9-1-1

A fast paced, action packed show with a great cast, this new show has a lot of potential.

The show’s impressive, all-star cast makes all the difference here. At least in the pilot, the actors elevate the premise from a suspenseful, action show to an engrossing drama, while the influence of seasoned veterans Murphy and Falchuck lends 9-1-1 the gravitas it needs to rise above TV’s cabal of conflicted police officers and harried paramedics.

This is adrenaline-rush TV. It’s instantly compelling, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and a pretty solid way to start 2018.

A surprisingly engaging procedural drama. 9-1-1 brings to mind early “ER.”

Ultimately, 9-1-1 may be a too-predictable and unremitting show, but when it takes off, it's quite the ride.

The content is no more or less heightened or graphic than you've seen in dozens of procedurals, the resolutions no more or less creative, the characters no more or less nuanced. The nuances are perfunctory, but they're there, and you can see how the combination of decent characters, a somewhat relaxed ensemble work schedule, a straight-to-series order and Ryan Murphy on the phone would get the big names to express curiosity.

This show hums when focused on the incidents and accidents that force people to call for help but falters when it then tries to take us into the personal lives of the responders.