Eleventh Hour

Among the many things make this show highly enjoyable, it's worth mentioning the absence of non-sense, low grade, soapbox drama, no abnormal, twisted minds, demented characters sold as heroes, the engaging scientific quests, and the great individual and teamed performance of both leading actors. Personal drama is added in the right amount to make the characters real and likable, never diverting the focus from the original concept and plot lines. Two very plausible professionals, each very skilled in his/her trade, just trying to do their best to save other's lives and honestly earn their salaries. The show delivers week after week. It took just one episode for acquiring the taste. The gap caused by the show's cancellation will be deeply felt. Please: GET THE SHOW BACK ON!

Network: CBS; Genre: Remake, Crime/Mystery; Content Rating: TV-PG; Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 – 4);

Seasons Reviewed: 1 Season

I wanted to dislike "Eleventh Hour". Yes, it is yet another US remake of a UK series, yet another CBS procedural drama produced by Jerry Bruckheimer where nerdy professionals spout scientific and medical jargon paired with an attractive female. It's been disheartening watching Bruckheimer's name go from being associated with loud, boisterous, flashy, trashy, action movies to being a television brand name for "CSI" and endless, lifeless CBS procedural clones. The Bruckheimer Executive Producer template is tried-and-true and "Eleventh Hour" gets run through that ringer. Take a UK series starring Patrick Stewart and Ashley Jensen, flattening out any potential substance to leave only the most basic tent-posts of the CBS formula standing and bingo: ratings gold. Yet with a little polish in the production and an ear for creating mild thrills, "Hour" is a little bit better than the "CSI"s of the world.

Rufus Sewell plays genius scientist Dr. Hood, who advises the FBI through the lens of physics, biology and chemistry, under the handling of partner Rachael Young (Marley Shelton). This often includes viruses and toxins that are on the verge of spreading into a fatal pandemic unless Hood can find the a) terrorists and malevolent corporations or b) accidental combination of common chemicals responsible. Sewell fits the scientist bill well. He's halfway commanding on screen and about as devoid of personality as any procedural drama nerd. Sewell, perfect cast as the personality-free amnesiac in "Dark City", stretches limited acting abilities to the max here. With no chemistry (but a welcome lack of a forced sexual undercurrent) with Sewell, a miscast Shelton is also stretched to the max. Albe it with a smaller reservoir.

But around these obstacles, the writers, show-runners and directors behind "Eleventh Hour" actually stitch together a reasonably entertaining, intellectually stimulating and kind of exciting thriller. The first thing I appreciate is the show's willingness to be topical, not shying away from bioterrorism and stories about anthrax - both natural and engineered. The show also finds a good balance between the chemistry jargon, making it relatable and the thriller elements. These elements all come together well in "Subway" where a group of American teenagers who have formed their own radical Islamic sleeper cell set off a virus in the subway system. A sequence where Young and fellow agent Felix (Omar Bensen Miller, also miscast) track the potential path of the virus carrier through the subway halls is crisply turned into an action scene of excitement.

The look, sound and feel of the show come together to make a polished visceral thriller and "Eleventh Hour" solid shallow entertainment.

* * ½ / 4

I've been watching this show from the very first episode. I have to admit I wasn't very convinced but I gave it a chance and watched the second episode and it got better. Rufus Sewell does a great job playing the absent minded professor, that needs to be taken care of in order to keep him out of danger. Marley Shelton, on the other hand, started out a little bit off (as well as her character) but has improved a lot in recent episodes and now I just can't imagine another actress playing Rachel Young. The chemistry between the main characters is excellent and is growing with every episode. Not romantic relationship is implied (nor I want to see one), but those conversations between Hood and Rachel where they talk about their lives are very interesting and they come out natural.

I hope CBS gives this show a second season. The show is different from those procedural shows. Science may be boring but this show gives you the other side of it. Sure sometimes the science is inaccurate but, what isn't on TV? There is absolutely no comparison to Fringe since the characters have an interesting dynamic and are both very strong.

If you haven't watched this show, give it a chance. You might get hooked.

First, it's true that this is a US version of a Brit TV series. But since Brit TV usually has only 4-8 episodes per season as compared to the 13-20 in the US, the stories have to supplemented to stretch out the season. And the characters have to grow more, also. It works for some shows and not for others.

But this show mostly makes it. Sewell comes across as smart but not smarmy, complex but accessible. Shelton is pretty, bright and brave. This doesn't feel like a show where they are going to fall for each other and jump into bed (or over the shark, for that matter). Adding Omar Benson Miller has added another foil and gives some teeth to the kick-ass FBI. He's got the enthusiasm and really plays well with the two leads.

As for the stories, it's partly X-Files with some CSI tossed in. It's a bit lighter than both but genuinely has some sense of impending doom. Some stories work better than others but this show seems to have found a pretty good balance in the last several episodes.

It's worth watching a couple of episodes. I think it could get better with a little more time to develop. I hope it gets a second season because it could develop into a really neat show with more than a cult following. It gets a 7 for now but there is room for an upwards adjustment.

I enjoyed the combination of shows wrapped up into this one. This show is a blend of odd mysteries like House without the harsh character that I find hard to watch too often. It adds in CSI type investigations looking at microscopic details. The amount of science trivia adds interesting information about everyday things. There is puzzle solving similar to Monk or The Psychic where the main character uses his memory to piece together obscure information into the solution. I have not seen the episodes with Patrick Stewart, but the episodes with Rufus Sewell and I like the way he plays the character in a calm and cool, lost in thought manner. I think the time slot the show has is its biggest problem in gaining more popularity. 10:00PM is after many working people have shut off the TV and gone to bed. I think if this show was given the 8:00PM time slot in place of trashy shows like "How I met your mother", it would do much better in the ratings.