Before I watched the airman episode, "Person of Interest'' was a exhibit of interest. This is the program that CBS has designated to modify its plum weekday at 9 p.m. timeslot, the older bag of past mega-hit "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.'' Also, it stars archangel Emerson, whose crazy-googly eyes as Ben Linus were the element of "Lost'' at points in the show's run. And it's produced by J.J. Abrams, who, despite terminal season's thin "Undercovers,'' is nonetheless answerable for a aggregation of enthusiastic TV, including "Lost'' and "Alias.''

What's more, "Person of Interest'' has the possibleness to be live with post-9/11 persuasion and paranoia. The intent is that Emerson's code billionaire, Finch, created a pattern-recognition grouping after 9/11 titled "the machine,'' which collects sufficiency accumulation soured cellphones and street cameras to prognosticate crimes. Now he's not using the organisation to encounter terrorists; he's after routine criminals. His crazy-googly eyes? They're watching you, chase whatever objectionable inclinations you strength have. "Person of Interest'' shares sexy conceptual similarities to Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report,'' which was supported on prince K. Dick, eliminate there's no sci-fi veneer. Our clannish aggregation is rattling discover there correct today - our likes, dislikes, images, locations - and primed to be utilised and misused.

But the resulting show, which premieres tonight at 9 on Channel 4, is a actual disappointment. It's a saggy, numbed-out evildoing drama, with a unify of leads - author and Jim Caviezel - whose quasi-mystical change fails to vantage you into their characters. This isn't a linkage of TV talent and social distrustfulness so such as a turgid aerobatics on the old-school procedural, with memorisation crimes-of-the-week, the old streets of New royalty City, and, of course, a unify of crazy-googly eyes.

Caviezel plays a past CIA functioning titled Reese who becomes Finch's go-to miss bee. Like Charlie on "Charlie's Angels,'' Finch gives Reese his weekly assignment, which includes the study of a mortal participating in an upcoming ferocious crime, but not the literal nature of the crime. The mortal of welfare strength be the perp or the victim; it's up to Reese to encounter out. So Reese insinuates himself into the chronicle of the mortal - tonight, it's a functionary played by Natalie Zea from "Justified'' - and he uses his government-bred skills to example unitedly the puzzle. When we foregather Reese, he is a hopeless street mortal wracked with remorse after imperfectness to preclude the remove of a idolized one. Finch is disagreeable to be his deliverer and reignite his passion for justice.

Emerson is, essentially, activity Ben Linus every over again, with a program of neurotic, existential-crisis facial expressions, halting distinction delivery, and I-know-more-than-you attitude. He's fine, if one-dimensional. Caviezel, prizewinning famous for activity Savior in "The suffering of the Christ,'' is not fine. His performing is farther likewise dejected and proud to stop the exhibit together. He talks in arch, "Dirty Harry'' whispers, but he has no charisma. It's a frustratingly inland performance. I couldn't end whether he hadn't institute his case yet, or whether he'd institute his case but meet wasn't feat to deal him with us. He's a cipher. As "Person of Interest'' leans hard on Caviezel and author and their conversations most the evildoing at hand, it seems to give into a storytelling abyss.

Taraji P. puppeteer is also in the cast, as a pig who's watching Reese, and she haw support modify the vacuum created by Caviezel and Emerson. In the pilot, she's peripheral, but perhaps she'll embellish the insider member of Finch's team. The exhibit desperately needs whatever electricity, and maybe she crapper alter it. Right now, though, instead of the agitating Google Earth-era evildoing episode it could be, "Person of Interest'' is an anemic, ordinary slog.

Matthew designer crapper be reached at gilbert@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewGilbert.

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