Traveler, ABC Television

Traveler is the first of the summer season shows to make a debut on the ABC network. While I watched it last week because it was after Grey's Anatomy, it looks better than most "fill-in" shows that sub in during the warmer weather.

The show starts with a bang- literally. Three recent Yale graduates, and collegiate house mates embark on a cross country road trip to prolong their adolescence for one more summer before starting their jobs. They drive just a hop away to the Big Apple for the first leg of the journey. While two of them pull off a prank that involves roller blades at a city museum, the third is somehow involved with a deadly explosion. The pranksters are on surveillance video, and presumed to be in on the plot as accomplices. One of the graduates is a lawyer, and he computes that there is zero chance of a fair trial, and decides to go on the run. The bomber, who studied chemical engineering, is suggested to be dead, although I have my doubts.

The show adds depth to the characters by showing flashbacks to their time at Yale. After all, these two roomed with the bomber for two years, but how well did they really know him? The on the run in a conspiracy against them aspect of Traveler reminds me of CBS' cancelled The Fugitive, and more recently, FOX's Prison Break.

For those tired of remade reality shows this summer, Traveler is a drama of quality. While waiting for the postman to bring your next Netflix video, check it out Wednesday's at 10 PM EST. It returns on May 30th, but if you missed the debut episode, you can catch up online here.

Overall Grade: B+