Having good characters delivering good lines will not always pull off the story. Jackaby is a great mix of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who, his side kick is unfortunately not a Dr. Watson or Time lord's companion. She is dull, doesn't add much to the conversation unless stating the obvious or paraphrasing her boss, Jackaby. 
 There is nothing about the characters background which makes it hard to connect with them. The story was boring and everyone else apart from Jackaby was quite average. 
 Giving this series a pass.