With the networks largely content to fill up their summer schedules with reruns and burnoffs of unused and unwanted programming, it’s a good time to turn to the cable channels for original series.

TNT, which has taken tentative steps when it comes to original shows, has chosen to spin off a series from “Witchblade,” its original movie, which captured demographically favorable ratings last August. The drama premieres at 9 tonight.

“Witchblade,” based on the Top Cow comic book series, follows the exploits of Sara Pezzini, played by Yancy Butler (“Drop Zone,” “Hard Target”). At a gangland massacre, Sara, a New York homicide detective, ends up attached to the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent, living weapon made to battle Earth’s darkest forces. It can morph from a bracelet to a powerful suit of armor, complete with weaponry, and feeds her visions that she struggles to understand. Needless to say, this puts a crimp in her social life.

Sara is aided by her partner, Jake McCartey (David Chokachi, “Baywatch”), as well as the ghost of her former partner, Danny Woo (Will Yun Lee). She’s a target of Kenneth Irons (Anthony Cistaro), a billionaire obsessed with the Witchblade, and his enigmatic henchman Ian Nottingham (Eric Etebari). So Sara must hide her secret while learning to cope with her daunting new powers.

The producers of “Witchblade” cop freely from modern cinema, with both quick cutting and slow motion with changing perspectives (think “Matrix”) used to good effect. They also make a concerted effort to ground the series in the real world, so that the supernatural elements really stand out. The downside is that those viewing the show without having seen the original movie are definitely coming late to the party, and may have difficulties in catching up on the back story.

Still, “Witchblade” has a likable cast and promises to have some thought-provoking episodes. That definitely beats the glut of reality-based shows, full of annoying people slavishly seeking their 15 minutes of fame, which the networks are offering up.