Ideas for New Shows Aren’t Limitless

Written by PTC | Published September 14, 2015

Another action-mystery series with an unusual hero. Brian Finch is a slacker. While his friends have all moved on in life, Brian is still a temp worker by day and struggling musician by night. Then an old bandmate-turned millionaire offers Brian the secret of his success: the wonder drug NZT, which gives the user full access to every thought, memory, and piece of information they have ever encountered, and which allows them use of 100% of their physical and mental capacity, turning them into a virtual superhuman…until the drug wears off. After finding his friend’s killer, Brian works with FBI agent Rebecca Harris, using his special abilities to stop crime and improve the world. Following in the well-worn footsteps of such series as Monk, Psych, Castle, Medium, and The Mentalist, Limitless combines the “crime procedural with an unusual protagonist” formula with a bit of superheroics. The program’s content is not extreme; the first episode featured the usual action-series gunplay, fistfights, and a bit of blood, but nothing terribly graphic. Brian briefly remembers a past sexual encounter involving bondage, and language includes uses of “bitch” and “ass.” If nothing remarkable, Limitless seems like a solid, typical addition to the crime procedural ranks. Limitless premieres Tuesday, September 22^nd at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS.