New series 'Fringe' has potential

I'm all eyes and ears when I'm told there's a new product by the creators of "Lost" like the new TV series "Fringe" on Fox. As a fan of this type of sci-fi programming I'm an easy target, but it also marks me as a viewer who may fondly remember the "X-Files."

That may not be a bad thing for "Fringe." Many have tried to channel the style of the 'Files' and this one may turn out to be the closest.

Instead of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully we have FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson from "Dawson's Creek"). Toss in Peter's dad who is knowledgeable of a variety of arcane "Frankenstein" sciences named Walter Bishop (a creepy looking John Noble) and the primary team is complete.

Series producers describe the show as a little "Twin Peaks," "Twilight Zone" and "X-Files." Although at moments the opener is a lot more 'House," "Bones" and a touch of the little-discussed comic "Planetary." The graphic series by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday which followed three adventurers as they uncover the "secret history of the world."

This series premiere seems to hint that our primary heroine, Agent Dunham has a lot of discoveries to make and a formidable nemesis.

It is always a treat for me to have a direction in certain types of stories. A connected, consistent goal for the main characters. I believe that the eternal plot line that never ends for an ongoing television series is a product of the past. In recent years, the programs that viewers bond strongly with are the ones that appear to be finite. Concepts that work out to having a true conclusion.

These types of stories are like hero journeys. This applies to the excellent "Battlestar Galactica" and will ultimately apply to Showtime's "Dexter."

Sure, regular mystery episodes may not require a consistent plot like being stranded on an island or uncovering a major extraterrestrial conspiracy to be a success. Look at "CSI" and its renegade brethren - all of them take on a new story every week and stay somewhere in the top twenty in ratings.

I only watch the first few minutes of "CSI Miami" for the Caruso opening lines, but that's it, I swear.

All in all, "Fringe" hints at having a strong direction and may have earned a permanent spot on my TIVO season pass. We'll discuss more on it later, but I want to make sure you catch the encore of the premiere which runs Sunday on Fox.