Posted on 12/27/2005 3:12:45 PM PST by NYer
NBC has begun promoting a new weekly show in January that centers around a troubled, pill-popping Episcopal priest played by veteran actor Aidan Quinn, who talks with a manifestation of Jesus, played by Garret Dillahunt.
"The Book of Daniel" is being touted as the riskiest new show of the year. It is also billed as the only show on television in which Jesus appears as a recurring character.
It's a drama with comedic aspects and is being kicked off Jan. 6 with back-to-back episodes. It is scheduled to air regularly Friday nights at 9 p.m. The cast also includes Ellen Burstyn and Susanna Thompson.
As NBC itself explains the show, it focuses on "an Episcopalian minister and father. He finds himself conversing with Jesus -- his mentor and friend -- who helps navigate family problems, church politics and even his nagging reliance on prescription painkillers."
Comedienne Phyllis Diller plays a member of Daniel Webster's flock.
NBC executives have been excited about "The Book of Daniel" for a long time, though the show failed to make its fall lineup. Dillahunt is said to play a "hip, modern Jesus."
"This challenging new series is our first announced drama for midseason as we continue to seek different out-of-the-box projects," NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told the Hollywood Reporter.
These people are lost to the pit...NBC-Not Biblical or Christian.
In competition with Phyllis Diller?
What they really need is God
Oh wait, George Burns is dead. /sigh/
.
Isnt Aidan Quinn the one that is married to the fat Dixie Chick?
I'm guessing that
1)This Jesus would vote for Kerry
2) It will be off the air in 5 weeks.
Any takers on the over/under/
Do you think the "Jesus of NBC" will touch the homo's and lesbo's on the show and cure them of their illness'? Somehow I doubt it.
NBC will no doubt be abrogating much of the NT to fit the PC/ socialist democrat world they wish the world to be.
Seems to me that if that's all the sex they could stuff into the show the marketplace will take it down faster than you can get a petition up.
If the Reverend Donald Wildmon is against it, then I will absolutely be sure to watch it.
Jesus is a regular character on South Park too.
Ha... I love Jesus on South Park, and I think that some people get way too uptight about religion. There's room on T.V. for both Joan of Arcadia (awesome show until the main actress had a diva fit) and Book of Daniel/ South Park. We should be allowed to point out the major hypocrisies in each part of our society, including in religion.
I'll take the over on that one. Unfortunately.
Well, I'm Episcopalian, and I'm already offended. (On the other hand, I can imagine my bishop being a great fan.....)
You know.... if someone wanted to they could make a really, really good series about the book of daniel. The prophecies. It could be pretty intense.
Gee, with this plot they could have the drug addicted priest have a tryst with Dr. House, who is a drug addicted doctor?
The only way you stop shows like this is NOT watch them.Low Neilson ratings kill shows. Period!
This is a total offense against the teachings of Jesus and a slap in the face of all christians! What do you suppose would be the reaction if you were to try a similar program devoted to Mohammed and the 'religion of peace', Islam?
In the first episode one of the Tamil Tigers, blows up the Adult Video shop. The resulting fallout scars the parish for years.
Well it's nice to see NBC doing something about its problem. The problem of still having some audience, that is.
Who in their right mind would watch this crap to begin with?
I'm just not that desperate to watch TV.
I rode on a plane a couple of months back sitting next to an episcopalian pastor. He was explaining to me how Jesus was a great teacher of the talmud, but probably had no real marketable skills. Certainly wouldn't have been much of a carpenter. I finally disagreed with him. He was very learned and interested to hear my reasoning. I told him that the bible says Jesus turned water to wine, walked on water, raised the dead, and healed the blind and lame. I figure he could make a good bookshelf if he wanted to. This guy looked at me like .... are you nuts? It was pretty funny.
The idea of Jesus talking to a guy seems to be lifted directly from Denis Leary's very un PC drama "Rescue me."
I wonder how they will portray the gay Republican son. Will they make him a Bush supporter? How can they do that without making him some kind of idiot, the way Hollywood almost always portrays Republicans. We shall see.
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