“Mental” – new Fox show premiering May 26, 9:00pm-10:00pm

I just finished watching the first two episodes of “Mental” which take place in a psychiatric department of a Los Angeles hospital. Dr. Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance) has just arrived for his first day as Director of Psychiatric Services at Wharton Memorial Hospital. Right from the beginning you realize he has a very unorthodox way of treating patients, and he’ll have to win the trust of the rest of staff, some of whom thought they should have gotten his job. He’s an outsider, and the long-time staff members aren’t that pleased with his presence. But even though his approach to patients is very curious and quirky, you soon realize he’s very effective in getting good results.

This reminds me a little of “Lie to Me,” another new Fox show which I like. Both of the lead men are quirky and very intelligent. I like that in a man whether it’s on television or in real life. I think I see more men like that on TV than I do in my everyday life which I find sort of sad. The hospital staff members all have their own problems and they come to light very quickly. There will be sex in store rooms, marriages will most likely break up – just the usual goings on you find at every hospital.

The hospital administrator Nora Skoff (Annabella Sciorra) apparently had an affair with Gallagher in the past which I’m sure will be brought up during the series. Gallagher is also trying to find his mentally ill sister whom he believes is living on the streets of Los Angeles. She keeps calling him and hanging up. This all sounds like enough drama to keep the show going for a while. I hope so because I really liked what I saw.

So I highly recommend “Mental.”