The Chronicle

I'm sure that from the previews, a lot of people were ready to write this one off as a total rip-off of X-FILES, with echoes of KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER and even a tip of the hat to MEN IN BLACK. I know I was, but knowing how Greenblatt and Janollari have given Alan Ball free reign on 6FU, I decided to give the pilot a try and cut them some slack.

What a pleasant surprise! In less capable hands, the cliches would've dropped off the screen with thuds so loud, you could hear them all the way to Collinwood. Nice to see that Silvio Horta (of URBAN LEGENDS infamy) knows how to infuse the writing with the same kind of cheeky brashness that freshened up THE INVISIBLE MAN, and the dearly departed GOOD VS. EVIL.

The principal cast members may be young, (so young that they might not even remember MELROSE PLACE), but they deliver engaging performances and they seem to have a handle on the characters already, a plus when you consider that it almost always takes a half-dozen episodes of any new show, before all the character 'bugs' are worked out. Jon Polito is especially good, bringing his considerable experience to bear as the curmudgeonly editor who has a sweet spot for slime demons, illegal aliens (the galactic and paranormal kind) and the other assorted flora and fauna of worlds we've never considered existed alongside our own.

The peek at future episodes shown at the end of the two-hour special has me hoping that the writers can sustain the rapport that already exists between the characters, even if the plotlines start to run out of steam.

If sci-fi/fantasy is your cuppa, this show is definitely worth a look.