Craig Olejnik gave an honest answer when asked what he would do if he had the power to hear other people's thoughts.

Would he use it to help people, or would he use it for personal gain?

"I think I would try to balance it out, a little bit for me, a little bit for them, a little Robin Hood action," Olejnik said. "But maybe in business negotiations you could use it for yourself.

"I'd rather fly than be a telepath."

Just for the record, Olejnik's character in The Listener, a drama/"soft sci-fi" series that makes its North American debut Thursday, June 4 on CTV, NBC and Space, can't fly. But Toby Logan can hear what other people are thinking, and having such a power isn't necessarily fun.

The Listener is a Canadian series, clearly and unabashedly set in Toronto, with Canadian actors, that has been sold to NBC in the United States. The Listener already has aired in many countries around the world and on the whole it has been positively received by audiences.

"The response, now that the show has been released internationally, has been pretty cool, to know there is an audience for this type of show," said Olejnik, who turns 30 on June 1.

"In Toronto, just this past week, billboards are popping up on the sides of buses and subways, and also in Vancouver I guess, so I'm getting a lot of messages and phone calls from friends. And the commercials are on, so people are popping up who haven't said hello in a while."

Besides Olejnik, The Listener also stars Lisa Marcos, Ennis Esmer, Mylene Dinh-Robic and Colm Feore.

Toby is a 25-year-old paramedic in Toronto who has spent the bulk of his mysterious life controlling or suppressing his hidden ability. Toby does not talk about his powers to anyone except his mentor and confidant, Dr. Ray Mercer (Feore).

In the first episode, however, something happens to Toby that hasn't happened before: His brain is unable to block or filter a random distress call from a stranger.

Toby wonders if his power is changing somehow. He no longer can ignore the question of whether he actively should be using his gift for the greater good.

"You're basically getting Toby when he's beginning to explore this ability that he always has pushed off to the side," said Olejnik, who originally is from Nova Scotia and currently lives in Toronto. "As with any new power, he's learning how to wield it.

"He's a young Jedi honing his powers, so it's trial and error. Throughout the season there certainly are highs and lows."

Ultimately, if you really could read thoughts, there probably would be more lows than highs.

"Like most people, there barely is enough room in my head for my own thoughts," Olejnik said. "If you can't control what comes in, then it could be an unenjoyable place to be."

An unenjoyable place to be, for sure. But as a concept, the makers of The Listener are confident that it's enjoyable to watch.