The words "midseason replacement" often spell failure for a new series; it's rare that one of these ill-fated shows takes off. There are the exceptions, of course: "All in the Family" and, more recently, "Grey's Anatomy," but generally, it is difficult for these shows to find their fan base.
The unfortunate combination of poor ratings and pricey production costs sent Ray Liotta's crime drama "Smith" into the sad land of the cancelled. But its replacement, "3 Lbs." might just be the rare midseason success story for CBS.
The series title, "3 Lbs.," is meant to reflect the weight of the average human brain. The new medical drama stars Stanley Tucci as a brilliant but narcissistic brain surgeon, Doug Hanson. The show begins on Jonathan Seger's (Mark Feuerstein) first day working under Hanson. It is clear from the start that the two doctors' opinions will vary greatly on questions of conscience and patient relations.
Seger feels compelled to get to know a patient before operating on him or her. Hanson takes quite the opposite approach, claiming to see the patient cases from a purely scientific standpoint. (The show makes a big deal of his referral to the brain as "wires in a box.") This is the main source of contention between the two doctors when a young violinist who suffers from a brain tumor requires surgery in the show's premiere episode.
Indira Varma plays Adrianne Holland, a neurologist with an indecipherable European accent and a mildly offbeat side (offbeat in the attractive, charming, ambiguously European way - not the crazy loon way). There are hints of flirtation between Holland and Seger; the two will undoubtedly engage in an affair at some point in the show's trajectory - that's just the way these shows
operate.
Though Hanson frequently walks out on patients and refuses to offer even a word of comfort, it becomes apparent to audiences that there is an emotional, painful past that the no-nonsense doctor works hard to conceal. On several occasions, he experiences eerie, cryptic flashbacks that involve dripping water and a pale, pigtailed little girl. These memories leave the surgeon momentarily shaken and hint at his possible past transgressions.
Tucci, who comes to the series with a considerable film career behind him, plays the egocentric, blunt, often witty doctor with the palpable ease of a veteran actor. (Plus, there's something oddly attractive about his newly bald head.)
Seger is more of your everyman brain surgeon. The character is simply underdeveloped at this point in the series. He comes off as a nice guy who, while wholly likeable and sympathetic, hints at no greater depth beyond his bland geniality.
"3 Lbs." writers aim high as they intend to seamlessly inject a wry sense of humor into an otherwise serious topic. Subtle humor will elicit mild laughs from audiences who are otherwise held captive by the show's plotline. Though there is more discussion of the brain and styles of medical practice, the plot mostly resembles that of your average medical drama.
The doctors work in a glossy New York City hospital, the darkness of which gives the whole show an ominous feel. The show's first scene was particularly haunting and evocative: Violin music opened the episode as cameras zoomed into an elegant concert hall where the soon-to-be-brain tumor patient sweetly plays. A close-up on her hand reveals spastic, decidedly ungraceful movements, and, suddenly, audiences see an X-ray of her body as cameras zoom through her unsound brain.
It seems each episode will begin this way as a means of introducing a new patient's storyline. (Think "Six Feet Under," but instead of each person dying at the beginning, he or she just suffers severe brain damage instead.)
It's still unclear whether or not "3 Lbs." will defy the odds and win over a solid fan base, but it has compelling writing and Stanley Tucci, so it stands a chance.
