Review: 'Powers'

There is a lot of confused teeth-gnashing amongst TV critics over the difficulties of covering all the worthwhile new programs. It's not just that every small cable outlet seems to be cranking out new scripted dramas. There are also the new projects from subscription streaming services like Netflix and Amazon and free streaming services like Crackle. And that doesn't even touch on the dozens of shows running on sites ranging from Yahoo Screen to YouTube.

Now you can add another outlet to the mix, as Sony Playstation Plus premieres its first scripted original, the new superhero procedural series "Powers." Originally developed as a feature film, the project was retooled and picked up by FX in 2011. The network shot a pilot that included Charles S. Dutton and Jason Patric, before eventually passing on the project. The show was recast, retooled and eventually ended up at Sony.

This final version of "Powers" stars Sharlto Copley and Susan Heyward as homicide detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim. They live in a world where super powers are common and as you might expect, not everyone who has special abilities is able to stay out of trouble. Walker and Pilgrim work for a police division named "Powers" and they spend their days solving crimes committed by those people who have special abilities. Walker formerly had powers and I suspect the reasons why he's now powerless will become an important aspect of later episodes.

The series is based on a comic book, but despite that lineage, the pilot feels a lot like a traditional police procedural. Sure, it's one based in a world where people can teleport or cause strong winds to spring up out of nowhere. But at its core, "Powers" turns out to be a show about some detectives solving a couple of crimes in an unfamiliar world. In many ways, it's similar to the failed NBC pilot "17th Precinct," which was a cop show set in a world of magic.

The acting is uniformly good and the ensemble includes Michelle Forbes and Eddie Izzard. "Powers" looks a lot like a traditional television series, which is probably a good thing for a show premiering on a new viewing platform. If the pilot has a flaw, it's that some of the green-screen CGI looks a bit slapped together and cheap. But while those flaws are noticeable, they don't seriously distract from a show that has a lot of promise. I'll have to see more episodes before I can completely recommend it, but based on the pilot, this is a very good start. Copley and Heyward have a good chemistry and this world is just unfamiliar enough to be intriguing, while still staying connected to the world we live in.

The show is obviously also a "cable" show when it comes to content, since the pilot includes a fair amount of the "F" word and even a decapitation. No sexual content, although to be fair, a show filled with sex-starved superheroes would be a very different viewing experience.

Whether "Powers" is a success is dependent on metrics that are very different from the traditional television business. It's unlikely many people would subscribe to the Playstation Network simply to watch the show. Instead, Sony plans to use the show as a proof of concept for the future as it continues to build services that will make the Playstation the go-to entertainment option for many Millennials. While measuring "Buzz" can be difficult, it's fair to say that if people are still talking about this show a month from now, "Powers" has done its job.

The first episode of "Powers" will be available to all Playstation 3 and 4 owners beginning on March 10. The first three episodes of "Powers" will be available to subscribers of Playstation Plus beginning on March 10, with a new episode premiering every Tuesday.