‘Wolf Lake’ not much to howl about New CBS supernatural thriller series faces competition from other network programs

Pity “Wolf Lake.”

Debuting at 10 tonight, the CBS supernatural thriller soon will find itself up against venerable TV institutions, “Law & Order” on NBC and first “20/20” and later “NYPD Blue” on ABC. Even if it were perfectly executed, which it’s not, it would have a hard time denting the American TV-watching consciousness.

“Wolf Lake” tells the story of a small Pacific Northwest town where some of the residents can shape-shift into wolves. The town itself takes on a kind of pack mentality. Trouble is brewing among the townfolk as the balance of power is about to shift from one male leader to another.

Seattle cop John Kanin (Lou Diamond Phillips, who needs a break from B movies) gets drawn in to this odd little burg. He’s tracked his fiancee Ruby, who disappeared after a bloody struggle, there, hoping to discover what’s happened to her.

In the process, he meets many of the evasive residents, including sheriff Matthew Donner (Tim Matheson, “The West Wing”), the sheriff’s teen daughter Sophia (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the obligatory mystical American Indian (Graham Greene) and Ruby’s devious mother (Sharon Lawrence, now up against her old show, “NYPD Blue”). Along, of course, with a handful of wolves and furry humans.

Other than introducing the players, the debut episode does precious little else, including giving much hint of what’s to come. It attempts to adopt a “Twin Peaks” vibe, but has little of the hinkiness of that David Lynch classic.

“Wolf Lake” isn’t different enough to grab those few viewers left over from the two cop dramas. It’s not scary enough to trap horror fans, and it’s not soapy enough to snare female viewers. Its producers need to turn up the heat in its early episodes, or it won’t capture the ratings necessary for a better time slot.