical guest April 16. … Seasons one through three of “Yellowstone” will stream for free starting March 25 at 3 p.m. on the More TV Drama channel on Pluto TV. … The final “Grace and Frankie” episodes roll out April 29 on Netflix.

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