“Moonlight” follows hunky Mick St. John, a vampire and private detective who—against his murderous nature—has dedicated his life and supernatural powers to helping humans. He doesn’t kill “innocents” and he’ll only drink blood supplied by his dealer at the nearby morgue. As you can see, Mick’s life is complicated… but it gets even more so when he crosses paths with Beth, an upstart young reporter who awkwardly maneuvers herself into a partnership with the hot bloodsucker. Does Beth know who Mick really is, as she insists? And can Mick ever trust another woman after his ex-wife, well, introduced him to vampdom? The trouble is, we don’t really care enough to stick around and find out.
Who’s that: Ex-pats lead the cast, with Mick being played by Aussie actor Alex O’Loughlin and Brit Sophia Myles playing Beth. Shannyn Sossamon (“A Knight’s Tale”) vamps it up as Mick’s otherworldly ex; “Veronica Mars” vet Jason Dohring plays Mick’s not-so-human-lovin’ vampire mentor; and playing the techie (again) is “Alias” alum Kevin Weisman.
Buzzed about: Backed by feature producer Joel Silver (“The Matrix”), “Moonlight” marked the return of TV writer/producer Ron Koslow. He’s the guy behind “Beauty and the Beast,” the critically acclaimed late-‘80s TV drama. Too bad this beast isn’t nearly as lovable.
The “ooh” factor: All of the “Moonlight” ads focus on O’Loughlin’s looks (“Tall, Dark and Immortal”), but he’s not alone in the eye candy department. Not only are the other actors pretty hot, but the special effects and cinematography are to die for too. (Sorry—we couldn’t resist.)
The “eh” factor: The overly-expository voiceover (the ultimate storytelling sin) drives us nuts. Sure, Mick’s got a lot to explain about the new world of vampires—garlic, wooden stakes, crucifixes and holy water are all null and void vampire repellents in this retelling—but there are better, less textbook ways to get the job done.
The verdict: If there isn’t anything better on (or we’ve got extra TiVo space), then we might check out “Moonlight” for some background visuals. Otherwise, it’s dead to us.
“Moonlight” returns Friday, April 25 at 9 p.m./8c on CBS.
