Something Worth Watching Again

TV Squad brings news today that Crossing Jordan, a crime drama about the Boston Medical Examiner’s Office that I’ve enjoyed ever since its debut in 2001, is returning to NBC-TV come January 21. Previously due for a move to Friday night, it’s being installed instead in its old spot on Sundays at 10 p.m. Frankly, I could be captivated just watching this program’s star, Jill Hennessy, make coffee in the morning or take out the trash, so I’m happy to see her back on the small screen bringing down murderers and causing consternation among the Beantown constabulary. Beyond the debut of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, this hasn’t been a great year for American television, so reliables such as Crossing Jordan are welcome.

And though I fear it might not live up to its hype, I’m also looking forward to watching Raines, the new NBC series in which Jeff Goldblum plays an eccentric Los Angeles police detective who “solves murders in a very unusual way--he turns the victims into his partners,” according to NBC publicity. “These visions are figments of Raines’ imagination, and he knows it, but when he can’t make the dead disappear, he works with them to find the killer. Through his discussions, along with the evidence, Raines’ image of the victim changes until he has a clear picture of what really happened. Only when the case is closed do the visions end. Other detectives question Raines’ sanity, and occasionally so does he. However, as long as his unique methods are helping catch criminals, Raines imagines he’ll be just fine.” It sounds like a combination of Medium and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). But I like Goldblum, and suspect that he can pull off the roll of a cop with ghosts in his noggin. An added bonus: the series will also feature Linda Park, one of my favorite actors from Star Trek: Enterprise. Thus far, Raines doesn’t seem to have a timeslot, but that ought to be announced soon.