If "ER" hadn't been on the air for five years, "Third Watch" would be something new and different. The interwoven story lines, the mixture of personal and professional lives, and above all the frantic pace is lifted directly from one series to the other.
It's not exactly plagiarism. Executive producer/co-creator John Wells is the man behind both shows, and a good many members of the "ER" production staff are now working on "Third Watch." And the similarities between the two shows are part of the design."Third Watch" is a prequel of sorts. It's about the paramedics, cops and firefighters who get the patients to the hospital. ("Third Watch" refers to the 3-11 p.m. shift that the various characters -- members of the New York Police and Fire Departments -- work.) Wells told TV critics the new show "is a very conscious decision on our part to show that you really only go so far, and then that (emergency room) curtain gets closed, and you're outside of it. We're really anxious to sort of tell the beginning of the stories that we are normally telling the end of on 'ER.' "
Wells said the idea for the show, which he co-created with former Chicago policeman Edward Allen Bernero, has been percolating for several years.
"It actually came out of a frustration with having spent a lot of time around ERs and going out with paramedics and spending time with police," Wells said. "There were things that we wanted to do for years on 'ER' that we couldn't really do. It's too complicated."
And "Third Watch" is complicated. There are so many characters -- nine regulars and 33 speaking parts in the pilot episode -- it's difficult to keep it all straight.
The most recognizable member of the cast is Michael Beach, who was a semi-regular on "ER" as Al Boulet. But, unlike "ER," this time around Wells seems to have gone more for young, attractive faces. The cast includes Coby Bell ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer"), Bobby Cannavale ("Trinity"), Eddie Cibrian ("Sunset Beach"), Molly Price ("Pushing Tin"), Kim Raver ("Trinity"), Anthony Ruivivar ("Starship Troopers"), Skipp Sudduth ("Ronin") and Jason Wiles ("Beverly Hills, 90210").
Not that "Third Watch" is all about beauty. It is, at times, perhaps the most ugly show on television. There's a shooting in the pilot episode that's as horrific as anything you'll ever see on prime-time network TV, complete with an enormous amount of blood. (There's less blood but more shooting in the second episode.)
It's impossible to evaluate "Third Watch" without noting time slot. After Thursday's premiere, it moves to its regular time slot on Sundays at 7 p.m. -- which is far too early, given the graphic violence, buckets of blood and sexual content of the series. (The episode that airs on Sunday includes "NYPD Blue"-esque nudity.)
Sure, "Third Watch" is an alternative to "Touched by an Angel." But the thought of the family sitting down after Sunday dinner to watch "Third Watch" boggles the mind.
And adding what is basically a second hour of "ER" is an interesting decision, given that show's declining ratings. And it speaks to the lack of originality that pervades the networks.
"Third Watch" isn't a bad show, it's just an overly familiar one that's horribly scheduled.
STARK RAVING MAD (Thursday, 8:30 p.m., NBC-Ch. 5) is a great idea that didn't turn out so hot.
The pilot episode of this new NBC comedy, which premieres Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on Ch. 5, is just not particularly funny. It has a moment or two, but, overall, it's just sort of there.
And we expect better things from creator/executive producer Steve Levitan, who worked on "Frasier" before he went on to create and produce "Just Shoot Me."
"Stark" casts Neil Patrick Harris ("Doogie Howser, M.D.") as Henry McNeely, an uptight young book editor. He's assigned to work with Stephen King-esque writer Ian Stark (Tony Shalhoub of "Wings").
Henry is the kind of guy who repeatedly uses anti-bacterial hand cream to ward off disease. Ian is the kind of guy you might expect to be carrying some sort of disease. What they soon discover is that Ian needs Henry's help to prove that he's not a one-book wonder, and Henry needs the excitement that Ian brings into his otherwise drab, predictable life.
But what could have been very funny isn't. It's not unlikable -- Harris, in particular, is very appealing. But the humor sometimes falls to the lowest of levels, as when Ian's dog takes a particular liking to Henry's leg.
The show has a great time slot, sandwiched between "Frasier" and "ER" in NBC's top-rated Thursday-night lineup. That should ensure "Stark Raving Mad" plenty of time to improve -- but Levitan has his work cut out for him.