Vanished

San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

"Vanished" is indeed compelling. And it is without question Fox's best fall offering (though, having seen all its shows, that praise is not as high as you might expect).

New York PostAdam Buckman

As in other TV serials of this type, the plot thickens long before it ever starts to thin.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

Whatever one thinks of the format, the briskly paced setup is effectively done.

Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

Nothing that happens next is particularly surprising, though the plot rolls forward with workmanlike efficiency.

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

“Vanished” offers suspense and high-society melodrama.

VarietyBrian Lowry

Lacking "Prison Break's" tough milieu and its initial narrative drive, "Vanished" doesn't exactly scream "Watch me." Nevertheless, it's polished enough and very much a work in progress.

Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf Smith

The pilot moves along at a cracking pace, introducing new clues and characters and settings so fast that it's very tempting to sit back and enjoy the ride, ludicrous though some of it may be.

Washington PostTeresa Wiltz

For all its cribbing from plots gone by, "Vanished" still makes for good, escapist fun.

San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

This is a series trying to be fresh but succeeding only in trading on the predictable cliches.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

The case seems more like a good crusade for Nancy Grace than the starting point for a series. [28 Aug 2006, p.35]

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

So far, Vanished seems more interested in keeping us spinning than pulling us in. [25 Aug 2006, p.75]

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

For those who make the effort to stay tuned, the reward at the end of the first episode is meager. One hopes for bigger payoffs in subsequent outings.

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

Though the glossily well-made "Vanished" may prove intermittently diverting, it lacks any of the original serial thriller zing of far better shows like "24," "Lost" or "Prison Break."

Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart

The show teeters at times on incomprehensibility but is brought back each time by its two stars.

Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd

I, the Jury, am still out on this one; it could go either way from here.

Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin

A dumb but powerful serialized mystery that has an equal shot at being the season's biggest cult hit and its most mind-boggling flop.

TV GuideMatt Roush

This is what you'd get if Without a Trace somehow turned into a cartoonish conspiracy chase thriller.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

The premiere... doesn't inspire an instant commitment the way the premieres of "Prison Break" and "24" did.

Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall

"Vanished" is already lacking in the kind of star performances that make "Prison Break" or "24" worthwhile even when they're foot-dragging.

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

It's not a bad show.... But I don't care about the characters or plot after watching the first episode.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

The initial story... is a lot more complicated than it is compelling - and by the time tonight's first hour is up, you aren't hungry for more.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

"Vanished" is a show that should leave viewers begging for more, but instead engenders more of a shrug because nothing in the pilot is convincing -- not the characters, not the setting, not the performances.

NewsdayDiane Werts

The filming is urgent! The dialogue is obvious! The actors get choked up! It's as if a film school class put together a thriller following all the rules precisely.