In Journeyman (NBC), a San Francisco reporter finds himself jumping back in time in the Bay Area, presumably to help rewrite history and change people's lives for the better. He also bumps into his deceased ex-fiancée, whom he still pines for. The fact that his trips cost him a day or two in the present is extremely irritating to his wife and his boss. I know I've already used this joke, but, frankly, I liked this concept better when it was called Quantum Leap.

The immortal cop of New Amsterdam (Fox) has been on earth for 400 years, waiting to find his soul mate, at which time he can become mortal. That's a depressing commentary on modern love. While the protagonist is classy, cultured, and a great puzzle solver, he's also too understated for my taste. I liked this concept better when it was more action oriented and called Highlander. (I can't help myself.)

The vampiric PI of Moonlight (CBS) doesn't want to chomp on people's necks to feed, so he makes sure he requisitions his blood supply in other ways. He also wants to help people who have no one else to turn to, as if he's an undead Equalizer. It's kind of cool when a bloodsucker is on our side, but I liked this concept better when it was more goth-friendly and called Forever Knight. (Seriously, someone stop me.)

Out in Left Field
Some shows don't quite fit into an easy category, as is the case with the following two debuts.