‘Limitless’ Review: Bradley Cooper Spin-Off Is Ridiculous and Charming

Jake McDorman brings style as the lead of new CBS drama

Jake McDorman stars in the new drama LIMITLESS, a new fast-paced drama about Brian Finch (McDorman), who discovers the brain-boosting power of the mysterious drug NZT, and is coerced by the FBI into using his extraordinary cognitive abilities to solve complex cases for them. Based on the feature film. The series premieres Tuesday, Sept. 22 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Best Possible Screen Grab©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Much like the 2011 film that inspired it, “Limitless” gets by thanks to the brash combination of a clever premise and a cheeky acknowledgment of its own pulp ludicrousness. The worry is that this CBS drama, toplined by Jake McDorman (“Shameless”), will grow far more conventional after its engaging pilot, turning from a quirky character piece into a standard detective show. But for one episode anyway, “Limitless’s” potential seems … well, hardly limitless, but perhaps promising.

Familiarity with the original film, a thriller that starred Bradley Cooper as an underachieving writer whose life is upended after he takes a black-market, brain-boosting drug, helps but is hardly necessary.

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