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Sep 23, 2011 Web Exclusive By Lily Moayeri

The cornily titled A Gifted Man is CBS' take on House, with athleticism replacing the limp. Dr. Michael Holt (Watchmen's Patrick Wilson, a second-hand Paul Newman) is a scowling jackass to his coworkers and brusque but thorough with his patients. Working from a clinic that looks like a five-star hotel with similarly moneyed patients, Dr. Holt has a beyond-the-grave visit from his deceased ex-wife, Dr. Anna Paul (Jennifer Ehle). Anna brings his attention to the free clinic she was running. Encouraged by his flighty, single mom sister, Christina (Julie Benz), who is intent on showing her bras off as much as possible, Holt listens to Anna's requests, although they, and the concept of communicating with a dead spirit go far past his pragmatic nature. Finding room in his life to care for both the wealthy and the needy, Dr. Holt brings some humanity to his practice, something his scene-stealing assistant Rita (Margo Martindale) has been trying to do for a long while.

Predictably, much like the pilot, each episode will probably have at least one good-looking rich patient with a heart-tugging ailment and at least one not-so-good-looking but very piteous indigent patient with an even more heart-tugging ailment. And every time Dr. Holt will try to fob off the latter to another doctor, but will end up helping both of them and everyone will be healed because after all, he is "a gifted man." This is the kind of show that pretends to be serialized, but is really episodic. If you are in the mood for a weekly dose of forced do-gooder-ness by a really hot doctor who has a direct connection to immortality, check in with Dr. Holt. (www.cbs.com/shows/a_gifted_man)

Author rating: 5/10