Posted on 07/20/2005 6:57:04 AM PDT by ZGuy
A modern-day Jesus is coming to prime-time television.
The NBC network, eager for new hits to reverse a ratings slump, said on Friday it has given a mid-season 2005-06 commitment to a new drama titled "The Book of Daniel," depicting Christ as a contemporary confidant to a pill-popping priest.
The series stars Aidan Quinn ("Legends of the Fall") as conflicted Episcopal minister and family man, the Rev. Daniel Webster, and Oscar-winner Ellen Burstyn as his bishop.
The character of Jesus is portrayed by relative newcomer Garret Dillahunt, a regular on HBO's gritty, Emmy-nominated western "Deadwood." He played the man who murdered Wild Bill Hickok.
"Book of Daniel" was one of several high-profile projects NBC touted to advertisers at a special presentation in March, but it was left off the upcoming fall schedule unveiled by the General Electric Co.-owned network in May.
In announcing a mid-season pickup of the show, NBC did not say how many episodes were ordered or give a premiere date.
"This challenging new series is our first announced drama for mid-season as we continue to seek different, out-of-the-box projects," NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said in a statement.
Reilly has said NBC's development of the show was inspired in part by the success of religion-themed novels like the "Left Behind" series and Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ."
"Daniel," however, is a far cry from "Passion" or the conventional Easter-season TV specials that portray Christ in a biblical context. According to NBC promotional materials, the Jesus character on "Daniel" is depicted as a "contemporary, cool" figure who appears only to the minister.
The show is hardly NBC's first foray into themes of God, faith and afterlife.
The network's newest prime-time success, "Medium," stars Patricia Arquette as a crime solver who communicates with the dead. And NBC aired a six-part miniseries this spring titled "Revelations," about a scientist and a Catholic nun who team up in a race to thwart Armageddon.
CBS, meanwhile, recently canceled a drama about a girl who talks to God, "Joan of Arcadia," and picked up a new show, "Ghost Whisperer," starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, as a young newlywed who communes with spirits.
A very different take on religion, NBC's animated comedy "God, the Devil and Bob," angered many Christians and flopped several years ago.
Sounds blasphemous to me, that should get ratings.
No, but I'll but His "relationship" with Mary Magdalene is explored in vivid detail. ;)
The character is Episcopalian, and his bishop is played by a woman.
Do they not get it or what? They see the great success of "Passion" and think, "Well, all we've got to do is put this Jesus guy in a TV show and make him a nice dude and people will flock to see it!"
My prediction: It lasts five episodes before low ratings force NBC to yank it.
}:-)4
This won't fly in the Bible Belt!!
I could be mistaken, but it sounds like, once again, our lovelies at H.W. still do not get it...
Oh my gosh. The title alone scares me. Do I HAVE to read the whole article?
Groooooan....
So he'll be homosexual.
This is a re-write of scriptures by Hollywood. Unfortunately, many democrats will believe it's real. They wanted Martin Sheen to be president, "because he's had years of experience!!!"
understatement!
Here's an idea for a show, how about Allah, portrayed as an Iraqi boy, giving spiritual guidance to a Cleric, who is in fact aiding Islamo-Fascists who are killing innocent women and children?
Hey, Tony!
Check this out! Based on this article, I don't know whether to laugh or cry... I think I'll just laugh my behind off at this totally clueless attempt to attract the "Passion crowd."
Will it be a TELL ALL book?......
Uh, have you ever been to a Cathedral in Europe?
ROFL..obviously the real Jesus isn't contemporary or cool and doesn't minister. Yeah, I'll watch this show..NOT!
So what would Jesus do about that?
"Anyone else think this may be just a LITTLE blasphemous?"
Yeah, just a little. And why do they choose the worst denomination from which to choose a priest/minister? Maybe I'm biased, I left Anglicanism years ago, looked back once and thought "whoa, that was one of the best decisions in my life." But even so, why does he need to be a "pill popper?" Why does everything that wants to be "gritty" or "edgy" need someone who does drugs?
I used to be in theater and one of the last plays I saw that my college theater dept did was written by the in-house playwright professor...it had a lesbian ghost, a flamboyant stereotype homosexual whose lover died of AIDS, an old immigrant...who was also a lesbian. It's not that they're gay characters that bothers me, it's that they're thrown in for no reason just so the other empty headed dilettantes can say "oooh that's so edgy...it's got a homosexual, it must be good!" I fear this pill-popping priest and Buddy Christ personified will be no different.
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