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The new CBS musical drama “Viva Laughlin” will need work from the producers and patience from viewers before it can expect to “sing” in the television ratings system. It shows promise and certainly must be given high marks for originality but it remains to be seen whether audiences will warm to the idea of characters who burst into song.

Or perhaps if those characters did actually burst into song, things would be different. As it stands, they more or less lip sync or do a sing-along, and all the actors involved seem to be capable of much more.

Executive produced by, among others, film and stage star Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborrah-Lee Furness, the show is presented as a joint venture by CBS and BBC Worldwide. It's based on a British production titled “Viva Blackpool” but misses some of the key elements. In that production, characters acknowledge that the show is tongue-in-cheek and even wink at the camera or smile knowingly. It's camp and makes no mistake about it. The American production doesn't quite capture that element of fun.

Prior to the premiere episode it had been mentioned that perhaps it would be disruptive to have characters begin singing along with a soundtrack that's carefully chosen to blend in with the plot. But that element, happily, works. It's just that they appear to be more or less lip-syncing or doing Karaoke instead of singing full out. Jackman is certainly capable of more and from the brief bit that is able to be heard, so are his co-stars Lloyd Owen and Melanie Griffith.

Jackman's entrance is a definite star turn and he delivers in dance but his delivery of the song, “Sympathy for the Devil”, needed to be allowed to shine. Prior to the episode, advance reviews had mentioned how exciting his performance was. Those reviewers obviously had not seen his Broadway turn in “The Boy from Oz” or they'd have known what Jackman is really capable of, musically and dance-wise. Let the man sing!!

The same applies to the numbers by Lloyd Owen (who's the official star of the show as would-be casino owner Ripley Holden) and Melanie Griffith as Bunny Baxter, new widow of an investor). Griffith's number, a rendition of Blondie's “One Way or Another” showed real promise but again failed only because of the volume. If you're going to do a musical drama, go for it!

There's a murder mystery quickly set up in the opening episode and that serves the show well. It may keep viewers coming back, too, since it's an intriguing whodunit concept.

Acting is more than competent by all 3 leads (though Jackman will only appear in a few episodes). And co-stars Madchen Amick as Holden's wife, and DB Woodside and Eric Winters are very effective.

Perhaps when the show moves to its permanent (semi-permanent?) time slot of Sundays at 8 p.m. it will fare better. Its competition of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC's football, CW's Life is Wild and Fox's Simpsons and Family Guy are certainly in a totally different genre.

If audiences are patient, it's entirely possible Jackman can pull this off. He's a music and entertainment powerhouse and deserves a chance. And audiences should not be too quick to judge. Isn't it refreshing, in a way, to know there's something new in television besides another medical show, another reality competition or another straight crime drama?