If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  That's the motto CBS is employing in its continued quest to make Alex O'Loughlin the next big TV star.  First he had Moonlight, but sadly that show came a season too early to catch the current wave of vampire love.  Then came Three Rivers, which you've probably already forgotten about.

Now CBS is going for a third show starring O'Loughlin, casting him as the lead in the network's new Hawaii 5-0 remake.  Will the third time be the charm for Alex O'Loughlin, or is he doomed to star in single-season shows from now until the end of time?  There are valid points to be made on both sides.

Why Hawaii 5-0 Will Fail

Remaking an old show is almost always a bad idea, and the world isn't exactly clamoring for a Hawaii 5-0 remake.  If you don't believe me, just look at NBC's attempt to clone the drama in 2004 with an Ivan Sergei/Eric Balfour series called Hawaii that lasted just seven episodes.

CBS is already clogged with crime dramas, so tossing another one into the mix won't make a difference.  It will most likely get lost in the shuffle no matter how hard the network tries to promote it.  CBS has found success with new takes on the formula (The Mentalist) or an exact copy of something they already have (NCIS: Los Angeles).  Going back to remake an old series just doesn't fit in. 

Why Hawaii 5-0 Will Succeed

One of the key components to Alex O'Loughlin's loyal fan base is his overall hotness.  The man is incredibly sexy, and the problem is that CBS has tried to cover that up a bit.

On Moonlight, he was forced to be pale and brooding as a vampire, and while that might work for skinny Albino kids like Robert Pattinson, O'Loughlin is all man.  Then he moved to Three Rivers and was covered up in surgical masks and O.R. scrubs.

The main reason Hawaii 5-0 might succeed is that the location lets O'Loughlin go shirtless.  The hot Hawaii weather is the perfect climate for tanning on the beach or chasing bad guys down a sidewalk naked from the waist up.  Putting a man as hot as Alex O'Loughlin in Hawaii is like taking a nerd to Comic-Con: it just makes sense.


Will Alex O'Loughlin finally have a hit on his hands, or will this be his third strike on a CBS drama?



(Image courtesy of CBS)