NCIS: Los Angeles

The series, a spin-off of the long-running NCIS (itself a spin-off of JAG) won’t win any prizes for originality; it follows the same tried-and-true formula as its predecessors and many other cop shows. It hints at interesting backstories for Callen (an orphan who never received a birthday card and doesn’t even know his own full first name) and Hanna (a former SEAL and an expert in Middle Eastern cultures) but does little to actually develop their characters (fleshing them out might distract from the more important job of adhering to the standard plotlines).

Callen and Hanna are backed up by a team that’s also straight from central casting, including a computer whiz and a newbie who’s a walking encyclopedia of useful facts but has no experience or street smarts. Even the always-appealing Linda Hunt can’t make her character -- the long-suffering supervisor whose gruff exterior hides a warm heart -- seem original. There’s nothing especially wrong with NCIS: Los Angeles, but there’s nothing new here, either. But fans of crime procedurals might find its predictability comforting.