Zap2it Fall TV Preview 2007: Ones to Watch

Anthony Anderson
"K-Ville" (FOX)

Anthony Anderson isn't really a fresh face, is he? He's been in blockbuster movies like "Scary Movie 3" and "Transformers." He recurred last season on "'Til Death" and he even had his own short-lived comedy series on The WB. But FOX's new cop drama "K-Ville" may be the least funny thing Anderson's done since "Kangaroo Jack," the culmination of the actor's under-the-radar transformation into a dramatic powerhouse. You may not have noticed, but Anderson did a chilling season on "The Shield" and held his own in the Oscar-winning "The Departed." On "K-Ville," Anderson plays Marlin Boulet, the embodiment of the wounded but resilient heart of New Orleans. He's the cop who refused to leave the Big Easy after Hurricane Katrina and can't give up the hope that the city can recover from the destruction. It's a role that requires so much earnestness and sincerity that casting a noted funnyman might have been a huge miscalculation. Instead, it's the shock of seeing Anderson playing the role so straight that helps you believe that this man can rebuild the city, even if he has to do it one cup of gumbo at a time.

-Daniel Fienberg