Best bet for tonight

As you likely know, a bunch of new series are making their debuts this evening, including NBC's "The Event" (premiering at 9 p.m.), Fox's much-hyped "Lone Star" (8 p.m.) and CBS's "Hawaii Five-O" (10 p.m.). Though I've not seen the official review version of any of these shows, my tentative favorite of the bunch is "Hawaii," a lively reinvention of the classic series. Alex O'Loughlin is a touch wooden in the Jack Lord role, but Scott Caan is hilarious scene-stealer as sidekick Dano. Plus, "Lost" fans will be thrilled to see the return of Daniel Dae Kim, sporting his natural (and very American) accent. It's not a great show, but it's a solid cop drama, which I much preferred to the soap opera antics of "Lone Star" or the serial sci-fi nonsense of "The Event."
By the way, I'm going to try to review as many new shows as possible (I've already offered my takes on the odious Jimmy Smits vehicle "Outlaw" and the excellent new cable shows "Terriers" and "Boardwalk Empire"), but I haven't gotten a chance to see them all, which is why you haven't seen any "10 best" or "10 worst" lists. So far, I have been underwhelmed by many of the broadcast offerings, but hope springs eternal. Anyway, if you're interested in reading my early impressions on some of the new shows (including "The Event" and "Lone Star") check out my "Not For Review" pieces on the site.
And happy viewing!

Not for review: NBC's "The Event"

"Not for review" is an occasional series of pieces in which I offer my thoughts on the pilots for this year's new shows. These are not reviews, as many of the pilots sent to press aren't final versions. Roles can be recast; scenes can be re-edited and many other changes can be made. These are simply my first impressions based on watching early versions of the shows.

The show: NBC's "The Event"
The premise: Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) finds himself embroiled in a vast conspiracy that might also involve his future father-in-law (Scott Patterson), the U.S. President (Blair Underwood) and a shadowy sect of detainees in Alaska. They're all linked to some earth shaking "event" -- but what is the event? Damned if I know.
My thoughts: Um, OK. I have no idea what to say about this show. The version that I saw jumped around in time so much -- and leap-frogged from character to character so frequently -- that it was tricky to follow. But even if it had been linear, I'm not sure that would have helped. The pilot for "The Event" is maddeningly cryptic. In fact, it makes "Lost" look like a "Dick and Jane" book. What does Walker have to do with this conspiracy? What about the creepy figure played by Laura Innes? What is "The Event"? I don't know!
Sure, the show is suspenseful and contains a cast full of likable actors. But it better find a direction -- quickly -- before it goes the way of other secret-keeping sci-fi shows like "Flash Forward."