Chase

Just as criminals can't help but head back to old haunts, mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the "CSI" franchise "Cold Case") uses familiar tactics in this slickly shot, breathlessly paced, formulaically plotted action drama.

Blond toughie Kelli Giddish (Past Life) is fun to watch as the lead marshal, provided you don't have an excessively ACLUish temperament.

Chase is a very competent action-adventure with a heroine who's so far not as interesting to me as, say, the deputy U.S. marshal Mary McCormack plays on USA's "In Plain Sight." That could change, though, if I gave her a chance, and for adrenaline junkies who appreciate the professionalism Bruckheimer's company brings to just about everything it produces, this is certainly a better way to spend an hour than wishing that guy would stop talking so you could get a better look at Hawaii.

The good side of the kabuki-like formalism of the Bruckheimer approach is that the story moves like a bullet toward the inevitable apprehension of the fugitive, flying past leaden dialogue and plot holes so quickly that if you enjoy the crime-drama formulas that are in play, you can enjoy the show.

Chase reminds me of "Trauma," NBC's attempt at a Monday drama last year, although the shows couldn't be more dissimilar (the latter was about first responders). They both seem to be placeholders in the prime-time schedule until the network can scrounge up something better.

Not nearly as good or as complex as "Justified" on FX, but it's a decent hour of mindless entertainment.

It isn't badly acted. I don't remember any of the performances at all. It isn't horribly written. I don't remember any of the dialogue or plot machinations. It's actually nicely shot and the art direction in the U.S. Marshals' headquarters was handsome. That's not enough.

From the evidence of the pilot, this show lives up to its premise quite squarely: It's a police procedural with a lot of chases, and its lead is thoroughly and consistently hot. But we don't know that much about any of these places, or any of the people doing the chasing, and it's not clear there's that much to know, either.

Action will only take the show so far, but eventually viewers need to care about the characters or they don't have a reason to keep watching and Chase turns into a show that gets watched as an afterthought, not as appointment viewing.

For starters, they need to offer intriguing characters and meticulous plotting. The first episode of Chase provides neither.

With her winning smile, Southern twang and a tough-but-tender demeanor, Giddish makes for an instantly appealing lead. Unfortunately, she's about the only thing going for Chase, which is hampered by an unimaginative script.

There's not much there here, as Chase engages in violent cat-and-mouse pursuits between a team of U.S. Marshals (led by Giddish's Annie "Boots" Frost) and psycho criminals on the lam.

Chase settles for inertia, when the task of capturing viewers would appear to call for bolder strokes.

Jerry Bruckheimer's Chase, which premieres Monday on NBC, delivers just what its name promises, and not much more. It consists mainly of that very thing we are often aphoristically asked to cut to, with just enough banter and back-story to let you know that these are in fact humans we are watching and not just exceptionally well-coordinated robot drones.

If you're looking for a quick refresher course in what the U.S. Marshals do for a living, or just need to know how many fugitives they caught last year (more than 90,000), Chase could be the show for you. But if you're looking for actual TV entertainment? Heavens, no.