Quick Take: BULL on CBS “It’s fine”

bull_michael_weatherly_1Premiering tonight on CBS, BULL (based loosely on the early life of Dr Phil McGraw) tells the story of Dr Jason Bull (Michael Weatherly), a jury consultant who can, in the over-zealous CBS promo dept’s words, “get you off.” In the pilot, he’s brought in to consult when the spoiled rich son of his friend is accused of murdering his girlfriend.  Using his own brand of human facial scanning, plus psychology and some made up lawyer-y sounding mumbo-jumbo, Bull gets his day in court and his chance to sit back while the lawyers use his data to try and free his client.

It’s not going to win any awards, nor is it doing anything that we haven’t seen before. Unlike other new shows this season, however, you won’t feel dumber for having watched. It’s fine – a perfectly benign procedural that could have a nice long life on CBS if the NCIS audiences flock to Tony in droves.