Entertainment

The time travelers’ strife

EVERY few years, a new series comes along that hopes to take the age-old time-traveling concept to another level. Sometimes it works (“Quantum Leap“); other times, low ratings claim a promising start (2007’s “Journeyman“).

So whether ABC’s new series, “FlashForward,” will catch on is anyone’s guess. I can tell you, though, that it has a compelling concept and a solid cast — and, more importantly (for its longterm survival), it’s leading into tonight’s season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy,” so it’s likely to get some sampling.

And that’s a good thing, since “FlashForward” is built around this original premise: what if everyone in the world lost consciousness — all at the same time and all for exactly two minutes, 17 seconds? And what if, during their simultaneous blackouts, everyone had visions of their lives on the very same date six months into the future (the “flash forward” of the show’s title)?

“FlashForward” is set in LA, the seeming epicenter of most fictional apocalyptic settings (maybe there’s a reason for that), and early on we’re introduced to the show’s main characters.

There’s FBI agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), a recovering alcoholic married to ER doc Olivia (Sonya Walger); Benford’s partner, Demetri Noh (John Cho), who’s engaged to be married; Benford’s AA sponsor, Aaron Stark (Brian O’Byrne); Stanford Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance), Benford’s no-nonsense FBI boss; and Dr. Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton), a suicidal medical intern who works under Olivia at an LA hospital.

As you can see by these descriptions, all roads lead back to Benford, who’s chasing a suspect with Demetri when, at exactly 11 a.m., they lose consciousness and awaken to find LA in complete chaos and awash in flames. (There’s a shot of the smoldering LA skyline, and a helicopter crashing into a building, both eerily reminiscent of Ground Zero on Sept. 11.)

Benford, and everyone else, soon discovers that the entire world blacked out at exactly the same time — meaning countless deaths from crashing cars, planes (including Air Force Two, carrying the Vice President) and anything else you can think of that was moving at the time. It’s a horrifying concept.

But it’s Benford (of course!) who emerges as “The One” who’ll try to start unraveling this huge blackout/time-traveling puzzle while all hell rages around him. He manages to figure out that everyone’s “flash forward” visions are somehow connected — and that what some people “see” six months into the future isn’t necessarily a good thing (and that goes for our hero, too).

There’s more, but it’s too complicated to explain here and, besides, it would ruin the suspense.

If you’re watching, be sure to pay close attention to the show’s closing minutes unless, of course, you zonk out for the final two minutes, 17 seconds.

If that’s the case, may your “flash forward” be a good one.