Josh Duhamel
Dean Winters
Aubrey Dollar
Kal Penn
Janet McTeer

Created by:
David Shore
Vince Gilligan

2015
Comedy, Crime, Drama
CBS
TV-14

“Battle Creek,” created by David Shore (“House”) and Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”), is set in the titular Michigan town, which, according to the show, has a population of 50,000 residents. Dean Winters plays Russ Agnew, a police detective who takes things much too seriously and wants much better resources to support his pursuits. Josh Duhamel plays Milton Chamberlain, an FBI special agent who’s sent to the town to run its new resident office. The clash of their personalities and styles will either make or break this show: Winters and Duhamel are game, so they might pull it off.

In this hour-long dramedy, the writers poke fun at the clichés of the police-procedural genre. “Battle Creek” is more successful at doing that than FOX’s “Backstrom.” Agnew is the embodiment of the genre, and Chamberlain provides the perfect contrast. Chamberlain makes everything look easy, causing Agnew’s hard work to come across as ridiculous. For instance, when Agnew wants to break into a house, Chamberlain cautions him against it. Shortly thereafter, the owner of the house simply invites them in. This is a contrast between cynicism (Agnew) and optimism (Chamberlain).

The first episode of “Battle Creek” has the look of a serious procedural yet contains humor that’s more in keeping with “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Will they be able to balance drama and comedy deftly enough to warrant an hour slot? We’ll see. This might turn into something … might. The idea doesn’t seem stale. …

After a few episodes, I’ve given up on watching “Battle Creek.” It’s fine, but there’s not enough sizzle to warrant watching it on a consistent basis.

Verdict: OK

About: (Source: battlecreek)

BATTLE CREEK stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters in a drama about two mismatched law enforcement officers whose polar opposite views of the world and crime-solving breed frustration, disdain, humor and possibly a grudging respect as they clean up the hardscrabble streets of Battle Creek, Mich. Det. Russ Agnew, a good but gruff, hard-boiled detective, has his world upended when strikingly handsome, charismatic Special Agent Milton Chamberlain opens an FBI field office at the police station and chooses Russ to be his partner. Milt’s polished sophistication and access to unlimited state-of-the-art equipment is impressive to his new co-workers in the absurdly underfunded department. As Russ and Milt work long hours together in the economically distressed city of Battle Creek, the question is: will it be Milt’s charm and endless supply of high-end resources or Russ’s old-fashioned cynicism, guile and deception that prove to be the keys to catching the bad guys in his beloved hometown? Janet McTeer, Kal Penn, Edward Fordham, Jr. and Aubrey Dollar also star.