TV REVIEW : In ‘Sirens,’ High-Concept Cops Founder on the Rocks

That’s “Sirens” as in fabulous babes--vis-a-vis the title of a new syndicated series about female cops--and, of course, “Sirens” as in lights. But will it be “Sirens” as in luring viewers onto the rocks? It’s there, in that third definition, that the high-concept breaks down a bit.

The opening scene lives up (or down) to what you’d expect out of this premise: A gorgeous gal in uniform angrily enters a quizzical hunk’s apartment and announces, “You have the right to take your clothes off,” adding, as she strips down to black lingerie, “Anything you touch can and will be used against you.”

Oh, Miranda!

But, for better or worse, the prurience level flags sharply thereafter. Turns out these are two married cops celebrating their anniversary, and the postcoital mood is shattered mere minutes later when the husband is gunned down on the street, leaving his blond widow, Jessie (Jayne Heitmeyer), to go sleuthing for his assassin, most likely a murderous fellow peace officer.

Along the way, Jessie bonds with Lynn (Adrienne-Joi Johnson) and Molly (Liza Snyder), as we know she will, since the silly opening credits feature these three performing synchronized, model-type moves together. (A fourth female cop, Ellen Cohen, also joins in the camaraderie but isn’t included among the series’ principals.)

But the series isn’t nearly as campy as it promises, or probably needs, to be. Amazingly, this two-part opener (which continues next week) wants to hew closer to “Hill Street Blues” or “Homicide,” what with its hand-held camera work, than to “Charlie’s Angels.”

These aspirations hardly hold up in a story whose mystery villain is telegraphed almost from the start and whose gritty dialogue includes zingers like “Real good--for a woman!” and “Degenerate male-chauvinist pig!” The glam cast does its admirable best to make this credible, but any scripting they touch can and will be used against them.

* “Sirens” premieres at 9 tonight on KCOP-TV Channel 13.