Imagine you are going about your day as usual, and suddenly you - and everyone else in the entire world - black out for two minutes and seventeen seconds. Furthermore, each and every one of you experiences vivid premonitions of the future. This is the basis for the new television series “Flash Forward,” starring Joseph Fiennes, Jack Davenport, and John Cho, among others. While the premise is absolutely riveting, the pilot episode lacks the sophistication that could have made it great. Heavy reliance on special effects paired with the overly dramatic slow-motion scenes make for a cheesy beginning. However, as the episode continues, it slowly begins to redeem itself. The introduction of potential conspirators, as well as the inter-personal drama between main characters helps to create an episode that truly speaks to its viewers and draws them in.

Mark Benford, played by Joseph Fiennes (“Running With Scissors”), is an FBI agent who is happily married to Dr. Olivia Benford (“LOST”), but is struggling to come to terms with his past alcoholism. In his vision, he ends up investigating the blackout and its effects, which sets up the focus of the next episode.

His partner Demetri Noh (John Cho “Star Trek”), is about to tie the knot with his long-time girlfriend, but has issues with some of the wedding plans. After the blackout, he has to reconcile his former concerns with his new desire to maintain some semblance of normalcy - and, as the audience finds out, his concerns run deeper than simply remaining in the relationship.

Lending a different perspective to the incident, Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton, “Bones”) is Dr. Benford’s assistant who shows up late to work the day of the blackout. The reason for this, and for his previous absences, was because he was planning on killing himself - he had been feeling depressed and suicidal for a long time. For him, the vision was a gift; he saw a future for himself, and in that instant, realized his own worth as a human being.

The overall idea behind this series is original and interesting, but the execution of the first episode leaves much to be desired. Fiennes, for one, gives a stilted and overly serious performance, detracting from the other actors’ contributions. In contrast, the acting of Cho in the very last scene steals the show with his sincerity and earnestness. Despite the melodramatic effects and occasional poor acting, “Flash Forward” manages to keep its viewers entertained - at least enough to tune in again for the second episode.

“Flash Forward” airs on Thursdays at 9/8 C on ABC