KEN PARISH PERKINS: Going On A Wild Ride With Taye Diggs

By Ken Parish Perkins, Chicago Defender
November 17, 2006

My guess is you're already hip to Day Break, the hyperactive Taye Diggs thriller now airing Wednesdays on ABC, where, if you caught this week's bouncy, two-hour premiere, and I suspect you did, you recall a sleepy-eyed, disheveled, but still hottie female awaking in bed, turning to notice her guy - that's Diggs' character as worried detective on the run - looking back at her and purring, "I love you."

This quickie detour of a heart beating underneath our hero's noticeable biceps is significant if only in the continued marketing of Diggs as a heartthrob with a soul, a kind of action figure easy on the eyes, even when those eyes are pointing a gun at your head.

What Diggs does best, whether he's on stage, in TV or in a film, is make nearly every word he delivers count, as though he really, truly, cross-his-heart-hope-to-die means it. We know this emotional bait and switch is commonly referred to as acting. But, to Diggs' talent credit, not everyone with such an illuminating smile can pull it off.

It's this kind of dogged sincerity that keeps Diggs working - well, that and his sex appeal - and why this is his second consecutive series in which he fronts, a rarity for black television actors outside situation comedies. Last we saw Diggs he was playing a single-father lawyer on Kevin Hill, that hybrid of a series (is it a drama? A comedy? What?) which needed, and deserved, more time to develop a direction but wasn't allowed such a luxury.

Few shows are these days, and that's why the landmines set in front of Day Break merit at least a discussion, and much to Diggs' discontent. (More on that in a bit.) The series arrived late, first of all, and has a built-in viewer base those Lost fanatics understandably pissed that their show will be absent for three months.

Secondly, Day Break enters a playing field already crowded with similar serialized, Lost-like, 24-like dramas, the kind of concoctions where you have to actually follow the story line.

Problem is viewers supplied their two cents on serialized dramas in September: there's only so much teasing one can take. Critics might have loved the idea of the broadcast networks growing a backbone and getting all creative with smart dramas like The Nine, Smith, Friday Night Lights, Jericho and Heroes, suspense building TV with the feel of mystery novels.

But it's clear that building it doesn't mean they will come.

Smith is already gone, Friday Night Lights and The Nine are on the way out, and Jericho and Heroes are hanging on.

Day Break is similar in serialized, to-be-continued episodes, and with an added degree of difficulty.

Created by Paul Zbyszewski, Day Break is a kind of Groundhog Day with guns. Each day is played over again for Diggs' Detective Hopper, a cop framed for murder. By living each day he's closer to finding out who framed him, if only by virtue of knowing what they are doing based on the day before. Or the same day of which only he is reliving.

Diggs and the producers are hoping it's not nearly as complicated as it sounds. The season is, for the most part, just one day, played out over a number of episodes. Next season could be three months later. Or six. Much like Jack Bauer of Fox's 24.

As for this season, less is more. Day Break is 13 episodes and out, which means they won't be trying a viewer's patience by stretching the drama to 24 episodes.

"In each episode he's going to figure out another piece of the puzzle, and carry it with him," Zbyszewski promises.

 That poses the question of whether the series can nab viewers who miss the first episode, or the third. Or sixth.

Diggs, clearly annoyed by this sort of negativity, says chill, folks.

"You know, I watched the first two seasons of 24, and then I turned on the TV and it was the fourth season. I watch one episode, and I'm in," he says. "Why am I hooked? I didn't need the beginning of the fourth season to get hooked. The acting, the storyline, whatever it was, it got me hooked. And I think that this show will possess that."

 Only time will tell, Mr. Diggs, and based on the quick-trigger finger of networks these days, there's not a lot of it.