The producers of The Listener, a new NBC semi-supernatural drama created in Canada, seemingly spent too much time "listening" to moody, do-gooder predecessors such as Medium or Ghost Whisperer. The end result is just a little too familiar to generate much excitement.

The Listener is a rare animal -- a Canadian production from Shaftesbury Films and CTV picked up by an American network for prime time TV. You're left wondering if NBC might have bought a show directly inspired by programs already on the air in the U.S.

It's not uncommon for networks to remake shows popular in other countries. The Office is an obvious direct example in the U.S., and reality shows just change titles as they jump back and forth over the Atlantic.

The Listener looks like CTV wanted to clone the success of the American mini-genre of the average human struggling with a supernatural gift that calls him or her to an extraordinary life. We've seen that plenty in the U.S., but NBC thought we might like to see it again.

Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) is a lonely, young, uber-sincere paramedic with the mysterious ability to hear people's thoughts. In every episode, he's exposed to some secret injustice or suffering victim hidden from the rest of the world. But, he's compelled to get involved -- all while trying to keep his ability hidden from his EMT partner (Ennis Esmer), his ex-girlfriend (Mylene Dinh-Robic) and a suspicious detective (Lisa Marcos).

When we catch up to him in the pilot, he's working with a well-meaning college professor (Colm Feore) to better understand his mental powers. That same professor might want to explain it to the audience, as the rules of his mind-reading are never clear.

Logan can read minds seemingly when he needs to or when the plot demands it. Why isn't he hearing everyone's thoughts all the time? If he is, why isn't the audience in on that? Why isn't it driving him insane? Has he already questioned his sanity? Why isn't he using his ability for personal gain -- or are those mental leads denied him?

That's a lot of explanation to ask of the show's first couple preview episodes, but the handling of Logan's "gift" is irksome throughout the stories. The fact that he learns just enough to project him into an investigation, but not enough to fix the problem instantly, is annoyingly convenient. Even the most casual viewer will be able to point to instances in each episode where a little voice in Logan's head would have made a big difference.

Olejnik is likable enough as Logan, but the character is sober and empathic to the point of boredom. With the exception of him questioning that his gift might be a curse, we don't see any faults in him or any troubled history that might lead him to misuse his ability. He's a slightly more masculine version of Jennifer Love Hewitt.

He's immediately impassioned to help anyone in need at any time. Yes, that's part of the job for an EMT when it comes to physical ailments -- but doesn't he ever just want to head home for a cold long-neck and a colder Maple Leafs game without saving a kid's lost kitten?

There's some potential for future tension in the show, as it's only a matter of time before someone is tipped off to Logan's ability. Will the professor sell him out? Will a reporter expose him? There's also room for a love triangle between his ex and the pretty detective who keeps asking how he's always on the scene of a crime.

But, unless the show's later stories in its 13 episode pick-up become more compelling, U.S. audiences may never see any of that come to fruition. That's what my gift tells me.