Premiering this Friday on SyFy is Haven, the series loosely inspired by Stephen King’s novella The Colorado Kid. The first reviews of this paranormal procedural are in…
The Hollywood Reporter is dubious:
What a sad, frustrating development to see the two plots Scotch-taped together, all seams showing. That Syfy already has a series about a small town of unique citizenry — it’s called “Eureka” — and that ABC just launched “The Gates” probably isn’t relevant, but if that’s where “Haven” is heading, the road is going to feel very well worn. Even having a Stephen King connection — his “The Colorado Kid” is said to have inspired the series, but beyond a newspaper headline, it’s hard to see how based on the pilot — isn’t going to help. “Haven” is a show one will like for 20 reasons, and one that will irritate for 25 more. It has some good bones, though, and a strong, willing cast. Whether the big picture is even worth delving into, however, is one mystery that probably won’t be so easily solved.
CableFax was mildly encouraging:
Based on the first episode, SyFy’s new series “Haven” seems to be the latest in a long line of TV shows heavily influenced by Fox’s 1990s hit “The X-Files.” It certainly rides the same supernatural love train toward an abyss of perpetual mystery and shape-shifting alliances. But it also offers its own fresh take. In this world (based on Stephen King’s “The Colorado Kid”), character motivations and histories are murky—and that’s just as the writers intended. While the first episode (premieres July 9, 10pm ET) won’t necessarily blow you away, it certainly creates enough mystery to draw you back in for more. And if the writers do their jobs, viewers will soon get hooked to the narrative. But it will take some patience.
http://www.cablefax.com/cfp/just_in/Review-Haven-on-SyFy_42107.html
Jace at Televisionary was a bit of both:
Haven has some promise but the second half of the pilot episode seems to squander it. Rather than embed some real grit and eeriness into the drama, it descends into somewhat stereotypical sci-fi trappings about supernatural abilities, mysterious storms, and easily solved crimes of the week, whereas they should be making Haven into a depository for our dreams (and nightmares) about small coastal towns, where the quirkiness (or even oddness) of the inhabitants is at odds with the idyllic nature of the place itself…There’s potential to be had in Haven, if the writers can find the right tone and the right balance of serialized and procedural elements. In the meantime, however, Haven might be one town you want to check out of early.
http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2010/07/once-for-luck-advance-review-of-season.html
Personally I am highly skeptical, given SyFy’s recent track record of atrociousness, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…
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