Early Edition

 (Pilot -- CBS; Sat. Sept. 28, 9 p.m.)

By TONY SCOTT

Filmed in Chicago by CBS Prods. and TriStar TV. Executive producers, Bob Brush, Michael Dinner, Lillah McCarthy; co-executive producers, Ian Abrams, Richard Heus; director, Michael Dinner; writers, Brush, Abrams; creators, Patrick Q. Page, Vik Rubenfeld, Abrams; developer, Brush.
 
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Fisher Stevens, Shanesia Davis, Milo O'Shea, Ron Dean, Felicity Huffman, Marc Vann, Tom Noonan.
 

Fantasy blows into Chicago as stockbroker Gary Hobson (Kyle Chandler) starts when a cat starts delivering tomorrow's Chi Sun-Times to him today. Series has all-is-possible written all over it, but suspense and a long life don't seem to be in the cards.

Directed in pedestrian fashion by Michael Dinner, program depends mightily on Chandler, who so far's not exactly electric, and on good stories. Hobson's abetted by serene blind receptionist Marissa (fascinatingly lovely Shanesia Davis) and by his best friend, annoying sidekick Chuck (Fisher Stevens), whose motor's always running.

Bob Brush and Ian Abrams penned the opener, which intros Hobson and his helpful cat. Not knowing what he's supposed to do with this unsolicited newspaper delivery, Hobson asks Marissa what she feels about it. She answers vaguely, "You're supposed to do whatever you can."

Starting to pay attention, he heads off a bank robber (Tom Noonan) readying to kill l0 people because of his woeful story. How Hobson stops the holdup's a stretch. Series' concept is iffy, but good imagination and lots of luck could pull in viewers. Neither has appeared in the pilot. Future, despite tomorrow's Sun-Times, is plenty thin.

Camera, Rene Ohashi; editor, Randy Roberts; sound, Curt Frisk; music, W.G. Snuffy Walden; production designer, Guy Barnes; casting, Steven Jacobs.