This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"Secrets and Lies" (Sunday, 8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4) is a new show that feels like an old show. Because there's nothing original about it whatsoever.
Yes, it's an awful lot like "Broadchurch" (and the Americanized version of that show, "Gracepoint"), but that's just the most obvious comparison. "Secrets and Lies" echoes umpteen crime dramas that have gone before, and it's populated by characters that feel as stale as week-old bread.
(It's based on an Australian series, which I haven't seen. But if it's a close approximation of that, then the Australian series must have itself been derivative.)
In the opening moments of Sunday's premiere, Ben Crawford (Ryan Phillippe) is jogging through the woods when he comes upon the body of young neighbor boy. Just as you'd expect, Ben quickly becomes a suspect — the target of the cartoon-like Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis).
We quickly learn that Ben's marriage to Christy (KaDee Strickland) is not going well. And the Crawford family is quickly struggling in the spotlight of media attention.
And the show is struggling to come up with an original idea and a good performance.
Phillipe isn't good, and Lewis is just plain awful. It's hard to imagine a less-convincing portrayal of a police detective.
ABC is airing the first two episodes back-to-back on Sunday at 8 and 9 p.m., and at the end of the first hour a big secret is revealed — a twist that is stunningly stupid and manipulative.
And after two episodes, it's no secret just how bad "Secrets and Lies" is.