Ever since Lost ended a couple of years ago, it left a void in my TV viewing schedule that has yet to be replaced. Oh sure, there are plenty of TV shows that technically do fill that one hour gap every week, but I really miss the magnetic pull of a genuinely absorbing mystery, one that offers unpredictable twists and turns and a sense of discovery. Plenty have tried to replicate it (Heroes, Jericho, The Event, FlashForward) but they all fell short somewhere along the line. Now, for the first time in a while, Alcatraz has me feeling at least a small twinge of what Lost once offered.

It helps that the show is produced by J.J. Abrams, stars Jorge Garcia (Hurley) and features music by Michael Giacchino. However, truth be told, it feels a lot closer to Fringe than it does Lost. It’s very procedural, not unlike a CSI or an X-Files, and there are only two lead actors (Jorge Garcia and Sarah Jones). However, I find these actors more fun to watch than Fringe’s Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson, even though the actual characters are a little bland thus far. Sam Neill and Robert Forster are also nice additions to the supporting cast, but it is the premise that really has me hooked.

When Alcatraz was shut down in 1963, all of the prisoners were transferred to another facility… or were they? According to the show, the truth is that they all mysteriously vanished and they are just now showing up in the present day, apparently without having aged. The main characters are tasked with tracking down these criminals and locking them up in a top secret underground prison, although how and why this top secret prison exists has yet to be explained. The obvious reference point here is The 4400, but fortunately there don’t seem to be any aliens involved. There could, however, be some sort of time travel thing going on, which is fine by me.

At this point the show feels like it’s going to be somewhat formulaic from week to week, but with a few little tidbits to progress the overall storyline. I’m not entirely sure that I won’t get bored over time, but I can see that they’re trying to attract a wider audience, thus giving the show enough time to grow and mature. I’m willing to give it a chance, but the real test will be a few weeks from now when it has to compete with shows like The Walking Dead, Eastbound & Down, Luck, Life’s Too Short and yes even Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice on my PVR. I like to think I’ll always leave a spot open on my viewing schedule for a good hour long drama on network TV, but it hasn’t been used for quite a while now.