A new drama from writer-producer Soo Hugh (“The River,” “Under The Dome”), “The Whispers” is based on the Ray Bradbury short story “Zero Hour” and stars Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) as an FBI agent looking into a series of violent mishaps linked to children with an imaginary friend named Drill.
(Confusingly, Hugh also wrote for the ABC’s 2013 series “Zero Hour,” which had nothing to do with the Bradbury story.)
Steven Spielberg (“Falling Skies,” “Under The Dome,” “Extant,” “Red Band Society,” “Smash,” “The River,” “Terra Nova”) is billed as an executive producer.
The cast also features Dee Wallace (who dealt with kids and an unusual playmate in “E.T.”) and Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes,” “Gotham”) as a man without memory.
... ABC has a house style, and this workmanlike execution of that style pretty much derails this drama. …
... None of this narrative padding is especially gripping, and some of it borders on dull, but the quality of the construction is above average. The show was created by Soo Hugh, who was a writer and producer on “Under the Dome,” and in the early going it’s scarier and more credible than that CBS summer series …
... fine summer fun …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... had the potential to be an intriguing, supernatural soap, but by episode two, it proves itself to be one of those series where the audience is, frustratingly, frequently one step ahead of the characters. That's not fun; it's boring, which is the last thing a supernatural thriller should be. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... has all the right pieces working together to make a decent show. It becomes slightly over-plotted by the third episode, but nothing that significantly diminishes its power to hold our interest. …
… B+ ... looks to be the kind of thriller we’ll be talking about all summer. …
... there’s enough at work here to keep viewers wondering what Drill’s endgame might be for all his friends. …
... risks letting viewers get too far ahead of the story. The larger problem, however, is endemic to many such sprawling conspiracy series: At a certain point, you begin to wonder whether Drill isn't going the long way around with a plan that seems unnecessarily complicated given the powers he seems to possess. Watching this invisible, unheard being manipulate children is unsettling, to be sure — but it also becomes perplexing, bordering on silly, in ways that writer Soo Hugh can't possibly intend. …
... It’s always advisable to keep one foot on the floor with such programs — two other Spielberg-produced series, CBS’ “Extant” and “Under the Dome,” offer reminders of that wisdom — but “The Whispers” has a polished feel, enough twists, and moves just well enough to steadily build on its central mystery. So for now, anyway, even if the kids aren’t all right, the show is. …
10 p.m. Monday. ABC.
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