Lauren German

CHICAGO – I might be more forgiving of the dramatic failings of the saga of Matthew Casey if I had never met Tommy Gavin. For years, we felt the pain and drama of life as a firefighter on FX’s “Rescue Me,” and, while I had some issues with that show, it definitely casts NBC’s “Chicago Fire” in a different light. However, even without Denis Leary’s hit show, I don’t think this melodrama would work. It just doesn’t connect on a realistic level like we need shows like this to do. I don’t expect it to burn for long.

CHICAGO – Despite a star-powered supporting cast, an intriguing concept, and a set-up that seems right at home on the network that launched “Twin Peaks,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “Lost,” the new mystery/drama “Happy Town” never comes together.

CHICAGO – “It’s the difference between hunting a lion and a deer.”