Pilot Review: The River

The River (ABC)
Premiered February 7 at 9pm

I’ve been seeing ads for this show plastered all over the subway for weeks now, citing it as the new series from the director of “Paranormal Activity.” I haven’t seen that film, mainly because I tend to stay away from horror movies, and that’s just the reason that I liked about half of this show. Its first few minutes, in which the history of “Undiscovered Country” was detailed, leading up to the disappearance of its star and cameraman, were quite well done, and then the show turned into a mystery adventure series, and later became a horror show. During the day, everything is fine, but when the lights go out, things get seriously spooky. I say seriously only half-seriously, since it’s definitely the typical horror mode in which dialogue and characters are often sacrificed for the sake of cheap scares. I’d personally have preferred to skip the jump from uncertain mystery to full-on possession and harsh nature, but I guess that’s what this show is supposed to be. I’m not sure that I can handle the freaky baby dolls and angry ghosts on a regular basis, so this may well be my solo outing. I’ve always been a fan of Bruce Greenwood, and I hope we’ll see more of him in the present day, if he’s still in fact alive in the physical sense. Leslie Hope sure looks different with lots of hair after her role a decade ago on “24,” and I think this is a good part for her. Also present in the cast from the ranks of “24” is season three guest star Paul Blackthorne as the show’s producer, helping to underline one of the more obnoxious aspects of the show, which is the documentarians’ obsession with “getting the shot.” I don’t really know where this show is heading, and I’m not sure how much I’d like to be along for the ride.

How will it work as a series? This show has a target audience for sure, and while I’m pretty sure I’m not in it – it’s much more frightening and jumpy than “Lost” – it has an appeal. With all of nature and infinite dead people as haunt the Amazon, this show could go on for a while, though its premise might limit is longevity if they manage to find the good doctor.
How long will it last? A show like this isn’t build to last a long time, and the ratings for the pilot weren’t superb. I do think that it could catch on, but I’d suspect that a one-season run would be just what this show is capable of, and exactly what it’s going to get. A renewal would be surprising, but I don’t think it’s time for a cancellation just yet.

Pilot grade: C+