Mysterical-E

Mysterical-Eye

This Fall's Comfort TV
by Gerald So

The Fall 2014 broadcast TV season is one week old as of this column, and I find I've enjoyed more than my usual number of new premieres.

GOTHAM (8:00 P.M. Mondays on FOX) is a highly anticipated and hyped look at the Batman mythos from Det, James Gordon (Ben McKenzie)'s early days with the Gotham City PD, partnered with the jaded Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). One of his first cases is the double-murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. Like The CW's long-running Smallville, Gotham depicts the younger versions of characters we know (Gordon, Wayne, Penguin, Catwoman...), but its setting is contemporary. The first episode had some of the gritty feel of FX's The Shield. Will viewers stay invested in a show set in Batman's world long before Batman arrives?

SCORPION (9:00 P.M. Mondays on CBS), loosely based on the life of genius computer hacker Walter O'Brien, the show has the fictionalized O'Brien (Elyes Gabel) leading a team of socially awkward fellow geniuses recruited by FBI agent Cabe Gallo (Robert Patrick) to combat larger-scale crimes. The first episode had the feel of TNT's Leverage. I'm curious to see how the characters develop.

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (9:00 P.M. Tuesdays on CBS) was tested in a two-part episode of NCIS last season. I thought that episode served the original NCIS cast to the detriment of the new cast, and I had my doubts whether the concept would go to series. The premiere episode, though, established more chemistry between the smaller New Orleans team led by Dwayne Cassius Pride (Scott Bakula), based on real-life NCIS agent D'wayne Swear, and filled out by former JAG actress Zoe McLellan, and 42's Lucas Black. More NCIS characters are scheduled to cross over in this first season, but I hope the new cast is left to find its own way for the most part.

FOREVER (10:00 P.M. Tuesdays on ABC) stars the likable Ioan Gruffudd as NYPD medical examiner Henry Morgan. What makes Morgan different is he has returned from death multiple times over two hundred years, The reason is unknown even to him, but it makes him particularly good at his present job. After surviving a train crash in the premiere, Morgan teams up with Det. Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza). Many compare the show to FOX's cancelled New Amsterdam, but to me it has the lighter look and feel of Castle. Bones actor Joel David Moore and Numb3ers actor Judd Hirsch add character.

Quickly mentioning BONES (8:00 P.M. Thursdays on FOX), Season 9 ended with a conspiracy that turned the FBI against Agent Booth (David Boreanaz) and sent him to prison. In last week's premiere, Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and the team found evidence to free Booth, but the continuing conspiracy cost longtime series regular Dr. Sweets his life. In real life, Sweets actor John Francis Daley asked to leave the show to devote more time to his fast-rising writing and directing commitments.

Finally, a show I'm less enthused about is THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (8:00 P.M. Wednesdays on NBC). Will & Grace's Debra Messing stars as NYPD Det. Laura Diamond, juggling her career, strained marriage, and motherhood. The show similarly tries to juggle serious crime and comedic elements, changing its tone abruptly.

The fact that my profiles of these new shows draw comparisons to established hits indicates the networks played it safe this season. Then again, I've never minded turning to TV land for comfort.