In the US: Fridays, 8/7c, CBS
The problem with A Gifted Man is that there is absolutely nothing remarkable about it whatsoever. It’s just there. It’s well made, it has a good cast, but it’s glossy emptiness, despite a thin sheen of originality in episode 1 that may have led us to believe that there was a different show in the making. Originally about a brain surgeon haunted by the spirit of his dead wife – kind of Wilson and Wife (Deceased) – as predicted, the show has turned into a simple medical procedural, with Patrick Wilson flitting between his own clinic and a free clinic to fit in two to three patients with surprise diagnoses per episode, all while ex-wife Jennifer Ehle very occasionally turns up as a ghost to needle him a bit.
The show has been retooling, slowly adding in new members of cast, getting rid of old members of cast to make it more a procedural, rather than the slightly more spiritual show that we originally had. There’s the very slight philosophical question of whether the poor are intrinsically more deserving of help than the rich. There’s the very slight possibility that ghostly Ehle isn’t the only supernatural addition to Wilson’s life.
But ultimately, this is still 3 Lbs reheated. Still, it’s on CBS, the home of the procedural, so it’ll probably run forever, despite offering us nothing remarkable beyond a couple of good actors. If you like comfort food, medical procedurals, this is your boy; otherwise, steer clear.
Carusometer rating: 4
Rob’s prediction: Will last one season, but probably not more
