Simon Baker's back; 'Opportunity' for more reality

This summer at press tour, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler said fan fervor for the canceled "Moonlight" was more actor-centric than show-centric, meaning that fans were ga-ga for star Alex O'Loughlin more than the series itself.

That means the return of Simon Baker as a series lead in CBS's "The Mentalist" (9 tonight. KDKA) will be an interesting test case. Did Pittsburghers, who watched Baker's CBS drama "The Guardian" in a far greater concentration than the rest of the country, tune in for the show or Baker himself?

Ultimately, it may not matter. In "The Mentalist," Baker is all smiles as a police investigator who once feigned psychic abilities. Granted, he has his moments of woe (flashbacks to when his wife and child were murdered), but he's an easier to like character than Nick Fallin of "The Guardian." That fact alone could make "The Mentalist" a much easier sell.

It's a procedural with some character elements but the plot is king. Tonight's premiere introduces the premise in a neat, easy-to-follow way. Baker's charm should keep some viewers tuned in for the hour, although I'll admit both times I watched it I found myself drifting away mid-way through. I'm not sure if that's a comment on the show or my own ADD tendencies.

Overall, I came away from "The Mentalist" impressed. It's not groundbreaking TV, but the pilot does a good job of introducing the characters, their relationships, their potential relationships. Baker's Patrick Jane routinely butts heads with no-nonsense California Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and he makes goo-goo eyes at rookie Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti).

My one concern about "The Mentalist" is the show's tonal shifts, which are a bit jarring. The premiere begins with a murder investigation, segues into Jane being weird and quirky and then in the midst of that there's another murder. It's a slightly odd mix but one that could ultimately help distinguish the series if it doesn't turn viewers off.

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ABC's "Opportunity Knocks" (8 tonight, WTAE) is essentially a less mean, nasty and humiliating version of Fox's "Moment of Truth."

A game show unloads on the front lawn of the family competing. Producers snoop through their home and interview their relatives, neighbors and friends. Then host J.D. Roth asks family members questions about one another. If they get them right, they win cash (up to $250,000) and prizes.

One question in tonight's premiere: A younger brother has to pick out his older brother's hair product by sniffing four different heads while blindfolded.

His sister has to guess which of her friends her brother has a crush on.

Dad has to identify his bedspread from a pile of bedspreads in 30 seconds.

It's a cute, generally uplifting concept but I'm not sure it will work. This isn't like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" where the families are in dire need. In tonight's premiere, dad is an aerospace engineer. And without the salacious, "Moment of Truth" factor, there's really no rubbernecking reason to tune in.