I am – Hercules!! It’s fantasy-drama, from writer Paul Zbyszewski (“After the Sunset”), about a cop in hot water who relives the same day over and over. It’s kinda like “Tru Calling,” only with handsome Taye Diggs instead of pretty Eliza Dushku. ABC is using it from now till February to ensure we won’t have to endure any third-season “Lost” repeats. Diggs is a great-looking bore, his time-hopping character no Hiro. This two-hour pilot also seems really lengthy, with lots of fighting and gunplay, little wit and no real tension, the latter deficiency owing to the ever-looming reset button. But what matters Herc’s opinion? TV Guide says:

… the season's silliest new action-fantasy-adventure. Diggs labors heroically but humorlessly amid the flashy mayhem …

Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B-minus” and says:

… has a nifty hook … It's not until the Nov. 22 episode that Day Break stops setting up its premise (with much wheezing and groaning) and starts having fun with it. That's when Diggs lands some lighter scenes — even action heroes can enjoy flashes of humor — and really starts displaying the leading-man charm that kept Kevin Hill afloat …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… It may not be blessed with the most felicitous dialogue of all time, but “Day Break” is a solidly constructed and fast-paced drama … The bottom line is, “Day Break” will require those who watch it to pay close attention. Whether the public will be willing to do so is an open question. Many viewers feel burned by networks that have pulled new series, including serials millions of viewers were committed to, with alarming speed. Still, if one wants to take a chance on a serial, “Day Break” offers an intriguing concept, an attractive leading man and a reasonably enjoyable thriller. It’s not “Lost,” and it’s certainly no “24” - its closest dramatic cousin - but it might tide viewers over until those series return.

The Washington Post says:

… while a great deal of thought and craftsmanship has gone into "Day Break," it can be recommended only to the most stouthearted of viewers -- and, of course, to those who find Diggs worth watching whether he's running from bad guys or balancing a peanut on his nose … This is clearly not the kind of show in which to seek merry escape from the troubles and frustrations of the day, but those with the patience to see it through may find in "Day Break" unusually unnerving and mind-boggling terror. Whether you're enticed or repulsed will depend on how often and how violently you like having your mind boggled.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says:

… "Day Break" is an intricate, imaginative series designed to make you ask questions at every turn, but the killer will be, "What else is on?" The original take on the old-fashioned murder mystery is interesting, but throwing an enormous, tight knot of speculations into our laps may be too much to ask right now. Even if you work to keep up with it, who knows if the payoff will be worthwhile?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… Diggs is immensely likable as a TV star, and I'm sure someday he'll find the right vehicle, but "Day Break" is another TV show that seems like it would work better as a one-shot movie like the upcoming Denzel Washington repeat-the-day thriller "Deja Vu." …

The San Jose Mercury News says:

… fairly quickly, ``Day Break'' goes all ``X-Files'' on the audience and doesn't do it very well. (One key scene takes place in what looks like a leftover ``X-Files'' set and several key ``X-Files'' players -- Adam Baldwin, Mitch Pileggi -- turn up in supporting roles.) And Hopper's day becomes pretty boring after a while …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… Although it uses elements from "The Fugitive," "24" and "Groundhog Day," "Day Break" looks and feels like an original. Better than that, it's a one-of-a-kind thriller that rewards your attention with nonstop action, endless surprises, exciting cinematography and a great assortment of characters.…

Variety says:

… There's a fine line between mysterious and just plain mystifying, and "Day Break" lurches over it. A taut thriller that weds "24" with "Groundhog Day," the series' rules are too murky for its own good, leaving behind a handsome, fast-paced hour that (three episodes in, anyway) still doesn't make a lick of sense. … The nagging question I keep repeating, however, is whether viewers will be drawn into the mystery or be put off by seeing variations on the same scenes over and over, at which point it might dawn on them they can escape Hopper's recurring nightmare at any moment with a flick of the remote control.

9 p.m. Wednesday. ABC.

What book about Stanley Kubrick could possibly be worth $200? How about The Stanley Kubrick Archives??