Fall TV: ‘Wicked City’ has Sisto, ’80s vibe going for it

New show: Wicked City

When: 10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

Cast: Jeremy Sisto, Ed Westwick, Julia Christensen, Taissa Farmiga

Premise: It’s Los Angeles in the 1980s and a serial killer is targeting young women in a style similar to that of the Hillside Stranglers – except instead of prostitutes, this killer sets his focus on aspiring starlets. Sisto plays a detective who helped catch the Hillside Stranglers, and he’s on this case as well. It’s great to see Sisto back in a series (loved him in “Suburgatory”), and I’ve missed him as a cop (he played Det. Lupo on “Law & Order”). I never watched Westwick on “Gossip Girl,” but he is convincing as a damaged, creepy killer. Christensen (“Parenthood”) is equally convincing as a nurse and single mother who develops a unique relationship with the killer (and in the pilot, Christensen’s character reveals some surprises and comes across as the most intriguing). Farmiga (“American Horror Story”) plays a young reporter who may be the only person who has seen the killer with one of his victims, therefore becoming a potential target.

On one hand, do we really need another TV show about serial killers? No. But on the other hand, there’s Sisto, lots of Billy Idol mood music and a few suspenseful moments, so I’m torn. “Wicked City” is not amazing, but it’s not awful. I’ll check out at least one more episode before I decide if it lives or dies (on my DVR).

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 2:00 AM.