There’s something odd about John Amsterdam, and it’s not just his elegant manners and old-world charm.
The New York homicide detective, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, has more secrets than the Oceanic Six.
Of course, by now you’re accustomed to TV heroes with strange secrets. But this Amsterdam fellow is different.
He’s not a vampire like Alex O’Laughlin’s Mick on “Moonlight,” and he’s not a time-traveler like Kevin McKidd on the short-lived “Journeyman.”
He’s not an ex-con like Damian Lewis on “Life” or a reviver of the dead, like Lee Pace’s Ned the pie-maker on “Pushing Daisies.”
Not bionic, not an accidental super-spy like “Chuck,” and not ragged and contemporary like the brothers on “Supernatural.”
But like all of these protagonists — the canceled and the ongoing — he represents some yearning in the popular culture. Ever since “Heroes,” we’ve been awash in unwittingly superpowered folks who are isolated in their secret knowledge of the special dangers of modern life.
In Amsterdam’s case, the personal quirk is immortality. And you think you feel alienated at parties.
“New Amsterdam” debuts next Tuesday on Fox (locally at 8 p.m. on KDVR-Channel 31). A second preview hour airs March 6 following “American Idol.” The series then moves to Mondays, locally at 8 p.m.
The network believes in this hour enough to give it the post-“Idol” push that will expose it to more millions of viewers than ever got a glimpse of many of those other heroes with secrets.
Amsterdam wasn’t looking for immortality. He is, like so many others, a reluctant hero.
Seems he saved a Native American girl back in 1642 in the colony of New Amsterdam when, as a young Dutch soldier, he stepped in front of a sword, sparing her life during a massacre of her tribe. In return, the girl cast a spell that conferred immortality on John. He’s going on 400 but doesn’t look a day over 30.
When he reveals uncanny knowledge of the city’s past, people assume he’s some kind of history buff.
Turns out the spell cast on him means he won’t age and cannot die until he finds his true love. So he spends his days on the modern streets of New York, like so many other Manhattan singles, searching for his special someone.
What is it about our culture that has prompted so many otherworldly, supernatural, superpowered and time-traveling characters to converge on the small screen at the moment? With a war on, the presidency up for grabs, the gap between haves and have-nots greater than its ever been and the planet in a precarious position, we deserve fictional superheroes. Immortal, at the very least.
First newspapers, next TV?
A report in The Wall Street Journal ponders how the growth of online advertising opportunities may affect commercial television. Now that online videos are drawing serious numbers of viewers to sites like YouTube, what impact will that have on TV ratings?
“Americans watched more than 300 million videos on Google’s YouTube in December alone,” the Journal notes. The amount of time spent watching video online grew by more than a third last year.
Google’s stated goal of wringing advertising revenue out of online video “could eventually cause broadcasters a lot of pain.”
How much, how soon?
Nobody has yet figured out how to make money from online videos. A large consortium of newspaper companies, including MediaNews (parent of The Denver Post), has a deal with Yahoo, aimed at resolving how newspapers will address the online future.
“Friday Night Lights”
Don’t give up on NBC’s terrific but low-rated “Friday Night Lights.” According to Variety, NBC Universal has approached The CW, TNT and the owner of E! and G4, about sharing a possible third season of “FNL” — similar to the way NBC shares “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” with USA, although it would go outside the NBC Universal family. The hour averaged about 6.2 million viewers per week over its 15 episodes this season — up about 250,000 viewers compared with last season.
Joanne Ostrow’s column appears Tuesday, Friday and Sunday: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
