TV REVIEWS : ‘Grace’ Thick on Sunsets, Thin on Plots

As a private-eye series with a light touch, “Charlie Grace” is hardly amazing. And it may lack the 8 p.m. lead-in strength to earn the rest of ABC’s all-new Thursday night of hour dramas--”The Monroes” and “Murder One” are its companion series--the audience it deserves.

Yet “Charlie Grace” is an hour with a high comfort level. For one thing, it may be prime time’s best-looking series. The Southern California sun always seems to be setting on Charlie, literally--painting the screen in golden yellows and burnt oranges. For another, Charlie (Mark Harmon) is tough yet likable, packing a mean punch along with a sneaky sense of humor. “There’s Thatcher enjoying his pool,” he remarks about a floating corpse in Episode 2.

Charlie is a divorced father of a 12-year-old daughter (whom he adores) and a former cop who was drummed from the force after busting some of his fellow officers for corruption. His home is on the beach, his office is in a pool hall and his best friend and frequent employer is--in cop talk--a “chick lawyer.” Tonight, she gets him a paying gig with a famous movie actress who hopes to research a role by hanging around a shamus.

A private eye and beautiful babes? What could be better, except a private eye and beautiful babes and a compelling story? Clearly, the “Charlie Grace” ambience and protagonist are expected to prevail over the “Charlie Grace” plots, which are thin: We begin with Charlie being suspected of bumping off an ex-con who swore he’d get Charlie for putting him away. And next week, it’s Charlie’s former wife--and still good friend--who’s charged with murder.

The ambience works, but the protagonist suffers because of the underplaying Harmon’s low intensity. That is, he’s passable but doesn’t quite have the inner oomph to bring off and keep you interested in a character who is the center of this universe.

“Charlie Grace” is a nice show, but not an arresting one.

Ah, but those sunsets.

* “Charlie Grace” premieres at 8 tonight on ABC (Channels 7, 3 and 42).