By Frances Grant
A hand-held voice polygraph is just one gadget in the arsenal of gee-whiz-techno-detection devices used by the glamorous private investigators in Snoops (TV2, 8.30 pm).
But no sophisticated electronic gizmos are necessary to pick up the wavering pulse rate of this show, brainchild of American drama king David E. Kelley, creator of Ally McBeal and The Practice.
On the surface, Snoops could almost be seen as an apology for giving the world the whiny, distinctly anti-feminist Ally, forever moping and hoping to get married.
This show stars powerful women who run their own show and play as tough as the boys - when they're not sparring with each other.
The volatile and testy Glenn (Gina Gershon), owner of the business, is a bit of a rebel.
Paula Marshall (Cupid) plays her sidekick and foil, Dana - gosh, that's a generic telly name for female agents with cool and considered personal-ities.
But while the women run their own show (the firm does have one token male employee, Manny the "shakedown and surveillance" expert), Snoops still comes across as an update of Charlie's Angels.
It's hard to get past the babelicious pouts and the hair. Gershon, in parti-cular - a graduate, it seems, of the Demi Moore school of half-open-mouthed acting - is all lips, flowing locks and hip-hugging trousers.
Gershon's famous lips are, of course, treated to some post-modern irony. In last week's episode the show indulged in one of those tiresome crossovers of Kelley shows.
"I'd love to get hold of your collagen man, your lips are fabulous," Jane Krakowski (who plays slutty secretary Elaine in Ally McBeal) told Glenn.
Krakowski was making a guest appearance as herself, being interviewed on a television chat show about her Ally McBeal character.
"By the way, I hate your stupid show," Glenn retaliated.
If only the script-writers had gone the whole hog, seeing as Kelley was obviously up for taking the mickey out of his own shows. Krakowski could have turned round and pointed out Snoops' failings.
While the show is refreshingly free of Kelley's trademark overworked quirkiness, it is also free of intriguing storylines or interesting characters.
There's nothing to match the professional dilemmas of the lawyers in The Practice or the outrageous lawsuits which are the saving grace of Ally McBeal.
Far more attention appears to have been lavished on the lighting and props and such as the characters' range of sunglasses than has been focused on the script.
Kelley is quoted in publicity mat-erial saying he wanted to create a show "where the good guys do the fun stuff normally reserved for the bad guys."
The Snoops agents look to have plenty of fun, using their high-tech wizardry for bugging, breaking and entering. But unfortunately, for all the street-wise attitude, Glenn is saintly at heart.
Which means action gives way, as in last week's episode, to extended bouts of Glenn asserting her moral superiority over private investigators who, unlike herself, use their skills to nefarious ends.
Glenn may play a little dirty but only to help out the right and the just. No wonder the offices of Glenn Hall Inc are so bright and shiny and clean.
TV: Hard to get past lips and locks
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