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Runaway

 (Series -- the CW, Mon. Sept. 25, 9 p.m.)

By PHIL GALLO

Wrongly accused Donnie Wahlberg, right, is on the lam with his family, including son Nathan Gamble, in the CW series 'Runaway.'

Filmed in Toronto by Sony Pictures Television, Darren Star Prods. and Golly Inc. Executive producers, Darren Star, Ed Zuckerman; co-executive producers, Chad Hodge, Susie Fitzgerald, Dana Baratta; producers, John E. Pogue, Luke Schelhaas, Abram Hatch, Lynn Raynor; director, Mikael Solomon; writer, Chad Hodge.
 
Paul Rader - Donnie Wahlberg
Lily Rader - Leslie Hope
Henry Rader - Dustin Milligan
Hannah Rader - Sarah Ramos
Tommy Rader - Nathan Gamble
Angela Huntley - Karen LeBlanc
Gina Bennett - Susan Floyd
 

"Runaway" introduces a new type of crime family to TV drama: A fugitive, his wife and his offspring set up a new home thousands of miles away from where Dad was framed for murder. They're trying to go about their business in a stealth fashion and committing various acts of dishonesty; as much as the direction and writing capture appropriate tension in the pilot, they allow it to go slack in the second ep. Donnie Wahlberg, conflicted as he was the last time he appeared in serial television, on the great "Boomtown," has an understated magnetism that should attract some viewers, but for success, this show has to belong to Leslie Hope.

Hope plays Lily Rader, mother of two teens and an 8-year-old, who needs to be the glue of the family. She has put her faith in husband Paul, who may or may not have been having an affair with the murder victim. She's playing along, trying to redefine right and wrong for her children even when her moral compass is going haywire. Considering the CW's desire to attract the key female demographic, the role of Lily needs to quickly become dominant for the series to pull viewers away from CBS comedies, the Peacock's "Heroes" and ABC's reality series.

The Raders left a D.C. suburb in Maryland and have landed in the town of Bridgewater, Iowa, as the Hollands. Their plan is to say they are from Philadelphia; a quick-thinking -- or is it flustered? -- Lily tells a cop they're from New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina victims who lost everything and are now on their fourth home in a year.

Family is on the run after attorney Paul (Wahlberg) was charged with murdering his associate Erin. When he went looking for the killer, the murderer threatened Paul's family. He chose to go on the lam, with the wife and kids, while trying to work the case from afar.

Naturally, everyone has a rough start keeping their lies straight and, eventually, they extend to matters such as whether 15-year-old Hannah (Sarah Ramos) has had sex. Ultimately, the lies, half-truths and suspicious behavior somehow provoke familial bonding.

The pilot is jam-packed with activities over a short span of time. Show takes its time to wrap itself around the kids: Henry (Dustin Milligan) is angry that he had to leave his girlfriend behind and that he has to repeat the 10th grade; Hannah (Sarah Ramos) sees a chance for reinvention as a cool kid; and Tommy (Nathan Gamble) is the smart student, capable of finding the bright side of things. (The performers all have a nice handle on their roles).

Second episode is more leisurely timed, and considering how long activities should take, it's possible the second episode covers up to three weeks, although it only looks like four or five days. The tension is removed and the focus is split between Paul risking capture in the hopes of solving the case and Lily taking a new job and trying to control the kids.

Apparently, Paul's capture is paramount to the FBI and local authorities -- there are cops everywhere looking for him, and when they think they know where he is, about a dozen cop cars filled with sharpshooters descend on hotel rooms and homes. It's a bit too much dramatic license: He's a lawyer who may have stabbed someone, not a serial killer.

Hope imbues Lily with sufficient matriarchal concerns while Wahlberg is distant and single-minded. It's hard to tell if the two lack chemistry or if Wahlberg's Paul struggles with emotional multitasking. When Paul shows affection to Lily or the kids, it comes out of nowhere, as if a light has gone on in his heart and he has to respond.

Perhaps he's a victim of 21st century television in which viewers want their undercover operatives to wear their emotions boldly: Even Jack Bauer knows how to show love and affection.

Camera, Michael Storey; production design, Ian Brock; editor, Scott Vickrey; casting, Susan Forrest, Sharon Forrest. Running time: 60 MIN.