Show of the week: Awake

Each time he sleeps, Detective Michael Britten shuttles between two worlds: one in which his wife survived the car accident that killed their son, and another in which his wife died but his son lived. Britten doesn’t know which life is real; worse, they sometimes overlap. As mind-bending as Inception but with more emotional impact, this intriguing new fantasy-drama rewards engaged viewing with compelling characters and clever plotting. In the lead role, Jason Isaacs pulls off an impressive feat: He’s believable as a man in an unbelievable situation. Thursday, March 1, at 10 p.m., NBC

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