Unforgettable

Channel: Nine
Day & time: Thursday, 8.30 p.m.

If you went by what happens on TV, you’d swear there were more consultants on American police forces than actual cops. They come in all shapes and sizes, and seem to have an amazing variety of crime-solving skills. Unforgettable brings us yet another.

There’s a distinct air of familiarity about this show; and that’s probably because it’s essentially a female version of The Mentalist. The central character has a rare gift, is smarter than the rest of the characters in the show and is played by an Aussie.

That Aussie is Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace), who plays Carrie Wells, an ex-cop with a highly unusual medical condition known as hyperthymesia. In a nutshell, this means she has an uncommonly high recall of events in her life - like she can’t forget anything that happens to her; hence the series’ name. While Carrie is plainly too damaged to come across as smug like Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, but the way the mysteries develop is definitely reminiscent of that show.

Just a side note, there are (according to the show) only six or seven people in the US with hyperthymesia at any given time. One of those is the actress Marilu Henner (Taxi, Evening Shade), who serves as an executive producer on the series.

Anyhow, Carrie has moved to New York City from Syracuse in upstate New York. The reasons for this are a bit complex - naturally there’s a dark mystery in her past that needs to be solved - but in the pilot she runs into her ex, Det. Al Burns (Dylan Walsh), when a neighbour is murdered. Al has also moved from Syracuse to the city, and has found himself a spot in the NYC police homicide squad. Before you can say “here’s a juicy consultancy contract”, Carrie is back helping the forces of good track down the murderer.

The visual expression of Carrie’s gift involves extensive slo-mo and the trick of having her walk around the scene watching herself and those around her at any given moment. Even in the early episodes, this particular conceit wears thin pretty quickly; though no doubt it will be persisted with.

Poppy Montgomery has been in the States for a while now, and pulls of the American accent with ease. It’s pretty clear this is a big chance for her - getting the lead in a network show is a huge deal - and she seems to be grasping it with both hands. With her auburn hair and confident delivery, she makes a big impression. Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) has to settle for a more dour role as the straitlaced cop and former lover. The remainder of the cast are less recognisable, but Michael Gaston and Daya Vaidya do commendable work as homicide squad cops.

Of course, there remains the obvious question - is Unforgettable actually unforgettable? Probably not, but it is one of the better shows doing the rounds in the ‘police procedural with a twist’ genre.

David Edwards