3.5 stars
ABC, 9:00-10:00 PM, Thursdays
The players: Derek Cecil, Scarlett Chorvat. Created, produced, and written by Ben Affleck and Sean Bailey (Project Greenlight). Pilot directed by John McNaughton.
What it’s all about: An IRS accountant (Cecil) travels to the titular town in search of missing tally. Thanks to interactive, multimedia clues, a determined viewer will be the one pocketing the dough (minus Uncle Sam’s cut, of course).
What can I say: Ben Affleck introduces Push, Nevada, by saying, “You don’t have to play the game to love the show; you just have to love a good mystery.” But if you love a good mystery, how could you help but play the game? So the only thing that hasn’t been established quite yet is how good a mystery Push is. I’d say, so far, so good.
On the surface, it’s part David Lynch‘s Twin Peaks, part Oliver Stone‘s U-Turn, part Howard Hawks film noir, and a whole lotta Armand Assante attitude (Assante appears in a pivotal role). The dialogue is stilted in places but mostly works well toward creating a mystique of menace and humor. And lead Cecil brings Chris Isaak good looks and a puppy dog-meets-pitbull sensibility to the role of jaded IRS agent Jim Prufrock (will we ever find out if his middle name is Alfred?).
In a mystery, the story is the thing. So far it is definitely compelling–and too intricate to completely rehash here. The gist is that Prufrock heads to Push after receiving an errant fax from the Versailles Casino, whose balance sheets don’t quite add up. After run-ins with various shady characters, a flirtation with a slow-dance girl named Mary (Chorvat), and the discovery of an apparent conspiracy that permeates the entire town (and possibly the federal government), our hero decides to stay and pursue the case–against near-constant advice to get out of town.
But the true beauty and originality of the show is in the game. It took me a good two and a half hours, what with pausing and rewinding, to watch the one-hour premiere. All this to find the episode’s “Weekly Clue.” If I told you everything I discovered, I’d have to kill you; but I can say that my diligence definitely paid off–leading me on a journey far beyond the TV (and video) to hidden Web sites and toll-free phone numbers.
Each episode will provide a new clue until the series and game come to a climax: a “Final Clue” will be disclosed in an as yet unrevealed way within seven days of the final episode’s air date. The first person to then enter the contest within six hours wins the money stolen on the show (at least $1 million).
Bottom line: I’d say it’s the most ambitious multi-media experience that’s ever been attempted. If greed works it’s magic, Push, Nevada, should become a phenomenon and hopefully the first show in a new genre of mind-bending, interactive television. Of course, airing opposite CSI and Will & Grace probably won’t help that cause, but you have to tape Push, anyway, to make it worth your while. And keep your finger on the pause button.
