Debra Messing is set to star in a new NBC series called The Mysteries of Laura, and the L.A. Times doesn’t seem to think she’s up to speed. A recent report reminds viewers of last year’s most significant NBC offering–The Blacklist, starring James Spader–and the bullseye the network hit with that show. They are comparing Messing and The Mysteries of Laura to ‘grazing the white part around the edge of the target.’

Fans last saw Debra Messing in Smash, and of course everyone loved her in Will & Grace. So what’s not to love about Laura Diamond in The Mysteries of Laura? It seems she’s simply not convincible as a homicide detective.

“It certainly doesn’t help that the show opens with her in hot pursuit of some gun-wielding thug as he races through a very crowded Battery Park. Wearing a raincoat that she will then cling to throughout the episode as if it had been bequeathed to her by Mr. Peter Falk, she mutters “humorous” asides like “why are all these people in the park? Don’t they have jobs?” before pulling a gun and aiming it at said thug, who grabs a hostage. Then she fires Right At Their Heads,” the L.A. Times reports.

@nbc Sneak preview of #MysteriesofLaura, stars @DebraMessing airs tomorrow @ 8pm, trailer: http://t.co/dnQsNIdxkP #NBCLaura #triplethefocus

— Triple The Focus (@TripleTheFocus) September 17, 2014

It seems The Mysteries of Laura isn’t a sitcom, but Debra Messing is playing Laura Diamond as if it might be. The funny thing is, NBC is playing her character as though she is on par with Law & Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay and Chicago P.D.’s Sophia Bush. Have you seen that ad? Even with the little that viewers have seen thus far of The Mysteries of Laura thus far, the notion simply doesn’t gel.

Are you a Debra Messing fan? Will you be checking out The Mysteries of Laura when it premieres tonight–Wednesday, September 17th on NBC at 10:00 PM? It will be interesting to learn what Thursday’s take will be on the new show.

Hopefully NBC hasn’t banked on this to be this years The Black List.