3 out of 5

Developed by: Hart Hanson

covers season 1

I appreciate that Fox gave this show a chance, presumably on the potential draw of Office star Rainn Wilson as the lead, detective Backstrom, and the (as of now) 11-seasons strong track record of Bones creator Hart Hanson, but really, there was no chance for this to survive.  Maybe on a cable station, where our lead – an overweight, alcoholic, bucolic, generally wimpy and somewhat bumbling detective – could get by with uncensored salvo, but the truly unlikeable Backstrom (truly unlikeable) is a tough draw for a mainstream crowd, even in an era where “mainstream” and cable don’t have much dividing them at times.  For those of us who stuck in there, though, we’re rewarded by a dedicated cast and pretty solid writing, which definitely deposits characters into typical TV one-dimensional roles (the uptight one; the smart one; etc.), but keeps the roles distinct – each member of Backstrom’s team is valuable – and consistent.  Wilson is always an ass, and the others respond to him with the resigned eye-roll of those used to his behaviors and not the shocked response or emotional baiting that would make for easier comedy or drama.  Making Hanson and his writers dig a little deeper for those values, helped in the former by Wilson’s deadpan delivery, which renders Backstrom’s ignorance as the interesting blend of honesty and affront that the character requires, and helped in the latter by patient mining of background details for the players, which results in an honestly stirring moment for the last few minutes of the first season, hinting at What Could’ve Been in a world where shows are given more time to prove themselves.