I am – Hercules!! What a combo! “Boomtown” creator Graham Yost scripting, “Shawshank Redemption”-“Green Mile” helmer Frank Darabont directing and the ubergreat Jeff Goldblum (“The Big Chill,” “The Fly,” “The Life Aquatic”) in his first series since Steve Cannell’s inspired “Tenspeed and Brown Shoe” (which, coincidentally, bears a passing resemblance to “Andy Barker, P.I.,” also premiering tonight). “Raines” is a procedural about a traumatized Los Angeles homicide detective who starts seeing and talking to the murder victims he’s investigating. If Yost, Darabont and Goldblum do not prove inducement enough, note that “Star Trek: Enterprise’s” superhot Linda Park is a regular, parading around in a tight LAPD uniform, and Alexa Davalos (the gorgeous lightning lass Gwen Raiden from “Angel”) plays lead victim in the pilot. I quite unprofessionally waited till the last minute to watch “Raines,” only to discover the DVD NBC sent over doesn’t work properly in any of my computers or DVD players. So let’s see what the critics say. TV Guide give it a 6 (out of 10) and says:

… aggressively quirky twist on L.A. noir. …

Entertainment Weekly give it a “C-minus” and says:

… a toothless twist in a post-noir procedural … that makes Los Angeles look as dreary and sluggish as Goldblum’s performance …

USA Today gives it three (out of four) stars and says:

… Intriguing and involving, if sometimes odd for oddness' sake alone … where Boomtown was an ensemble, Raines has to be carried by Goldblum — and carry it he does. It would have been easy to make this sarcastic, skittish detective seem larger than life, but instead, Goldblum reins him in. It's a tightly controlled, tightly wound performance that holds your attention with a kind of intense nervous energy. …

The New York Times says:

… Watching the premiere is a little like seeing a child lose his nerve before a Halloween contest: Red horns and a tail aren’t scary enough, so he throws on a rubber Frankenstein mask and insect wings. And that is not very complimentary to Mr. Goldblum, an odd and remarkable actor who almost never disappoints. … Mr. Goldblum somehow manages to make his way through this muddle of a debut with considerable grace and skill. He has always been a natural in roles that call for glibness and slithery sarcasm, but he is also remarkably moving in those moments when he drops the tough facade, his eyes mist over and he shows compassion — scenes that would make a lesser actor look ridiculous.

The Los Angeles Times says:

… although Jeff Goldblum is in practically every scene of "Raines," the Jeff Goldblum aura feels like background. "Raines," on the one hand, is a fine TV series, smart and decent; even the conceit of Raines talking to dead people comes off without airs. The show, with arguable logic, tries to marry a neo-noir texture with Goldblum's ego-bound, always-in-his-head personality — it's a match.com of what's working for the networks (the aforementioned puzzle shows) and that discursive brand of sarcasm — and lecherousness — that Goldblum made most lovable in "The Big Chill." But in so doing, the show also doesn't seem to be aiming for anything higher than a comfortable middle ground, bypassing a chance to watch Goldblum send up our preconceived idea of Goldblum. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Goldblum’s thoughtful, enjoyable presence is — rather than the one saving grace of an otherwise tiresome procedural — the centerpiece of a generally well-crafted drama… …

The Washington Post says:

… Goldblum seems a trifle embarrassed by the obviousness of the gimmick -- Raines tells a colleague that "it's just my 'hook' " -- but he skillfully manages to make it palatable if never quite plausible. … In some of his roles, Goldblum has come across as antsy and mannered. But for television, a close-up and intimate medium, Goldblum has toned down the tics and tricks. He gives the character of Raines a solid and gratifying humanity, enough to lift "just another" cop opera into a considerably more rarefied realm.

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… You might imagine that the real trouble began when creator Graham Yost (who previously created the infinitely better "Boomtown" cop drama) decided to go with the dead-people dramatic device after it had already been used -- wait for it -- to death. … "Raines" is one of those shows that are enjoyable time wasters if you don't know what else is available. In the two episodes that NBC sent out, "Raines" establishes itself as solidly mediocre, which, as savvy viewers already know, is just unacceptable in the current TV environment. There's an excess of good dramas on TV. There's even a rising number of great dramas. A been-there-done-that cop drama about a quirky detective must sit itself down with "Monk" and be happy with the company. Oh, to aim higher. Goldblum is probably the best element of "Raines" (though the opening credits are pretty cool, and Yost always seems to hire people who create a crisp, darkly saturated visual style for his shows). …

The Kansas City Star says:

… To be honest, I wanted to hate this show the minute I saw a sneak peek of it last spring. Jeff Goldblum plays a wise-cracking detective who talks to dead people. Just what the planet needed: an unholy amalgam of “House” and “The Ghost Whisperer.” Now that I’ve seen two episodes, it’s not that bad. In fact, it’s about what I’d expect from a show that’s ripping off both one of my favorite and least favorite TV dramas: something in between. As with many shows of this ilk, I asked myself if “Raines” would be any good without the gimmick. I had to admit that Goldblum has a commanding presence that may overcome the ho-hum storylines and overdone talking-ghost motif. …

The Orlando Sentinel says:

… Raines is an average, unoriginal series. Another reason for disappointment: Even with Frank Darabont of The Shawshank Redemption directing the pilot, the results are ho-hum. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… Detective Michael Raines sees dead people, which, you're probably thinking, isn't that much of a gimmick on TV these days. Dead people have been ratting out criminals to Allison Dubois on "Medium" for a few years, and Melinda Gordon of "Ghost Whisperer" also has weekly conversations with spooks. Raines' visions are different and, to my way of thinking, a lot more credible. The dead people he sees are not ghosts. They are figments of his imagination. They are murder victims as he pictures them in life. The more he learns about them, the more they change to conform to the new information. Because they are only figments, they can't tell Raines anything he doesn't already know. They can, however, get him to look at the facts from a different perspective. Couple that modus operandi with Jeff Goldblum's savvy and sarcastic performance, and you get a detective series that is charismatic and compelling.…

Variety says:

A crime procedural tweaked with the slimmest of gimmicks, "Raines" largely boils down to one's appreciation of star Jeff Goldblum. … this is a series for people with a reasonably high TV IQ, but not a particularly challenging formula. The main allure is seeing Goldblum in action, his eyes darting hither and yon …

10 p.m. Thursday. NBC.

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