In the past television season, ABC has experienced quite a comeback with Lost, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal and now "Eyes" (although I have just learned that Eyes had a disappointing forth place debut among the top networks).
John McNamara, former show runner of Fastlane and Lois & Clark, has created a promising new drama starring Tim Daly (who also appeared in MacNamara's TV remake of The Fugutive) as Harlan Judd, owner of a multimillion dollar private investigations firm.
In a way, Judd is kind of a cliché--you know the kind of hip, good looking, smooth talking, charmer who's amused with himself, but in this case, rightly so. The commercials promoting this new show reminded me of David E. Kelly's failed dramedy series, Snoops. Then again, lest we forget, "dramedies" were a failed genre all together, neither funny nor satisfyingly dramatically. Which is not the case at all for Eyes.
The premiere episode revolves the story of a corrupt business man who has stolen one-hundred million dollars from his company. The CEO, and former best-friend of this thief, can't go to the police because the company would be probed by the government and subject to heavy scrutiny that would undoubtedly plummet their stock while leaving tops execs in deep trouble.
The pilot episode moves along at a breezy pace, introducing it's cast of sympathetic and not-so sympathetic characters: Judd's best friend and most valued asset, Chris Didion, a man recovering from a nervous breakdown; Trish Agermeyer, a woman caught up in an affair with her opportunistic and dispassionate colleague, Jeff McCann; and Nora Gage, your multipurpose, ass kicking, woman of many talents and questionable loyalties. Towards the end of the first episode my mind hadn't been blow away, but I felt satisfied and I was looking forward to seeing more episodes of this sugary, light hearted series. But then in the last five minutes I was blow away (along with a character I assumed would be a series regular, but not anymore). In those last five minutes, a deliciously dark element was introduced I hadn't expected and now I can't wait to see what dastardly things lie ahead.
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