By Anne Louise Bannon
yourfamilyviewer.com
Except for one thing, it’s just another lackluster summer weekend, as my dear friend Marc Berman, of the Programming Insider, would say.
Last Saturday night, my beloved spouse and I decided to clear some of the old programs off the DVR and discovered a show that somehow got past me when it debuted last spring. Probably because the folks at ABC are so freaking paranoid about piracy they couldn’t be bothered to send me the screener. Sorry. I have issues with the ABC publicity department. I find several of the individuals pretty nice, but as a group, they’re largely pretty obnoxious and full of themselves.
Which is kinda sad because last spring’s sleeper hit, Eli Stone (currently on at 10 p.m., Saturday), is one heck of a show. It’s about a high-powered San Francisco lawyer, Eli Stone (Johnny Lee Miller), who suddenly develops visions, probably due to a brain anyeurism, but possibly not. His father (played by Tom Cavenaugh) had visions, too, and could predict the future.
Aside from the fabulous writing – the episode dealing with Eli’s father’s death (Heartbeats, on the ABC website) is singularly amazing – the show is surprisingly family-safe for a 10 p.m. show. Yes, there’s the odd bit of sexual behavior, but nothing graphic. Not much in the way of violence, either.
But the show is imaginative. The variety of the visions, alone, is impressive. Also, Victor Garber plays Eli’s boss, Jordan Weathersby, and it is so much fun watching Garber’s character change from grim and money-grubbing to openly defending Eli. Okay, watching Garber get to sing and dance is a treat, too, because Garber is one of those guys who did a significant amount of time doing same on Broadway.
This is one of those shows that, especially if you have older kids, you can really sink your teeth into. It being about lawyers and the fact that Eli finds himself taking on more and more pro-bono work, there are always ethical issues to talk over. Ask your kids what they think about them. They may have some surprising insights.
Now, the second season doesn’t begin until October, but I have to give ABC credit for coming up with a way to update you (and everyone else) on Eli Stone – and many of the other ABC shows, including two other faves of mine, Ugly Betty and Pushing Daisies. The website is featuring Starter Kits – short videos that will give you the basic rundown on what happened last season so that you can pick up with the new season or the summer repeats and have a sense of what’s going on. You’ll have to scroll down to the bottom to find Eli Stone and listen to a short, but grating Best Buy commercial.
You can also catch up on the whole series on your computer, if you want to. Or you can watch the episode airing tomorrow (8/16) on the good TV. Either way, I think you’ll find Eli Stone a pleasant surprise.
