You can almost imagine the conversation between NBC and
Neal McDonough, star of the new crime drama “Medical Investigation.”
NBC: “So, Neal, we’re really sorry about canceling your old show,
the superior, smart and compelling ‘Boomtown,’ after only two episodes last
season. We’d like to make amends by offering you the lead in our new show
‘Medical Investigation,’ which is inferior, filled with medical lingo to make it
sound smart, and not at all compelling.
“Oh, and we’re also going to put you in the same time slot as
‘Boomtown’ to prove that the shallow American public is inclined to prefer
‘CSI’-derivative drivel over a smart show.”
McDonough: “OK, so long as you promise me more than two episodes.”
“Investigation,” which gets a special 10 p.m.
post-“Apprentice” premiere tonight before settling into the deadly Friday 10
p.m. time slot, is a marked step down not only for McDonough, so brilliant in
“Boomtown.” It's also a step down for the other players in this
epidemic-of-the-week show: Kelli Williams (ABC’s “The Practice”);
Christopher Gorham (WB’s “Popular”); Troy Winbush (Showtime’s
“Soul Food”).
Since all those good shows were canceled, you have to guess the actors
thought the only way to stay on the air was to land on a show that’s unoriginal and
un-thought provoking.
Hey, it works for Jim Belushi.
Unoriginal and un-thought provoking perfectly describes “Medical
Investigation.”
The show centers on Stephen (McDonough), the driven but troubled doctor
who won’t let anything stand in the way of saving lives. We know this because, like
all driven but troubled doctors, he is forced to leave his son’s baseball game early
in the pilot in order to, you know, save lives.
Each week, McDonough and his racially and gender-diverse National Institutes
of Health team are confronted with one major and other minor cases in which they can Make
a Difference.
Canned dialogue like, “Do not tell me we’re running out of
time!” only compounds the show’s central lack of creativity. If
“Investigation” lasts until spring, then the American public will indeed be
sending a very strange message to NBC. Quality of show (on
a scale of 10): 5
Positive: “Investigation” seems less transfixed by gore than the
“CSI” franchise. Negative: The cases are less interesting and less likely to be
figured out by couch potato Columbos. Unless, for example, you know that a mixture of
vinegar, table salt and blood is not supposed to turn blue, you won’t crack the case
before the NIHers.
That’s one reason it’s difficult to get excited about the show.
It’s so concerned with being fast-paced that we often don’t have time to draw
conclusions on our own.
Plus, there are plot twists that just don’t make sense. Although
it’s certainly bad form for a resident to call in an NIH consult (second opinion)
without getting her superior’s approval, would that superior then threaten to have
the consult arrested? Or would he want to help the baby he may have misdiagnosed? In the
“Investigation” world, Dr. Ornery would rather see the consult jailed.
Williams’ role on the show seems a bit too secondary, too. She’s
dispensable in the same way Kim Delaney was on “CSI: Miami.” She and McDonough
don’t display chemistry, and although she questions him on things, he’s
apparently always right.
The best thing that can be said is that after years of putting up with cranky
husband Bobby on “The Practice,” Williams finally gets to smile. Twice!
Press secretary Eva (Anna Bellknap) also seems unanchored. She seductively
lures a too-nosy reporter into a basement and leaves him there in the dark to keep a lid
on the epidemic story. Perhaps she’d make better use of her talents luring away TV
critics to keep them from reviewing the show.
Positioning (on a scale of 10): 3
Friday is never an ideal night to air, no matter how brilliant the show (see
“Boomtown”). Luckily for McDonough, it’s hard to imagine that audiences
will be wooed away by CBS’s latest Rob Lowe vehicle, “dr. vegas,” which
shares the 10 p.m. time slot.
NBC should give this show longer to ripen than it did “Boomtown.”
But keep in mind that the latter averaged 7.2 million total viewers Fridays at 10 before
it was pulled – 2.5 million less than ABC’s competing “20/20.” Even
without Babs, “20/20” may be impossible to catch or even equal.
Cache, or the “Arrested Development” factor (on a scale
of 10): 3
McDonough deserved an Emmy for “Boomtown.” Given less cerebral
material, he doesn’t display the same spooky intensity. There’s little clout
behind the camera. Executive producer Marc Buckland’s best credit is “Ed.”
That was a great show, but NBC canceled it.
Reviews have been middling. And though premiering the show after “The
Apprentice” tonight is a smart strategy, it may make Friday’s numbers for
“Investigation’s” first non-pilot episode that much more disappointing.
Overall (on a scale of 30): 11.
It’s certainly not NBC’s worst show this season (“Hawaii”
and “Father of the Pride” are fighting for that dishonor). But when ABC and UPN
offer truly innovative stuff, like “Lost” and “Kevin Hill,” it’s
hard to imagine people making time for a generic forensic drama like this.
Read past fall show reviews:
WB's "Blue Collar TV"
NBC's "Father of the Pride"
NBC's "Hawaii"
The Media
Life Meter
Rating fall’s new shows |
| |
“Medical Investigation” (NBC) |
Avg. for all 2004-’05 shows |
Quality of show (on a scale of 10) –
Grading the writing, acting, premise and creativity of the show. Is it any good? |
5 |
5 |
Positioning (on a scale of 10) – Does the
show have a tough time slot or a compatible lead-in? Is the subject matter appropriate to
the network on which it airs?
|
3 |
4.2 |
Cache, or the “Arrested Development”
factor (on a scale of 10) – Examining the reviews, the star power and the
prestige the network gets for the project. “Arrested,” for example, has high
cache for being well reviewed and intelligent, even though its ratings aren’t great. |
3 |
4.2 |
TOTAL |
11 |
13.4 |
Probability
of Survival |
|
30-27 |
Odds are this show will
make it to next season. |
26-22 |
Odds are this show will
make it through this season. |
21-15 |
Show may not survive the
season. |
15-9 |
Show will be canceled
sometime this season. |
8 or lower |
Catch it while you can
– this show may not make it to four episodes. |
| Source: Media Life |
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