You don't get *new* very often in television. TV executives look at what works, tweak it a little and hope for the best.

'Past Life' (9 pm Tuesday debut then regularly Thursdays at 9, starting this Thursday) is just such a tweak. Unfortunately, the formula is so familiar by now a show has to be really special to stand out.

Based on the first two episodes, 'Past Life' has a ways to go.

This time it's a.) beautiful young doctor who investigates 'past life' experiences with b.) the help of handsome ex-cop with troubles.

There is also c.) the avuncular boss who operates the 'institute' which does all the investigating and d.) the lab guy who does the science.

The boss and the lab guy barely have roles; so far, they don't count..

The beautiful young doctor and the ex-cop are the point - you can trace the characters back to Mulder and Scully, and from there through shows like 'Cold Case' and 'Bones' and 'Fringe.'

(For us old-timers, the real starting point is the 'Thin Man' movies and the mid-60s Brit show 'The Avengers,' both of which featured male and female leads who solved mysteries together while maintaining complicated relationships.)

In episode one, the team investigates a young man who is experiencing flashbacks from a past life in which he was an eight year old girl who was murdered. By the time the show is over, the murderer is caught and the 'dead' girl's younger sister is found.

In episode two, the team investigates a young woman who is getting flashbacks from a past life in which she was a lawyer who had secret knowledge that could save an innocent man from being executed. The real murderer is caught, the man is saved.

Both episodes have stretches that work - but both also have a lot of stuff you've seen before. In particular, the first episode shoves the back stories of the main characters at you. That's probably because it's a mid-season add and doesn't have much time to establish itself, (Fox has reportedly only committed to seven episodes) but I was a little too aware of the fact that I was being schooled in the whys of the characters.

At one point, the beautiful doctor goes home to her beautiful apartment where she lives with her beautiful dog, only to find her mother sitting on the couch, mad because her boyfriend had just proposed to her.

And just to drive home the point that this is an eccentric family, the doctor has a beat-up truck, and weaves in and out of traffic.

The cop is a drinker who gives us his back story in a speech to one of the people he's trying to help in episode one, how his young wife died, how he's responsible, etc., etc.

Also, in this world the main characters have friends in the FBI and on police forces everywhere, such that old files can be handed out like candy and SWAT teams can be summoned any time they're required. 

That's ok: this is fantasy and an explicit element of the first two episodes is the idea of families being saved and restored - in episode one, the long suffering parents get back a child and in episode two, the sisters are protected. That *saving the family by cleaning up the past* is really the strongest part of the show, as it is on CBS's 'Cold Case,'  and I'm assuming 'Past Life' will build in that direction.

So should you invest an hour or two in the show? Yes, but only if you already like 'Cold Case' and maybe 'Fringe.' Otherwise start with those shows and see if this one gets a chance to grow into something a little less by the book.

(Edit - After I wrote my review, I found this one on line which makes the sensible point that treating 'past lives' and 'regression' as if it were real science is silly. True, but in my case I just assumed the show was a blend of police procedural and science fiction, and wasn't bothered further.)