RSS
Home
Review: 'Blank Slate'
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
TV network microseries and webisodes tend to fall into two categories: short clips based on popular shows and original programming which isn't as good as the full-length network projects.
Refreshingly, TNT's "Blank Slate" is much more than I expected. The action thriller might be broken into 20 two-minute mini-episodes, but it's as gripping and well-made as the typical made-for-TV project. In fact, it might be one of the best new "shows" of the fall, which bodes well for other projects of this type.
Written and directed by John Harrison, "Blank Slate" opens on death row. Anne Huston (Lisa Brenner) wakes up in the execution chamber as the death sentence is set to be carried out. She has no memory of who she is, and only a last-minute call from the Governor saves her life. She's told that she killed a federal agent after torturing him for three days, although she insists she has no knowledge of the event.
She's given the chance to participate in a secret FBI program, which will temporarily implant the memories of a murdered congressional aide into her brain. She's told that the hope is she will somehow remember some relevant facts about the murder. Her participation will save her life, if the treatment doesn't kill her first.
The experiment quickly spirals out of control. Partnered with an undercover cop who just wrapped up a sting operation (Eric Stoltz), Huston unravels a conspiracy within a conspiracy. Not only do the implanted memories give her insights into the murder, they also lead her down a dangerous path to discovering her true identity.
The first two-minute episodes of "Blank Slate" premiere Tuesday, September 9th, during TNT airings of "Law And Order." Five episodes air each evening for two consecutive weeks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The project will also be made into a two-hour movie version that will be sold outside the United States.
I watched the entire twenty episode run in one airing, and it's a truly impressive thriller. Since each episode runs two minutes, the plot requires a lot of mini cliffhangers. But none of them seem contrived, and unlike many microseries, the story holds together just as well in one sitting as it does spread out over four evenings.
The cast is also first-rate. Lisa Brenner is always a compelling actress, and her turn here as Anne Huston is impossible to ignore. Her charisma carries "Blank Slate," and while Stoltz and the other actors do a great job, her character is the star. And Brenner steals the show in every scene.
When "Blank Slate" was over, I was already looking for me. It's a great concept for a show, and given TNT's track record with dramas, it would be nice to see a full-length series migrate to the cable network in the future.
"Blank Slate" also sets the bar high for creatively and subtly promoting the sponsoring advertiser. While I haven't seen how the episodes fit into the TNT custom commercial pods associated with the spots, the episodes themselves are remarkably free of obvious nods to sponsor Acura. The only extended plug is one that shows off the company's advanced navigation help, and while it is obvious it's a plug, it fits organically into the episode and doesn't slow down the pace one bit.
"Blank Slate" is easily one of the two of three best efforts I've seen come out of the burgeoning microseries and webisode space. The program illustrates how it is possible to build an entertaining show around a brand without detracting from the quality of the final product.
Well done.
"Blank Slate" premieres on TNT during episodes of "Law And Order" on Tuesday, September 9th. The episodes can also be viewed on TNT.tv.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
