I am fascinated by "time travel" movies, books and TV series. So I was happy to oblige, and watched the pilot that first aired on Oct. 3.
"Timeless" is the creation of Eric Kripke ("Supernatural") and Shawn Ryan ("The Shield"), both experienced creators in the television industry.
Kripke's "Supernatural" is a long-running sci-fi/fantasy hit for the CW. Ryan's "The Shield" was considered groundbreaking when it debuted on FX in 2012, and managed to give the fledgling cable outlet the "HBO vibe" it was looking for.
Considering the pedigree of both producers, it is interesting that the debut episode of "Timeless" felt a tad bit pedestrian, as if we'd been there before.
The episode felt like a throwback, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The plot involves a businessman named Connor Mason, who has a "secret time machine" project (think an Elon Musk-type entrepreneur).
A time traveling criminal named Flynn ("ER's" Goran Visnjic) steals the time machine -- which looks oddly similar to the CBS "eye" logo -- and travels back to meddle with the Hindenburg airship in 1930s New Jersey.
In steps the Department of Homeland Security to recruit Lucy Preston (a history professor), Logan Wyatt (a Delta Force operative), and Rufus Carlin (a reluctant scientist/tech guy who works for Mason). The trio is tasked with using a "backup" time machine (thank goodness they had one of those) to track down Flynn and restore order to historical events.
Preston (Abigail Spencer) is a precocious historian with key knowledge of historical events.
Wyatt (Matt Lanter) is the roguishly-handsome-troubled-man-of-action.
Carlin (Malcolm Barrett) provides moments of levity as the "I don't want to be here" scientist who operates the time machine.
The problem is that none of the three leads is particularly memorable. They capably serve the roles, but none rises above the material.
Because time travel properties continue to be popular -- and have been done in a number of ways -- they each set up their own rules.
The unique hook in this show is that it is "not smart" to time travel to a place where you "are." The scientists apparently tested this, but only "parts" of the time traveler returned.
We also learn as the show progresses that even "slight" changes to history can have serious ramifications for the principal characters -- and this leads to a surprise ending in the first episode.
I did enjoy the show, but it didn't grab me the way other new fall shows like "This Is Us," "Pitch," and "Designated Survivor" did after their debut episodes.
As shows like "Doctor Who" and "Quantum Leap" have shown, time travel is fertile ground for intriguing stories and interesting characters. So the potential is there.
The show sports a handsome production value and appealing visual effects.
The main question is whether this show can rise above the routine.
Preview of "Timeless":
Where to watch?
- Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
- Episodes also streaming on NBC.com, Hulu.com, and the NBC and Hulu apps (on mobile and streaming devices).
Read yesterday's blog post: Jack Bauer…President
I was asking myself where I had seen this show before. The answer hit me when I saw the black guy ("Rufus") step into the machine. This is "Sliders" all over again. Let's hope this series can match up to the first two-and-a-half seasons of that one.
ReplyDeleteAhhh... yes!!!
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