Dylan McDermott

CHICAGO – Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck,” “Glee”) returns to the network that turned him into a star with this week’s premiere of the highly-anticipated “American Horror Story,” a new FX series that mixes sex with the supernatural to create something truly unique. The show’s very existence feels like it could be inspired by HBO’s “True Blood” (another show with horror and sex).

CHICAGO – TNT’s hit-and-miss cop drama “Dark Blue” returns tomorrow night, August 4th, 2010 with a great pair of episodes featuring the addition of the always-excellent Tricia Helfer of “Battlestar Galactica,” but the improvements aren’t merely in the supporting cast, as the first two hours of season two hint at the opposite of a sophomore slump.

CHICAGO – TNT’s “Dark Blue” has theatrical caliber production values, tight editing, and impressive action set-pieces for a TV show. It also has cliched characters, hackneyed dialogue, and plots that stretch suspension of disbelief far past the breaking point. The strong performances and crisp pacing often make the cliches easier to bear but the first season features as many missed shots as direct hits.

CHICAGO – TNT on Tuesday launched executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s no-holes-barred cop drama, “Dark Blue”. Like Bruckheimer’s successful predecessors in its genre (“C.S.I: Miami”, “C.S.I. New York”, “Cold Case”, and “Without a Trace”), “Dark Blue” provides captivating crime scenarios, an easy-on-the-eyes cast (including Dylan McDermott of “The Practice”), and just enough suspense to keep engaged.