Eureka is One Smart Show

When the Sci-Fi Channel debuted in the early 1990's, it originally acted as a repository for some late, great science fiction television series and movies, including "The Time Tunnel" and Rod Serling's definitive anthology "The Twilight Zone."

Though classic science fiction still makes up a good portion of the programming schedule, the channel found its niche in recent years with innovative, original programming such as a revised version of "Battlestar Galactica," the latest incarnation of "Dr. Who" and "Eureka," an intelligent series about smart people who sometimes do really dumb things.

"Eureka" is based on the premise that following World War II, Albert Einstein advised President Harry Truman that humanity's future lay in the hands of scientists. Heeding Einstein's words, the government then created Eureka, a quaint little town in the Pacific Northwest. On the surface, Eureka looks like a place where Andy Taylor and Opie would feel at home, but appearances are deceiving since nearly every resident is a certified genius in at least one scientific discipline. The government expects the residents to produce cutting-edge weapons and medical advances, but very often, all they create are explosions and disaster, which explains the town's higher-than-normal mortality rate.

Into this sprawling think tank comes Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a U.S. Federal Marshall who's escorting his rebellious daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) back home to his estranged wife's house. Carter's car accidentally gets caught in an experiment gone haywire and he becomes an unwilling guest of Eureka for the next few days.

Though many residents treat the newcomer like the village idiot, Carter is pretty savvy and street smart, even solving a couple of mysteries while he's in town. Carter impresses the current sheriff so much with his deductive abilities that after he retires,the outgoing sheriff recommends Carter as his replacement in Eureka.