CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When I first saw previews for Fox's summer medical drama "Mental" (9 p.m. Fridays), I was excited. It starred Chris Vance, who I enjoyed on season three of "Prison Break," and another "Prison Break" alum -- Silas Weir Mitchell (Haywire) -- was also in the ad.

However, when the show premiered on May 26, I wasn't completely wowed. In my June 11 column, I stated, "I've seen two episodes so far, and I'm not yet won over."

I liked the interesting main cases and enjoyed the mystery about Dr. Gallagher's missing schizophrenic twin sister. My complaints were that "the hospital administrator and her clashes with Vance's Dr. Gallagher are way too similar to 'House.' Plus, I think most of Gallagher's staff is annoying, and I'm not crazy about the minor secondary cases thrown in, which don't seem to have much relation to anything."

Since there's not much worth watching on TV this summer, and since Chris Vance is hot (yes, I'm shallow like that), I've kept watching, and now, I've completely changed my tune. It's become one of only two shows -- the other being "Burn Notice" -- that I watch on a regular basis.

There's no specific incident or episode that I can pin down that made me change my mind. It was more just a gradual evolution of the show. The unrelated secondary cases have lessened or are at least more tied into the plot, and some of the characters' stories have progressed to make them more intriguing, particularly resident Arturo Suarez (Nicholas Gonzalez).

In the beginning, Arturo was just this abrasive, arrogant guy. Now, it's been revealed that he's got some dirt in his past (and lies on his resume) that one of the other doctors -- who hates Dr. Gallagher -- is using to blackmail him into spying on Gallagher to get dirt worthy of Gallagher's termination.

I still don't like Nora, the hospital administrator, and think that she's too much like Lisa Cuddy on "House," but I'm slowly warming up to Dr. Hayden-Jones, who resents Gallagher for getting the job she believes she deserved.

Of all the secondary characters, though, my favorite is resident Chloe Artis. The more she's on screen, the more I like her. And I'm digging the relationship between Gallagher and a neurosurgeon, although that might or might not be over after last week's episode.

For people who want to dismiss "Mental" because it sounds too much like "House," it is and it isn't. The basic premise of an unorthodox doctor is the same and there's the whole Nora/Cuddy thing, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. There are other minor things -- pushing residents to be the best they can be, trying risky procedures, doctors dating other doctors -- but these can be found on any medical show.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When I first saw previews for Fox's summer medical drama "Mental" (9 p.m. Fridays), I was excited. It starred Chris Vance, who I enjoyed on season three of "Prison Break," and another "Prison Break" alum -- Silas Weir Mitchell (Haywire) -- was also in the ad.

However, when the show premiered on May 26, I wasn't completely wowed. In my June 11 column, I stated, "I've seen two episodes so far, and I'm not yet won over."

I liked the interesting main cases and enjoyed the mystery about Dr. Gallagher's missing schizophrenic twin sister. My complaints were that "the hospital administrator and her clashes with Vance's Dr. Gallagher are way too similar to 'House.' Plus, I think most of Gallagher's staff is annoying, and I'm not crazy about the minor secondary cases thrown in, which don't seem to have much relation to anything."

Since there's not much worth watching on TV this summer, and since Chris Vance is hot (yes, I'm shallow like that), I've kept watching, and now, I've completely changed my tune. It's become one of only two shows -- the other being "Burn Notice" -- that I watch on a regular basis.

There's no specific incident or episode that I can pin down that made me change my mind. It was more just a gradual evolution of the show. The unrelated secondary cases have lessened or are at least more tied into the plot, and some of the characters' stories have progressed to make them more intriguing, particularly resident Arturo Suarez (Nicholas Gonzalez).

In the beginning, Arturo was just this abrasive, arrogant guy. Now, it's been revealed that he's got some dirt in his past (and lies on his resume) that one of the other doctors -- who hates Dr. Gallagher -- is using to blackmail him into spying on Gallagher to get dirt worthy of Gallagher's termination.

I still don't like Nora, the hospital administrator, and think that she's too much like Lisa Cuddy on "House," but I'm slowly warming up to Dr. Hayden-Jones, who resents Gallagher for getting the job she believes she deserved.

Of all the secondary characters, though, my favorite is resident Chloe Artis. The more she's on screen, the more I like her. And I'm digging the relationship between Gallagher and a neurosurgeon, although that might or might not be over after last week's episode.

For people who want to dismiss "Mental" because it sounds too much like "House," it is and it isn't. The basic premise of an unorthodox doctor is the same and there's the whole Nora/Cuddy thing, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. There are other minor things -- pushing residents to be the best they can be, trying risky procedures, doctors dating other doctors -- but these can be found on any medical show.

As for differences, the biggest ones are that Gallagher is nowhere near as arrogant or unpleasant as House, and he's more concerned with helping patients than being right (for House, it's the other way around). Also, the focus is more on the patients' recovery than their diagnosis.

If you're not a social butterfly and find yourself at home on a Friday night, give "Mental" a chance. It might take you a few episodes to get into it, but I think it's worth it. You can also get caught up on some of the past episodes at hulu.com.

----------

TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras," which delves into the world of children's beauty pageants, featured West Virginia in last year's debut season. The state is on display again in an episode that airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday and takes place at the West Virginia Walk of Fame Pageant in Beckley. Three West Virginia girls are focused on in the episode: 7-year-old Hannah Elliot of Lizemores; 5-year-old Riley Bowyer of Rainelle; and 6-year-old Jayla Cottrell of Bentree.

Season premiere: "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," 10 p.m. Thursday, Bravo.

Series premiere: "Defying Gravity," 9 p.m. Sunday, ABC (thriller starring Ron Livingston about eight astronauts on a mysterious six-year international space mission).

Season finale: "She's Got the Look," 9 p.m. Thursday, TV Land.

Of note: The Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week begins at 9 p.m. Sunday with "Blood in the Water," about the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks that inspired "Jaws"; actress Zooey Deschanel hosts a celebrity lunch on "Top Chef Masters," 10 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo.

Reach Amy Robinson at flips...@wvgazette.com.