ABC’s new series THE RIVER has finally been granted a premier date, which means that we can all find out come Feb 7th* next year whether or not the show can deliver on its rather intriguing premise. Which, in case you missed it, goes a little something like this…

‘Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his nature show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole’s emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole’s cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the sexy and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann).’

The show is brought to us by executive producer Steven Spielberg and is created by Oren Peli, the brainchild behind the all-powerful PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise, with this marking the first of his many long-in-development projects to actually see the light of day. (That reminds us, where the heck is AREA 51, Peli?)

Could this mixture of mystery and sweaty jungle action be the next LOST? Check out the trailer and see what you think…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_aypC9rFjU

Whether it’ll be as big a hit as that particular show remains to be seen (it won’t be), but they’ve definitely borrowed enough from it. That might as well have been Smokey locked down in that boat!

* Stateside only. Hopefully a UK channel will pick it up shortly. We’re confident they will.

Will you to tuning into THE RIVER? Let us know in the Comments below or on Twitter @Starburst_Mag