Fans of "Leverage" — the TNT series that filmed in and around Portland from 2009 until its cancellation in 2012 -- may recognize some of the same playful spirit of that show in "The Librarians," which premieres Sunday, Dec. 7 on TNT.



A spinoff of the three "Librarian" TV-movies that also aired on TNT, the new series, like "Leverage," is a production of Electric Entertainment, the company headed by producer Dean Devlin (whose credits include the movies "Independence Day," "Stargate" and the in-production "Geostorm.") Many other key players from "Leverage" are also involved with "The Librarians," including executive producer and writer John Rogers.



"The Librarians" filmed in the Portland metro area earlier this year, and, as with "Leverage," our local spots pose as more farflung locations.



(Rebecca Romijn talks about filming "The Librarians" in Portland, and why shooting action scenes is fun)

For Portlanders, that's part of the fun – hey, look, it's the First Congregational United Church of Christ on Southwest Park, pretending to be the exterior of the Tower of London!



Portland is also identified as the location for a magical annex of the home quarters for the ancient organization known as The Librarians. When the intrepid band of brainiac-adventurers walk out of a door of the Metropolitan Library, in New York, they emerge in woodsy Portland, and find their new library lair located at the base of the St. Johns Bridge.



The premiere of "The Librarians" sets up the premise, introduces new characters, and tosses the heroes into a quest that involves retrieving Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur. The mission leads them to London, and the magical stone Excalibur was originally lodged in.



Along the way, they're battling agents of the evil Serpent Brotherhood, who want to get their nefarious hands on the magical artifacts the Librarians are sworn to protect. Chief among the bad guys is guest star Matt Frewer, with a shaved head and an accent that sounds like late-period Laurence Olivier.

returns to his role as Flynn Carsen, who's inherited the mantle of the Librarian. Wyle is obviously having fun hamming it up as the cerebral good deed-doer. But since there's so much magic-related mischief going on in the world, Carsen now has a team of helpers.

The new Librarians-in-training are Jacob Stone (played by

one of the stars of "Leverage"), an Oklahoma oil pipeline worker who's been hiding his high I.Q. and knowledge of art history under a bushel; Cassandra Cillian (Lindy Booth), who has both a brain tumor and genius-level mathematical abilities; and Ezekiel Jones (John Kim), a thief who's a whiz at break-ins and narrow escapes.

Charged with keeping these unpredictable types safe is

, a NATO counter-terrorism expert who has been chosen by the library itself to be Carsen's guardian.

Baird is taken aback by these developments, as who wouldn't be? "Magic is real," she says, bewildered, "and a building sent me an envelope?"

The two-hour premiere consists of the first two episodes, which air back-to-back. Both are written by Rogers, and directed by Devlin, and things can feel a bit hectic if you're not already familiar with the world of "The Librarian" TV-movies.

The first two hours are busy with loading elements into place, such as accounting for Carsen taking off on a larger mission, and leaving Baird to look after his back-up team as they tackle the "slightly less apocalyptic stuff."

Adding to the frenzied tone is the supposed hopping around from place to place, and figuring out where the supporting characters come in (including Bob Newhart as the spirit of the late Judson, a former Librarian who was Carsen's mentor, and appears to him in a mirror.)

When things slow down for a second, there are some good lines, especially in the second hour. It definitely helps to have John Larroquette show up as Jenkins, who has been happily toiling away alone in the Library annex in Portland. When Cassandra is confused about why Jenkins wants to consult his book of newspaper clippings, Larroquette elegantly dismisses her with, "Oh, child of the annoying digital age."

Aside from Wyle bouncing back into his role, the other performers don't have time to make much of an impression yet, though Romijn is likable, and Kane brings his own entertainingly humorous swagger.

With a tone that swings between action and slapstick comedy, "The Librarians" isn't likely to show up on any end of 2014 Top 10 lists. But its high energy and good cheer are a comfortable fit for the holiday season.

"The Librarians" premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 on TNT

-- Kristi Turnquist