I am – Hercules!! After “Studio 60,” “Kidnapped” is my favorite new show of the season. A superrich and well-insulated Manhattan family finds itself torn in all sorts of directions when its teen son (Leopold Caine!) is abducted by a murderous individual who really knows what the fuck he’s doing Writer-producer Jason Smilovic, who masterminded “Karen Sisco” (ABC’s way-too-good-for-TV TV version of Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight”) shepherds “Kidnapped” as well. The new series stars Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under"), Delroy Lindo ("Get Shorty"), Dana Delany ("China Beach"), Timothy Hutton ("Beautiful Girls"), Mykelti Williamson ("Boomtown"), Linus Roache ("Batman Begins"), Carmen Ejogo ("Lackawanna Blues"), Will Denton ("Palindromes") and Boris McGiver ("The Pink Panther"). And Mamet regular Ricky Jay! You know right away you’re in good hands as you notice the lack of pride world-weary Massive Private Bodyguard Virgil Hayes takes in correcting the elevator operator on a species of flora being transported. “We don’t discuss Virgil with guests,” Delany’s character reminds her preteen daughter (in French) as a “Times” writer lurks nearby. (If you’re a fan of Jack Bristow or Jack Bauer or Aaron Pierce, there’s an excellent chance you’re going to be way into Virgil Hayes. And I’m not even sure Virgil survives the pilot.) Jeremy Sisto (Brenda’s incestuous love interest from “Six Feet Under”) plays a character so badass he’s charged with cleaning up Virgil’s mess. He has a very kissable British partner who does not get kissed in the pilot. Delroy Lindo demonstrates all manner of heretofore unnoticed nuance as an FBI shark. Hutton kicks in some of the “Ordinary People” gravitas he pioneered more than a quarter century ago. Dana Delany is incredible, and today defines “milftastico.” But what matters Herc’s opinion? The Los Angeles Times says:

… There's also "Vanished," a similarly themed new series on Fox involving the disappearance of a senator's wife, but "Kidnapped" is easily better. … There's well-worn convention in the cat-and-mouse between Knapp, the eccentric hired gun, and King, representing the feds, but the acting here makes you forgive it. It's not just the stars, either; "Kidnapped," shot in New York, has the feel of a "Law & Order" or "Sopranos," with roles that might otherwise be filler going to performers who, in their little scenes, convey pathos (i.e. Michael Mosley, playing a newbie agent). In a show like this, at a time like this, the story, the "trust no one" foreshadowing, is ultimately the star. But "Kidnapped" collaborators Jason Smilovic, the creator, and Michael Dinner, executive producer-director, tip you off that they're also looking for character. It's in details — the way, for instance, the Cain family conveys its class status by speaking French to one another when a stranger is present. As things pick up speed in the second hour (Day 3, in the timeline of the kidnapping) and build to the kind of standoff that will inevitably punctuate each episode, there is a scene in a bar involving Sisto, Lindo and Mosley, the two vets praising the rookie for his action in the field that day. It's actually a scene about the giving of mutual support, and it doesn't come off as hokum. "To our ships at sea," Knapp says, raising his whiskey, as the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" plays. There is action all over the place in "Kidnapped," but it's a scene like this — quieter and even refined — that conveys the sense that you're in capable hands.

The Washington Post says:

… "Sometimes, the world doesn't make sense," says a philosophical bodyguard named Virgil in tonight's premiere of NBC's "Kidnapped." Virgil has not only made the understatement of the week, but he's also helped set the tone for this superior, high-tension serialized drama about the proverbial "parent's worst nightmare" -- and how it affects not just the parents but everyone involved. … Writer and executive producer Jason Smilovic, ably abetted by director Michael Dinner, crams the premiere with so many provocative complications that even a doubting Thomas can see how a drama about a single kidnapping -- wrapped up handily in such self-contained, two-hour movies as "Ransom" -- could sustain viewer interest over an entire season. … "Kidnapped" isn't the show to watch if you want your mind taken off your troubles (unless other people's troubles have a therapeutic effect). It reflects a trend toward the grim and even ghoulish in new fall dramas. But for what it is, it's an extremely accomplished piece of work -- unsettling in ways that few suspense thrillers manage to be.

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Several new dramas, including the apocalyptic "Jericho" and hostage drama "The Nine," attempt to mine entertainment from terrifying scenarios, but none does it with more style and panache than "Kidnapped." Thanks to a top-notch cast and unusually intelligent writing, "Kidnapped" is among the more promising of many new shows that pay homage to the granddaddy of the current suspense boom, "24." …

Newsday says:

… Here are the three basic things you need to know about NBC's "Kidnapped": First, it's effective. Second, it's a serial. And third, but not least, Jeremy Sisto is the crusty, sour, dangerous and hairy (casually and coolly unkempt) Knapp. … Yes, there have been some valid questions about TV's recent embrace of the serial. (Too many? Will people stay tuned?) "Kidnapped" feels so fresh that viewers won't even care.

Entertainment Weekly gives a “B” and says:

… Consider the cast: Timothy Hutton, Dana Delany, Jeremy Sisto (pictured with Carmen Ejogo), and Delroy Lindo. No quartet is better suited to elevate this sleek drama beyond its generic debut.…

USA Today says:

… It's a shame miniseries are out of favor, because producers certainly have some great ideas for them. Take Kidnapped, a heavily serialized, 24-inspired drama that will spend the season following the kidnapping of the teen son of a wealthy family. Sure, the plot has been used before by a million movies, but a strong cast compensates: Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany as the concerned parents; Delroy Lindo as an FBI agent pulled back from the brink of retirement; and Jeremy Sisto as the brooding special investigator called in by the parents. Factor in a solid lineup of producers, including Karen Sisco's Jason Smilovic and Michael Dinner and Angel's David Greenwalt, and you can easily imagine yourself settling in with Kidnapped for six, eight, maybe even 13 episodes. But 22? Sorry, no.…

Variety says:

… Dour and dark, this isn't even the only serialized missing-person show of the season, and Fox's disappointing "Vanished" enjoyed a headstart. Still, a high-octane cast brings some promise to the show … No one is going to win any points for originality here, including a money-drop sequence cobbled together from every kidnapping scenario ever filmed. Initially, though, the fine performers, keyed by Lindo and Delaney, coupled with Michael Dinner's taut direction, at least keep matters moving, and the Cains' family secrets could be intriguing, with the disclaimer that they had better get there fast. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… Interestingly, "Kidnapped," like its namesake novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, forgoes most of the easy emotional exploitation inherent in the crime and concentrates on a superbly constructed and unpredictable tale of intrigue and mystery. Even the young victim doesn't sit around, bound and gagged, begging for sympathy. He is, instead, a bright adolescent keenly alert to any possibility of escape. All of this, plus one of TV's finest casts, makes "Kidnapped" one of the best of the new crop of serialized dramas. … Jason Smilovic has written an engaging mystery filled with fascinating characters. Sisto brings his trademark intensity to the role of Knapp, a dogged investigator who says a lot with very few words. Lindo is equally heroic, though slightly more detached. When they are in the same scene, which happens regularly, the testosterone approaches flood levels.

10 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.

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