Cover of Dana Delany

Dana Delany (see right) of “China Beach” and “Desperate Housewives” fame in a new series: What’s not to like?

Her character, Megan Hunt, in tonight’s ABC series “Body of Proof” for one thing.

The 10 p.m. time slot opposite “The Good Wife” on CBS and “Parenthood” on NBC for another thing. It’s where the critically-acclaimed “Detroit 1-8-7” failed.

“Proof” tries much too hard tonight to make Megan a hard woman. However, Delany’s considerable appeal still comes shining through even if she isn’t playing as sympathetic a character as Julianna Margulies on “The Good Wife.”

Megan is from the tough school of female characters – a divorced, former neurosurgeon who has become a medical examiner after a series of personal and professional disasters and disappointments.

She doesn’t try to get one’s sympathies.

“Don’t believe everything said about me,” she tells a veteran detective early. “The truth is much worse.”

When she meets a doctor known for performing vasectomies, she calls him the “No.1 ball cutter in all of Philadelphia.”

“I thought you had that title,” he replies.

Since the opener is what is referred to as a premise pilot, viewers are slowly made aware of all of Megan’s problems and many of her less desirable personal skills.

She happily doesn’t know how she is supposed to act in front of murder suspects and hasn’t a clue about how to act with his daughter. But she has a know-it-all attitude when it comes to interacting with police detectives.

She also says shocking things for shock sake, which is one reason why she is being compared to a female version of Dr. Gregory House of “House” fame.

“I can’t, I killed someone,” she tells someone who wonders why she didn’t remain a neurosurgeon instead of becoming a medical examiner.

How inappropriate can Megan be?

“How long have you been sleeping with her?” Megan quickly asks a married suspect, thereby turning off the suspect and the detective on the case simultaneously.

“Proof” is essentially a combination of “Bones” and “Castle” (which Delany visited last season), with Megan playing an amateur sleuth who uses her medical skills, instincts and knowledge of the body to solve crimes and prevent detectives from making too many mistakes.

Of course, it would be a mistake to think Megan won’t or can’t change. A veteran TV watcher would suspect that Megan is slowly going to bond with the detectives and her daughter and soften a bit as the spring series continues.

Delany is the show’s major selling point but the strong supporting cast is mostly full of familiar faces, if not names.  Jeri Ryan (“Boston Public”) is Megan’s boss, Dr. Kate Murphey. John Carroll Lynch (“The Drew Carey Show”) is the detective Megan frequently battles with, Bud Morris. Sonja Sohn (“The Wire”) is Bud’s more appreciative partner, Detective Samantha Baker.

Australian actor Nicholas Bishop – there always seems to be a good-looking Australian – is Megan’s partner, a former cop who seems to have a better handle on how to deal with Megan’s daughter than she does. He also listens to Megan’s tales of woe like a good girlfriend would if Megan had any girlfriends.

In other words, “Body of Proof” is loaded with role reversals. It’s a world where the women are tough and smart and the men are less smart but at least have big hearts.

As in “Bones” and “Castle,” it looks like the cases in “Body of Proof” may be secondary to the personal stories.

Tonight’s opener about the murder of a young female lawyer certainly suffers from an ending that is practically out of left field.

But without Delany, the truth is the pilot could be much worse.

Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 4

pergament@msn.com

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