Each week, I take a look back at a pilot from the 2011-12 season, first reviewed on my blog during that season. This week, I am looking at CBS's modest hit Person of Interest!
The Details:
Premiered: September 22, 2011 on CBS
Starring: Jim Caveizel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman and Michael Emerson
Created by: Jonathan Nolan
What I Thought Then:
"It has all the elements of being a great show, but didn't have it all put together in the pilot."
"The setting is a grim and dark version of New York City and the pilot does a great job of painting that picture."
"The technology almost made it like a campy sci-fi show for awhile."
"This was one of those shows where I didn't particularly like the pilot but I liked what they were setting up."
What Others Said:
"Person of Interest separates itself from the gimmick pack, not only because of superbly nuanced characterization and writing but also because of how it engages a post-9/11 sense of paranoia in viewers." - David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
"A gritty, almost plausible winner, and distant reflection of Steven Spielberg's Minority Report." - Verne Gay, Newsday
"This is the rare crime drama that revels in actual mystery, its dark, paranoid tone embodied by two damaged heroes." - Matt Roush, TV Guide
"Clever but somehow not very absorbing. Person might provoke the paranoid while leaving the generation who's grown up on camera wondering what all the fuss is about." - Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
"There isn't a single interesting person in CBS's dud-on arrival Person of Interest; at best, there's only a single interesting idea." - Aaron Riccio, Slant Magazine
What I Think Now:
Person of Interest was a show I really liked for a time during its original run but this pilot is not great (despite being such a "highly testing" pilot according to CBS). I always liked the case of the week aspect of this show more than the overall mythology, which was somewhat overwrought and there was too much of said mythology (along with exposition) in the pilot. Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson have such a distinct way of talking in hushed tones and it really drove me crazy on this re-watch. It just gives an air of self importance to a show that really isn't as serious as it thinks it is. But, I do still enjoy the "stopping a crime before its committed" angle and I think the show does a good job of presenting a post-9/11 vision of New York City that is a lot more grim than many other portrayals of the city (not to mention the city itself). Taraji P. Henson was very strong from the jump even though it immediately invites the question of what an Oscar-nominated actress was doing in a supporting role like this. Despite my mixed review of the pilot re-watch, it did make me tempted to go back and watch some of the series again at some point.
What Happened to the Show:
Person of Interest was a very highly anticipated show heading into Fall 2011. After boasting of its off-the-charts testing, CBS backed up that claim with a big move. They took CSI off of its Thursday 9pm slot, where it had resided for over a decade, and moved it to Wednesdays in order to give Person the prime real estate slot on a night that got a boost the season before with the move of The Big Bang Theory to the night. Reviews were solid (66 on Metacritic) but it wasn't the runaway hit that perhaps it was being pegged as giving the hoopla. Then it premiered to decent but not spectacular numbers (13.3 million and a 3.1 demo). At first, it looked like it might not be long for this world with middling numbers in such a high profile timeslot. But once it returned in January after a holiday break, something seemed to click. The show started doing better in the ratings and getting more attention critically. It continued through the spring with really good numbers and started to live up to its potential. It peaked in its second season, which built nicely on the first and became a Top 10 show on TV. The series moved to 10pm in Fall 2013 to make room for a four comedy block and its descent started. It flamed out rather quickly and after its fourth season, it was picked up for a shortened fifth season that didn't air for over a year (finally seeing the light of day in Summer 2016). This is a show that burned fast and bright but didn't become a lasting procedural for CBS. The show hasn't had a huge tail afterwards and Jim Caviezel's political leanings probably haven't helped matters. But it certainly had its deserved time in the spotlight during its run, it just couldn't sustain it.
Final Episode: June 21, 2016
Episode Count: 103
Where to Watch: Peacock, Prime Video, available for purchase on DVD
I'm excited to be contributing to The TV Ratings Guide! You can read my regular work at Benjamonster's TV!
