Pilot Scoop: The Following

It usually takes a pretty great concept to lure a movie actor to the small screen, and such is the case for The Following, Fox's newest crime thriller starring Kevin Bacon, which premieres this week. Bacon is playing Ryan Hardy, an alcoholic ex-FBI agent tasked with catching Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a calculating escaped killer. The two have a history, and when Carroll escapes, a dangerous game of cat and mouse is set into play.

• What it's about: Hardy wrote the book (literally) on Carroll, a serial killer inspired by the morbid works of Edgar Allan Poe. So when Carroll escapes from prison, Hardy, along with a team of agents (Shawn Ashmore, Annie Parisse), is faced with stopping Carroll before he can get to his last victim (the one that got away) and the family he left behind when he was caught. Only this time, the game isn't so simple; Carroll has spent his years in the tank motivating a large cult of fans to follow in his murderous footsteps.
• Where it works: The show was created and written by Kevin Williamson (the guy behind the Scream franchise and The Vampire Diaries), and he brings his signature tongue-in-cheek awareness to the show. Though Bacon is the show's big name, Purefoy is terrifying as Carroll. It's clear from the first few minutes of the pilot that he's unpredictable, merciless, and always 10 steps ahead of everyone else.
• Where it doesn't: The show is especially disturbing and gory, so if you're not into that, you might want to take a pass.
• When it's on: Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox
• You might like this show if: You want a (better) replacement for The Killing.

Watch a preview and see all the pictures for The Following after the jump.