Pilot Review: King and Maxwell

King and Maxwell (TNT)
Premiered June 10 at 10pm

It’s always a gamble when you sit down to watch a show that has two people’s last names in the title, both of which tell you absolutely nothing about the show. TNT has done this before, with two of its most successful efforts, no less – “Rizzoli and Isles” and “Franklin and Bash.” Here we have a show designed to pair with “Major Crimes,” one of the network’s biggest hits and a successful example of how to spin off a show when its star is leaving while keeping most of the ensemble. Transplanted from the original which spun off that show is Jon Tenney, who trades his FBI badge and gentlemanly nature for a Secret Service past and a private investigator present. Joining him is Rebecca Romjin, whose most recent TV stint was the CW’s miserable “Eastwick.” Theoretically, the two might make a good pair, but this show is lifeless. Tenney isn’t as charming as he thinks he is, and Romjin is far from charismatic, a shame considering her fine work in “Ugly Betty” and her irritating but still slightly endearing turns in “Eastwick” and “Pepper Dennis.” The strangest cast member is Ryan Hurst, last seen as the bearded, muted Opie on “Sons of Anarchy” and here cast as a kindly, socially awkward savant. I’m not sure what his role in the show going forward will be, but the series as a whole has an odd tone, switching behind light-hearted comedy and serious intrigue. I’m not impressed, and I’ve already forgotten most of the pilot. This show just isn’t worth it.

How will it work as a series? That’s not clear, since Hurst’s vindicated serial killer suspect Edgar Roy is a series regular, and King and Maxwell are being targeted by the FBI for their sometimes less-than-legal actions. This show might actually prove to be disappointingly formulaic if Edgar ends up being the behind-the-scenes man while King and Maxwell go on the road together to pursue moderately interesting cases.
How long will it last? TNT got rid of the last show in this timeslot, “Monday Mornings,” and this show fared much better in its debut airing. It didn’t match the numbers of “Major Crimes,” but it’s probably going to go in the successful category and shouldn’t have much trouble earning a second-season pickup.

Pilot grade: C-