"The River" takes viewers to the Amazon

(CBS) "The River," ABC's midseason paranormal action TV series, premiered last night, taking the audience on an adventure into the wilds of the Amazon jungle.

The show follows Tess (Leslie Hope, known to most as Mrs. Jack Bauer) and her adult son Lincoln (Joe Anderson) who are on a quest to find their husband/father, Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood), a famous naturalist who hosted a show entitled "The Undiscovered Country" that coincidentally used the catchphrase "There's magic out there."

Tess and Lincoln receive financial backing to take their journey into the dark unknown of the Amazon from a TV producer (Paul Blackthorne) who wants to film the trip. It is from this documentary point of view that we, the audience, see the show.

"The River" was co-created by Oren Peli and Michael R. Perry, who were involved with the popular "Paranormal Activity" movies; they are known for their use of the pseudo-documentary style filming to frighten audiences.

"The River" uses those same techniques, the shaky camera and the filming of characters who think they are "off camera" allowing the audience to believe they are more knowledgeable than the characters themselves.

Tell us: What did you think of "The River"?