'The Americans' review: Spy drama another FX winner

Theirs is an arranged marriage -- patched together in Moscow at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. They were then deployed to Washington to blend in as average Americans. In tonight's 97-minute pilot, they capture a Soviet traitor to return to the authorities back home. But something goes wrong -- and then FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) moves in across the street.

There are flaws in the premise, though none terribly serious or that can't be corrected as the series goes on. Why, for example, do their obviously savvy kids have absolutely no questions about why Mom and Dad are out at all hours and never seem to work at anything? Every spy drama (or movie) demands some suspension of disbelief, and this is no exception. But the pleasure of this setup is the Jenningses themselves -- their strange, sad sack stories, their conflicted impulses and their deepest, most secret thoughts. Buy them and you'll buy "The Americans."

SEE PHOTOSTV shows that made an impact