Sci-fi drama’s fate seems locked ‘Pleasant’ may sink like other thrillers

Give credit to “The X-Files.”

Thanks to the success of that paranormal drama, Fox is at least willing to put shows with a science fiction or occult flavor on its schedule.

That’s not to say that the network will keep them for any length of time, as such ambitious series as “Millennium,” “Harsh Realm,” “Firefly,” “Dark Angel,” “Tru Calling” and “Profit” quickly found out.

“Point Pleasant,” debuting at 9 tonight before moving to its regular 9 p.m. Thursday time slot tomorrow, is likely to be the latest in that line.

The series, set in a picturesque seaside New Jersey village, centers on Christina Nickson (Elisabeth Harnois), who arrives in town after being rescued from the raging ocean by hunky lifeguard Jesse Parker (Sam Page).

Poor Christina. She has been kept at a boarding school in New York, and this is her first chance for a normal existence. She’s falling for Jesse, which doesn’t sit well with his snippy girlfriend, Paula (Cameron Richardson). She doesn’t know who her mother is.

Oh, yeah, she’s also the daughter of the Prince of Darkness.

Bummer.

It kind of puts that whole boyfriend issue in perspective.

Anyway, strange things start to happen now that Christina is in town. Stuff blows up, and her presence awakens suppressed desires among the townsfolk. It will be a battle among good and evil, and which side will Christina come down on?

“Point Pleasant” is the creation of Marti Noxon, longtime producer of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” so there’s hope that it can stay just this side of camp (unlike its lead-in “The O.C.,” which for the older readers is essentially the cool offspring of “Dynasty”).

Now if only Fox believed in it enough to steer it away from a time slot featuring “CSI” and “The Apprentice.” Ah, well, if the generic “North Shore” can surf through a whole season there, maybe “Point Pleasant” can hold onto enough indifferent “O.C.” viewers to survive.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.