Categorised | Fall 2008

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Third-episode verdict: Eleventh Hour

Posted on October 28, 2008 | 1 comment |

A Carusometer rating of 3

Eleventh Hour, yet another remake of a British series, has now managed to notch up three episodes. Unlike Life On Mars, which chose to start with two remake scripts and an original script, Eleventh Hour has gone for one remake and two original, so we can get a firmer idea of what the show's going to be like.

As predicted, it is indeed shaping up to be the new Doomwatch, although it's also the new CSI, which is handy, given it's on CBS. While episode one was less daft and science-fictiony than the UK original script, episode two was pretty much an episode of CSI – and a stupid one at that – with a science label hung on it; episode three, however, was a relatively interesting piece on GM food with overtones similar to the Doomwatch pilot The Plastic Eaters.

Rufus Sewell is a good lead; Marley Shelton can't really act, but her character's more useful than Ashley Jensen's original, offering FBI skills rather than simple "falling over" skills, and she could plausibly do the job, at least. Not really interesting dramatically, yet, but the science in the plots separates it from a standard procedural – just. There needs to be more chemistry between Sewell and Shelton for the show to be of true interest though and they need to steer clear of the science-fiction UK originals as well as the more obvious "who's the techno crim?" scripts, too.

Predictions
Already booked for a whole season, but needs to make the central format more interesting for it to really appeal.

Carusometer rating
Two or Partial Caruso

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1 Comment

  1. Toby O'B wrote:
    October 29, 2008 | Reply

    Being the new 'CSI' will be handy for 'Eleventh Hour', if Bruckheimer ever chooses to cross it over with any one (or even all!) of the CSI franchise. (And being a TV crossover fanatic, here's hoping they do!)

    It would even work with 'Without A Trace', perhaps even moreso since that's already an FBI outing.

    And new shows can always use some coat-tails to ride....

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