Is Castle truly Nathan Fillion's home?

April 21, 1:29 AMPittsburgh TV ExaminerSean Farren

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Whether he's playing a twisted servant of evil (and a preacher to boot!) on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, a "Hitchcockian" ordinary man thrust into an ordinary situation on the short lived Drive, or even a scoundrel with a heart of gold and a dash of derring-do as Captain Mal Reynolds of the now canceled Firefly, Nathan Fillion always leaves a lasting impression in any role.

So when he was chosen as the lead in Castle as a famous crime novelist who tags along with local police, investigating homicides as research fodder for upcoming books, I was a bit skeptical. It's not because I didn't think he would fit the role; rather, I was curious to see whether the role would fit him.

Upon first glance, Castle seems like a tired retread of shows we've seen in the past. I can imagine them pitching this as Moonlighting meets Murder, She Wrote with a dash of Homicide grittiness to appease the need for heavy drama in the 10pm time slot.

Does it work? Yes...and no.

If you're looking for some groundbreaking television, Castle might not be your cup of joe. Crime dramas have been a staple of television since programming started beaming into your homes in the 50s. As the years progressed, levity was added to ease the dramatic tension as well as make the characters seem more realistic and, let's face it, interesting. Aside from that, there's not much more they can add to a basic formula.

Audiences rarely tune in to a series week after week because of a gimmick as that holds interest for only so long. Ultimately, you continue viewing because you become invested in the lives of the fictional characters.

It's on that level that Castle succeeds.

I'll be the first to admit that had I not been a huge fan of Fillion prior to the show's debut, I most likely would not have given it much of a chance. However, the actor makes the character so likable and charming that I find myself tuning in weekly. In addition, his co-star Stana Katic plays a nice foil/potential romantic interest and the supporting cast (which includes TV vet Susan Sullivan of Falcon Crest and Dharma & Greg) are all also equally engaging.

While Castle is far from perfect or original, it is a fun show. It's relatively well written and slickly produced (one of the co-executive producers is Rob Bowman, producer and director of cult favorite, The X-Files) and is much better than many shows out there right now.

Whether Castle makes it to a sophomore season largely rests upon the audience and the powers that be at ABC. If you can survive the excruciating Surviving Suburbia for two minutes (I've endured 4 minutes so far as Castle doesn't start until 10:02), you can at least look forward to being entertained for the remaining 58.

Castle may not be a home in which Fillion will retire and live out his golden years, but for now, he looks quite comfortable. Until he decides to relocate, I'll make time for Castle each week.

Castle can be seen on ABC's Pittsburgh affiliate WTAE each Monday at 10:02pm.