Journeyman (New NBC Show)

Dan Vasser is a family man, who for some unknown reason has become 'unstuck' in time. At random intervals he jumps backwards from his own time, where he becomes involved in episodes of a particular persons life. It is unclear to him at first how exactly he's supposed to affect this person, but once his mission is complete he always discovers that his actions have brought about some kind of benefit in the present.

There are quite a few things to like about Journeyman, though it's far from being one of the best new shows of the year. Kevin McKidd is the star, who was superb in Rome and does a pretty good job here. It's not primarily a fantasy show, as the writers mostly seem interested in how Dan's random disappearances and trips through time affect his marriage, with outsiders simply seeing him as an unreliable and unstable husband. Unfortunately, we're only five episodes in and this is already starting to feel a little old.

Another thing that might annoy viewers is the random and obligatory nature of Dan's 'missions', and the fact that the character isn't really made to wonder all that much about what it is that's actually happening to him. It'd be nice if he travelled somewhere more interesting than the 1970s for a change. They don't seem at all interested in bringing in concepts such as the Butterfly Effect, or exploring what the actual implications of time travel could be. Here it's a storytelling device, nothing more.

I'm not quite sure who the target audience is for this show, maybe middle-aged people who are nostalgic about Quantum Leap. Journeyman is hardly groundbreaking, but so far it does make for decent television. It airs on Monday nights, forming a Heroes sandwich along with the fellow NBC newcomer Chuck.