You’ve seen the commercials. You’ve heard the hype. Now there’s only one thing you want to know: Which of the new fall shows are worth watching and which should be avoided at all costs? In this continuing series, we give you the scoop on some of the most highly-anticipated shows of the season, with today’s magnifying glass turning on CBS’ HAWAII Five-0 reboot.
The Boilerplate: Since these pilot presentations may go through numerous rewrites and casting changes prior to premiere, this by no means should be considered an official review. Rather a preview of what one can expect come Fall.
The Elevator Pitch: HAWAII FIVE-0 meets High Definition.
The Plot: From the writers behind the blockbuster “Star Trek” (2009) comes a clever, adrenaline-fueled update of one of the most iconic shows in television history. When there’s trouble in paradise, Steve McGarrett returns to the islands and joins fish-out-of-water Danny Williams to launch an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police. In this ultimate adventure series, complete with big action and charming characters, the team hunts down ruthless criminal kingpins, who inevitably hear those three feared words: “Book ’em, Danno.”
The Snap Judgment: Third times looks to be charm for Alex O’Loughlin, who after stints on the short-lived MOONLIGHT and the even-shorter-lived THREE RIVERS now finds himself as the the leading player in CBS perfectly crafted HAWAII FIVE-0 reboot. That’s the good news. With the bad being that despite his status as CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler’s go-to star — O’Loughin who rest assured does a serviceable job as Steve “Play-by-his-own-rules” McGarrett, leader of Hawaii’s newly-formed elite police branch — won’t be what everybody’s talking about at the proverbial water cooler come Tuesday morning. Rather, the real beneficiaries of this pilot, aside that is from the Hawaii Board of Tourism which owes CBS big-time for the island love letter they’ve shot (in HD no less!) are O’Loughlin co-stars Scott Caan and Grace Park. As the somewhat sarcastic fish-out-of-water, Caan’s Danny “Book em Danno” Williams tugs at our heartstrings when it’s revealed that the only reason he’s on the island is to be close to his daughter. While Park gets an introduction that we have a feeling will end up among TiVo’s most rewound moments of the year thanks to a surfboard, barely-there bikini and a left hook.
The Verdict: Assuming of course the show can sustain the look and feel of the costly pilot shot by Len Wiseman (Underwold, Live Free or Die Hard), CBS looks to have another winner on its hands. 