The Human Target: One of the coolest new shows on TV

Thanks to some friends at work, I have been watching the supremely entertaining new series, The Human Target. The show, which airs on Fox on Wednesdays is a breath of fresh air amid all the reality shows, crime procedurals and medical series currently dominating the TV landscape. Mark Valley, fresh off of playing a twisty FBI agent in Fringe from last year, is perfect as Christopher Chance, a unique bodyguard/private detective who interferes with murder attempts by impersonating the intended victims to draw the killers' fire.While he is helping his clients, he is also trying to stay hidden from his former employers, who remain a mystery. But evidently they have a grudge against Chance and they can't wait to find him. Valley is supported by Chi McBride, who plays Winston, Chance's handler. And Jackie Earle Haley is on hand as Guerrero, a tech savvy specialist. The trio make a well oiled team. And Valley handles all the action scenes with a healthy dose of real he-man heroics. But he also manages to keep the show very light as things never get too serious or dark. Which is a good thing. There has also been an abundance of guest stars galore, in fact several from Fox's hit show back in the day, The X-Files. The Cigarette Smoking Man and Director Skinner have made memorable appearances so far. Also there is a fetching woman every episode that gets entangled with Chance. Nothing romantic but still entangled. The premiere episode featured Tricia Helfer (Number Six) of Battlestar Galactica fame. The Human Target is actually based on a DC comic book series created back in the early 70's. They even tried to launch this before as a Rick Springfield vehicle back in the 90's, which was just awful. But here, the series works because of the engaging cast and the wonderful mix of humor and action. A must see show that is devoid of heavy CG use and instead relies on good old fashioned stunt work. There have been 6 episodes so far and the series is on break until March 10th but you can catch the first episodes online to get up to speed. You won't be disappointed.