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A predictable and disappointing hospital hourlong from John Masius, who wrote for “St. Elsewhere” (the best hospital hourlong of all time, if you’re asking me), Richmond, Va.-set “HawthoRNe” stars fabulous Jada Pinkett Smith (of the “Matrix” sequels) as caring chief nursing officer, single mother and new widow Christina Hawthorne. Michael Vartan, a long way from “Alias,” plays her doctor boss.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Smith is now (get this) only the third African-American woman to play the lead on a weekly American primetime drama, after Jill Scott in HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" (2009) and Teresa Graves in ABC’s "Get Christie Love!" (1974). Wow!

“Hawthorne” turns out to be nowhere near as fun or funny as “St. Elsewhere.”

Smith remains plenty minx-like, but I hated (SPOILERS AHEAD):

1) Christina’s made-for-TV conversations with her dead husband;

2) how nice Christina is to the batshit homeless lady who repeatedly assaults her (that homeless lady, candidly, needs incarceration; she is a menace to herself and others); and

3) the subplot with the uncaring doctor and the insulin overdose (if the nurse was so sure he had the wrong dosage, he should have awoken the sleeping intern or consulted with a more senior doctor or nurse).

Oh, I was also very concerned that Christina’s episode-punctuating Asian balloon was going to set her neighborhood on fire.

On the upside, the girl who plays Christina’s daughter, Hannah Hodson, is almost as cute as her TV mom.

Entertainment Weekly gives it an “C” and says:

… the results here are mostly mawkish and predictable …

The New York Times says:

… The writing is a bit stilted and predictable, but the show is not unbearable — there are some amusing supporting actors and the occasional engrossing medical crisis. As a character study, however, “HawthoRNe” is weighed down in the pursuit of worthIness.

The Los Angeles Times says:

… Everyone working so hard, everyone talented and professional and doing their very best to make this a terrific television show, and it just isn't.

The Washington Post says:

… drudgery that once or twice borders on torture … a show in need of emergency care rather than one offering fast-fast-fast relief.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… Fans of subtlety are advised to steer clear of this show. But viewers who prefer uncomplicated, pabulum-like TV could find worse programs on TV this summer -- and already have (e.g. NBC's "The Listener"). As uninspired as "Hawthorne" may be, it's still better than TNT's last medical drama, the Pittsburgh-set "Heartland." The "Hawthorne" pilot, directed by Mikael Solomon, moves like a freight train from the start and sustains a decent pace throughout. And "Hawthorne" shows potential for character development among the show's supporting players.…

The Boston Herald says:

… It’s a mess …

The Boston Globe says:

… If there were some complexity afoot in the writing, perhaps she could hint at hidden, less unnervingly calm parts of Christina's character that will emerge later. But "HawthoRNe" seems bent on being reverential, complete with musical montages meant to break our hearts. It's not awful, by any means, just too good to be true.

Variety says:

… administers to a pretty generic formula … Despite some potentially intriguing characters, about the best one can scribble on "Hawthorne's" chart is that it's an improvement over TNT's earlier forays into medicine, "Heartland" and "Saved." …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… a fairly standard hospital drama … On the one hand, it is nice to see one of TNT's ladies not weighed down with vices (Hawthorne's worst problem is insomnia), but barring some serious shocks to the system, this patient is not going to live long. For now, it does at least have an etherlike quality: It'll lull you into thinking you've watched some far better, far more intriguing drama. And then you'll go quietly to sleep.

9 p.m. Tuesday. TNT.

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