By Dean Robbins

A hunky outsider gets his man in ‘The Finder’

If I had a dime for every pilot that failed at being simultaneously exciting, funny, sexy and poignant, I’d be able to finance my own series. (Title: “Teenage Mutant Ninja TV Critic.”) But “The Finder” (Thursday, 8 p.m., Fox) actually gets the job done, thanks to a rare combination of great acting, writing and filmmaking. Walter (Geoff Stults) is a classic American hero-outsider, a scruffy, comic book handsome, slightly cracked ex-major holed up in a Florida backwater to solve mysteries his own way. “The military approaches everything in a rigid manner — shock and awe,” he says. “I do things differently, which is why I’m no longer in the military.”

Walter’s circle includes an eccentric partner (Michael Clarke Duncan), a sassy U.S marshal (Mercedes Masohn) who sometimes shares his bed and a wild child (Maddie Hasson) on parole. Stults looks stunning in T-shirts and shorts, but he’s more than just a (very) pretty face. He has incredible ease on camera, bordering on insouciance. Like the best comic action stars, he can send up the chases and fights while also committing to them fully.

Walter may scorn shock and awe, but that’s pretty much what I experienced while watching “The Finder.”

Golden Globe Awards

Sunday, 7 p.m. (NBC)

The Golden Globes are a ridiculous spectacle, from the notoriously corrupt nominations to the alcohol-fueled acceptance speeches. I’d normally make fun of the ceremony in this space, but I think I’ll take a break this year. Returning host Ricky Gervais is guaranteed to mock his own event much more viciously than I ever could. CV