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Who would’ve guessed Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were good friends? I certainly didn’t. Maybe I’m out of the loop. But the lovely creators of the show Houdini and Doyle aren’t. It aired first in the United Kingdom, and aired May 2 here in the US and in Canada.

The premise of the show plays on Houdini and Doyle’s real life friendship, born out of the fact that Doyle believed in Spiritualism– that is, contacting the dead from life, mediums, and magic– while Houdini found no proof for it anywhere. The two met while Houdini was touring the UK, and Houdini happened to be a fan of Doyle’s books. Since Houdini regularly did magic (I mean, that’s what he’s known for), he saw through many a medium’s tricks. However, Doyle still wanted to believe, and they two bonded over their different views.

Houdini and Doyle runs with this premise, pitting the two as a believer and non-believer as partners in crime…solving. They go to the police asking for a chance to solve a local case, and wanting to get the celebrities out of their hair, assign the underestimated Adelaide to “nanny” them. While it isn’t the most glitzy case assignment, it gets Adelaide out of her desk in the basement, where they keep her unless they need someone to make tea. She’s set on proving herself worthy, no matter what. So the magician, author and constable set out to solve England’s crimes.

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The premier here in the US on FOX was weak in the US but, honestly, the show is pretty good! It’s a more unique premise and it captured my attention. The dynamic between the two trying to prove and disprove each other is a great aspect that could be used really well…if they do it right. Not much has happened as far as episode one, and I would love to see a deeper look into Houdini and Doyle, and have the show give us reasons to fully believe one or the other.

The setting could also work wonders for the show. The tone it sets is fun but adventurous with danger around every turn, and the beginning of the 1900s, full of new inventions and people like Edison and Tesla?

The only thing that worries me is that episode one didn’t hit it off too strong with these elements. The show has a lot going for it, and I’m interested– I’m a sucker for a good mystery and an adventurous, historical setting. Future episodes should see Houdini and Doyle’s friendship fleshed out more and each episode we should have good reason to believe one but understand the other. Use the discoveries of the time to the show’s advantage to weave a mystery other shows can’t. I’m excited to see where it goes, and hope this great idea doesn’t fizzle out before the end.

So what did you think? Did you catch Houdini and Doyle on May 2? Will it be a big hit, or is it a flop? Weigh in below!

If you want to contact me, I can be reached via Twitter @ejLadd or by my email, [email protected].

To see more from Frame Rate, check out Frame Rate: Captain America Civil War – Taking Sides.