Eureka (Syfy)

There's a big secret in the small town of EUREKA, a picturesque place in the Pacific Northwest where kids idolize Archimedes, blow prism-shaped soap bubbles, and go to the Museum of Theoretical Physics for fun. The secret is big enough to convince Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a perceptive U.S. marshal who's passing through town with his delinquent daughter (Jordan Hinson) in tow, to stay a while and get to the bottom of it. Eureka's oddball citizens include a deputy with a chip on her shoulder (Erica Cerra), a leggy government liaison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), a dogcatcher with unconventional tactics (Matt Frewer), and a B&B owner who dabbles in psychiatry (Debrah Farentino). There's also the matter of a secret government think tank, where the world's most brilliant minds (headed by Greg Germann) are always at work.

As a dramatic series, Eureka works well by teasing out a series of plot twists and turns that are bound to keep sci-fi fans interested -- and the special effects are, well, downright effective. There's also a lot to be said for the show's message, which subtly sexes up science and shows the wonderful -- and terrible -- things that can happen when the right elements come together.

Eureka's plot and characters are both titillating and interesting, and Ferguson, especially, proves a likeable and charming lead. The fact that the show isn't entirely appropriate for young children shouldn't discourage parents from watching along with their teens -- it's just another case of exercising caution.