Threshold
CBS Fridays, 9/8c

Premiere Date: September 16, 2005

Let me tell you a little about my glory days. I remember, back when I was young and single, when Friday nights actually meant something. The ramp up to the weekend from a long, hard week at work. When my friends and I would plan for dinner or happy hour, come home for rest and a quick wash, and then back out on the town for drinks and the “hunt”.

Ah yes, this was in the mid- to late-’90s. And for me and my circle of friends it was the golden age of entertainment and culture. Like how special it felt to find that UK Import CD rather than download it. Or playing the new 32-bit game systems and constantly being amazed by the 3D graphics, rather than expecting them. And what about actually having friends over to play those party games, rather than just connecting to the internet and playing some disembodied voice on the other end of the line?

There’s one memory of those times I held onto especially. Sandwiched in between those Friday night social calls was probably the best night of television ever – Friday nights on FOX. Especially when the clocks turned back in autumn, and that cool October breeze blew through the sliders, carrying with it the scent of dying leaves as the sun soon before had called it a night, I sat in biting anticipation of the wondrous creativity and captivating storytelling from the night owned by 1013 Productions, first from The X-Files, and then Millennium following it.

Many years have passed, and those famous Friday nights have been but a memory since. My social activities revolve around my wife’s preference and disposition. Millennium was cancelled after three years, The X-Files moved to Sundays and died a slow, painful death. And TGIF now means Full House more than anything. I can’t help but think to myself how Friday nights have since lacked quality television.

That is, until Friday September 16, when Threshold premieres on CBS.

Threshold brings back everything that made The X-Files so entertaining. It has a great lead character in Molly Anne Caffrey (Carla Gugino, Karen Sisco) who plays a scientist brought into action when the government activates “Operation: Threshold” after alien life forms make contact with an ocean liner at sea. Caffrey can’t go at it alone, so she assembles some of the greatest scientific minds available, which coincidentally is one of the greatest ensemble casts in television – Alias alumni Rob Benedict, obvious choice Brent Spiner, and probably the most spirited casting choice of the new fall TV season, The Station Agent’s Peter Dinklage. Of course, with all those scientists, Caffrey needs a strong male to keep things interesting, and she gets it with military-man Cavennaugh (Brian Van Holt).

Gugino and Van Holt have the potential to be as dynamic as David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were in The X-Files. These two leads are intelligent, and their dialogue and actions compliment each other. For instance, when Caffrey wanders through the infested ship solo to investigate, this would normally spell impending doom. But she’s as tough as she is smart, and although as viewers we expect a scare at her expense, we have the confidence she will be able to escape danger. Cavennaugh knows she’s smart and trusts her too, but yet keeps a close eye on her so that they can both make it off the ship alive. It’s a friendship that would seem forced in most pilots, but the teamwork with between the two comes off so very natural. It also helps that the three supporting scientists provide the shows several “tension-break” moments of humor and cleverness, as they decipher every possible outcome while engaging in banter like geeks at a Star Trek convention.

Threshold, aside from having some great characters (not to forget Charles S. Dutton as government official JT Baylock), also has the foundation of a great ongoing story. The pilot sets up the series with a lot of mystery, including the alien craft, the strange swirl patterns, and human possession. It also has a lot of tension, some genuine scares, and a lot of premise. CBS definitely has a hit on its hands, now it just needs to overcome the curse of the “Friday Night Death Slot” and bring it an audience. With a show this good, hopefully that won’t be a tall order.

Welcome home, TGIF. Now let’s make it last this time.