TV Watch: Fringe

We caught the series premiere over the weekend. It has the feel you would expect: a "J.J. Abrams takes on X-Files" slant which is bound to come about when J.J. Abrams takes on the X-Files.

The good: high production values, solid acting and some impressive juggling with the script when it comes to lining up characters and concepts into a viable premise. The premiere feels like it could have used a full two hours to breath, but the show handles what room it has quite competently.

The bad: while the show kicks off with enough of a start to warrant a second viewing, it's a little hard to grab onto it wholesale. There's something specific about trying to find a mysterious disease for your partner (and lover) which makes it a little harder to translate into some kind of new paranormal unit.

Then there's Abrams. His shows always start with lots of promise but sometime devolve into confusion (Alias) or get expanded into, well, confusion (Lost). He's clearly talented and his shows always bring something unique to the table. Will he be the one to try an X-Files type premise without it turning into ... the X-Files?