Judd Hirsch, Ioan Gruffudd

ABC's new drama Forever isn't breaking any mold, but it sure is a lot of fun! The series stars Ioan Gruffudd as Dr. Henry Morgan, an immortal medical examiner trying to find a way to bite the dust once and for all. But until he finally figures out the solution to his predicament, Henry puts his extensive knowledge of death to use by helping Det. Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza) solve New York City's toughest cases.

Before you roll your eyes and write the show off, check out these seven reasons why Forever is more than worth your time.

1. It's not like anything on TV right now: It's like Castle, but with magic. It's like New Amsterdam, but better. Whatever Forever is, there's nothing quite like it on right now. "We have a bad guy every week, we solve a crime, but it's also light and comedic, where he has a wry sense of humor about his predicament," creator Matt Miller explains to TVGuide.com. "It's romantic in the sense that we get to flash back and see the love of his life that he's lost over time. It has the element of mystery every week and then, obviously in the building DNA of the show, the slight degree of the supernatural. So it's almost like a bunch of different ingredients thrown into a stew together."

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2. There will be an overarching mystery: Forever isn't just another episodic procedural. The premiere will introduce an anonymous caller who's somehow discovered Henry's secret. And while Henry's been alive for 200 years, this person claims to have been alive for 2,000 years!

The caller's existence will soon bring Henry to question his own future if he can't figure out a way to die (and stay dead). "What was that character like initially? Was he always sort of a bad person? Or was he like Henry, a moral, ethical person, but just having been alive for that amount of time has changed him?" Miller says. "So for Henry, it becomes a cautionary tale."

3. But it will still be accessible to casual viewers: This is something all DVR commitment-phobes will love. Every week will find Henry teaming up with Jo to solve a new crime, so whether or not you've caught the series before, it's easy to jump right in. Plus: In addition to the case-of-the-week, each episode will also feature a flashback story to Henry's past. You know what that means? Fashion porn from various eras!

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4. Henry isn't an antihero, but he isn't perfect either: "I think he was always probably a good and moral person. I think he went down to Africa [where he first died] to help out in a medical capacity. But maybe he did things in his past that he's not particularly proud of," Miller explains. But since Henry's been forced to keep living for two centuries, he's been able to learn from his mistakes. "Being alive all this time, he's seen a lot of pain and suffering that people can do to each other and that really affects him deeply ... so whenever he sees that kind of thing happen, whether it be physical pain, emotional pain, whatever, he's experienced it himself so he's particularly empathetic to people's plights."

5. Jo won't just be Henry's sidekick: Much like Sherlock Holmes, Henry enjoys being the most intelligent person in the room. But this knowledge doesn't translate directly into crime-solving abilities. "At the end of the day, he has no idea how to be an actual cop. And that's something that Jo is very good at," Miller says. The pair also becomes strong sources of emotional support for each other while Henry struggles with his immortality and Jo faces her own mortality after losing her husband.

6. There won't be any will-they-won't-they romance: Nothing has become as tiresome as the drawn-out suspense of whether or not a TV couple will get together. Thankfully, Forever is side-stepping the issue by letting Henry and Jo just be friends. "There's a lot of shows that do the will-they-or-won't-they. To me, I just like the idea that they're emotionally connected and they're both people that shut out a lot of people. And just the notion that they let the other person in, like they need that connection, and like each other, as opposed to just leaning in for the kiss."

7. There's a lot of naked Ioan Gruffudd: Every time Henry dies, he's reborn in water. It could be the East River, it could be someone's pool. But no matter where Henry wakes up, one thing is always the same: He is totally and amazingly naked! "I thought it would be really fun to have this character who died in these very violent, visceral ways and he came out the water naked, being the weird guy on the shoreline of Brooklyn walking around naked. So on a comedic level, it worked for me," Miller explains.

Forever premieres with a special two-night event on Monday and Tuesday at 10/9c on ABC.

Watch an exclusive sneak peek at the premiere below. Will you check it out?