New on TV: Standoff

The Fox plan worked: I hung around after House to watch Standoff, a drama about a pair of hostage negotiators who are partners in more ways than one.

The leads are good - Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt actually have some chemistry together - but the supporting cast is very one-dimensional, from the hard-ass boss to the Hostage Rescue Team leader who has unblinking faith in peace through superior firepower. There's even a Chloe O'Brien knock-off, who is sadly less socially awkward. It doesn't help to have this show on after House, given how it pales in comparison.

I'm not sure how long they can keep up the main conflict in the show - the problems that arise when you're emotionally attached to someone with whom you are supposed to have an objective work relationship - and if the promos are any indication, they may be trying to get around this by blowing a lot of stuff up in future episodes. I'm also not sure if there's enough variety in hostage situations to make for compelling watching each week. But I'll probably stick around, at least for a while.

One review I read said this would be the first drama cancelled this season. Not sure it's that bad, and being on after House should help with ratings (it did last night, as Standoff won its timeslot, though it only retained about 75 percent of the House audience and wasn't up against much). There's some talk that Vanished may be the first to go, which really makes me want to get started on the four episodes I've got on my DVR.