This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

ABC's new crime thriller, "Day Break," essentially is about a man having the worst day of his life - again and again.

It's an intriguing serial drama about a detective, Brett Hopper (Taye Diggs), who wakes up one morning realizing he's been framed for the murder of an assistant district attorney he doesn't even know.

Hopper's first day is bad enough. He begins by waking up with his girlfriend Rita (Moon Bloodgood), having a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop, and then saving a woman who barely misses getting flattened by a runaway bus.

But things get worse when he's arrested for the murder of the DA, confronts his estranged former police partner (Adam Baldwin) in an elevator, and realizes his current partner is helping Internal Affairs nab him for the murder.

The night ends with Hopper getting kidnapped by some shadowy group who warns him to take the dive for the prosecutor's killing. He's drugged and passes out. Hopper wakes up the next morning at the same time, in the same bed with his girlfriend and begins to relive the previous day.

There's no explanation for the phenomenon - it just becomes a violent, racing mix of "Groundhog Day" and "The Fugitive."

What makes the series fascinating and original is that while the day's events are the same outside Hopper's sphere of influence, he can change some events in the same way as someone who goes back in time.

On the second day, when he forgets his cup of coffee, he learns he also wasn't there to save the woman from the bus. He finds out she has been hospitalized.

The dynamics of what can happen based on what Hopper does differently each day is what makes "Day Break" a captivating concept. The producers just haven't taken full advantage of the idea in the pilot. Hopefully, the series will stretch and explore.

Diggs, who also starred in the failed UPN series "Kevin Hill," is good as the detective caught in the web of time, especially since he has to essentially stay frazzled every episode.

It's too early to tell if "Day Break" will run with its newfound concept. But it could be fun to see how the series proves every week that tomorrow truly is another day.

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* VINCE HORIUCHI'S column appears Mondays and Fridays. He can be reached at vince@sltrib.com or 801-257-8607. For more TV insights, visit Horiuchi's blog, "The Village Vidiot," at http://blogs. sltrib.com/tv/ and catch his PopCast podcast every Tuesday at http://sltrib.com/entertainment. Send comments to livingeditor@ sltrib.com.

"DAY BREAK," a new show about a detective who tries to solve a mystery as he lives the same day over and over, premieres with a two-hour pilot on Wednesday at 8 p.m. on KTVX Channel 4.