Sass - and smarts

Dr Megan Hunt, the medical examiner played by Dana Delany in Body of Proof, is Sherlock Holmes in a skirt. She can give a corpse the once-over and tell you what the deceased had for dinner, how its final day among the living was spent and maybe even who it dated back in high school.

"The body is the proof," she says in a speech dripping with earnestness. "It will tell you everything you need to know - if you just have the patience."

But will viewers have the patience for another series pegged to an acerbic know-it-all? Like a certain Dr House and/or that crime-solving mentalist, Hunt is one of those characters who is too smart for the room - someone who runs circles around everyone in her vicinity and ruffles plenty of feathers along the way.

In real life, we'd despise people like this. But on TV, we're often drawn to them - especially if they're as sexy, charming and engaging as Delany.

If her stint on Desperate Housewives proved anything, it's that she has the ability to boost a show to another level.

In fact, if not for Delany, Body of Proof would be easy to ignore. It's mostly just another basic procedural drama that contains a lot of familiar components.

Delany's character used to be a standout neurosurgeon, but her relentless commitment to the job took a heavy toll on her personal life.

Her husband filed for divorce, and she lost custody of her daughter.

Then tragedy struck. A car accident left her with a condition that causes her hands to cramp up and go numb. That led to a patient's death on the operating table and the end of her career in surgery.

Five years later, she is working off her guilt while seeking clues to crimes among the dead.

Unfortunately, she's not making any friends - especially among the cops, who seethe as she butts her way into their cases and smugly dismisses their theories.

Body of Proof appears to have a strong supporting cast, including Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch and Sonja Sohn. But thus far they primarily exist as convenient targets for Hunt's condescension.

Perhaps they'll have more to do as the series progresses.

For now, though, Delany is enough to hold our attention. With a deft touch, she blends just enough warmth and vulnerability with the sass and smarts to make it all palatable.

It's a pleasure to have her back on television.

• Body of Proof screens Mondays at 9.30pm on TV2.