In an attempt to follow in the much-loved footsteps of shows like “House” and “Suits,” on April 24, ABC launched a new series featuring a brilliant and highly successful professional with an incendiary secret that must be kept under wraps at all cost. Only this time around, Dr. Black (Kelly Reilly) is a woman and her secret is a mental illness similar to those she studies.

“Black Box” is a different kind of doctor show. Instead of heart attacks and rashes, each episode features a neurological mystery, thus far including Capgras Syndrome, Dementia, Exploding Head Syndrome and Schizophrenia.

The main conflict though, is Dr. Catherine Black’s own case of Bipolar Disorder and her tendency to flush her pills down the toilet when she’s low on inspiration. As is revealed in episode two, not only does no one at her work know about her situation, but also, if anyone finds out, Catherine will lose her job. Between that and the added stress of her chaotic personal life, the show is a whirlwind of emotions, therapy and drugs (both prescribed and illicit).

The premise of the series intrigued me from the start, however, the execution leaves something to be desired. One of the symptoms of Catherine’s sickness is “musical hallucinations,” and so the show’s directors take the liberty to keep a running soundtrack of smooth jazz music playing as much as possible. The idea is nice, but the music never quite fits with the setting or the plot. Another complaint I have is the speed at which the directors threw an entire season’s worth of drama into one pilot. This early in, I can barely get the characters’ names straight, not to mention remember who caused what problem where.

It is a refreshing change though, if only a temporary one (the show is not predicted to have a long lifespan). Finally, a major television network has made a show that shows the scientific side of mental illness without sugarcoating the ideas of “treatment” and “normality.” During the pilot, Catherine says to a room full of fellow neuroscientists, “I study extraordinary brains so I can learn about normal ones. And every day I struggle with this very word: normal.” It’s an interesting thought, even if she is heavily intoxicated at the time, and thus gives all viewers an excuse to disregard everything she says.

“Black Box” is on ABC at 10 p.m. on Thursdays.