Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in LA anymore.

The premise is a bold one – the biggest sinkhole in the world opens up in La Brea, in the centre of Los Angeles. We pick up some early clues about the Harris family before the ground literally opens up and swallows them – well, some of them. The daughter (Izzy) has a medical condition, the parents (Eve and Gavin) are separated… oh, two of them appear to be dead. Not so fast, I hear the writers cry.

So this isn’t your standard earthquake / sinkhole event. The initial disaster is sudden and well portrayed. The quality of the visual effects in TV these days is something to behold, and for me, it’s done well here. Also within minutes the fact that one of the family (the son, Josh) falls seemingly to his death will already shock you, and the sacrifice of the mother is touching.

The way the mysterious premise unfolds in the course of the pilot is drip-fed to us at a good pace and the action is sprinkled throughout effectively. We hear Gavin’s background with his alleged mental health struggles and we’re with him as he learns of the supposed loss of his estranged wife and son. There’s more to that, as we hear more about what exactly his struggles have been and why he might be in the best position to save the world – or at least La Brea.

If they’re not dead, where have Eve and Josh fallen, and how? What is this mysterious land with its exotic wildlife? Or is when the better question? Toto may have been wrong in his assumption…

Verdict: It’s LA, Jim, but not as we know it. 8/10

Claire Smith