Sorry about the long post, but I couldn't find the link to this hype about a new series. I got a good laugh out of it and I'm sure you will too, so have at it!

"BOOK OF DANIEL (NBC) - Susanna Thompson ("Once & Again"), Christian Campbell ("All My Children"), Alison Pill ("Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen") and Garret Dillahunt ("Leap Years") have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about an Episcopalian minister (Aidan Quinn) with a prescription drug problem who finds himself speaking routinely with Jesus. Thompson will play Judith Webster, described in the casting notice as "40s. Attractive, Daniel's wife, Judith is elegant and in control, under any circumstances; a woman who always has the right word, clothes, club, or wine. She likes to stay on top of things. She probably could've been a surgeon or a diplomat, but for many reasons, she chose wife and mother. The wife of an Episcopalian bishop, Judith maintains her equilibrium in the face of a drug-dealing daughter and embezzling brother-in-law with discretion (her mantra in disaster is "You haven't said anything, have you?") and martinis. Despite her need to present an image of a unified family status quo, Judith is in fact a strong, resilient woman who's devoted to her family. She's not a cold woman, simply practical, and she loves Daniel and her family very much."

Campbell then will play Peter Webster, who's listed as "Early 20's. The eldest Webster child and the survivor of his twin brother Jimmy, who died of leukemia, Peter has decided to specialize in biomedical research at Sloan-Kettering. Peter's a good kid, easy-going, well-adjusted, happy, the easiest of the Webster kids , and you'd never guess that he's gay. And not just gay - a Log Cabin Republican conservative gay man. Still recovering from the breakup with his boyfriend David, Peter comes across some of Grace's Manga drawings featuring him and David, and is surprised on many levels." Pill then is set as Grace Webster: "14-16. Daniel and Judith's daughter, she's a sweet girl under the teenage angst. Arrested for selling marijuana, Grace only partly masks her fear with anger and defiance as her parents bail her out of jail. Though Grace is frequently at odds with her obnoxious brother Adam, she is closer to her brother Peter, whom she features, along with his ex-boyfriend, in her Manga drawings. A talented artist with a real flair for the Japanese anime style, Grace is forced to admit that she began selling pot as a way of raising $2500 for an anime class. Beneath all the drama, Grace is a good girl who is close to her parents, particularly her father."

Finally, Dillahunt will play Jesus Christ, listed in the casting notice as "Early 30's. Daniel's conscience/alter ego/imaginary spiritual advisor/best friend/brother/father/partner, Jesus is a frequent visitor to Daniel in private moments, a good-humored, wise but non-judgmental presence that clearly gives Daniel comfort and guidance. He and Daniel can also laugh together like a couple of college buddies." Dylan Baker also stars as Roger Northrup, the senior warden at Daniel's parish. NBC Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television are behind the project with Jack Kenny and Flody Suarez executive producing."

Surely I'm not the only one who found this whole thing absurd? "1st and 10: The History Channel!"

[ March 01, 2005, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: gmginsfo ]

Gay...again? AWESOME!!!! I love him. When is this on?

They've certainly covered all the bullet points haven't they-alcoholism, drugs, homosexuality, cancer, religion, embezzlement. Unless this is going to be in the vein of Desperate Housewives-like parody, this sounds like a trainwreck.

It sounds more like Joan of Arcadia than Desperate Housewives to me. I'll pass.

Maybe they could work in a plot based on this somehow. Once again, truth is stranger than fiction.

[ March 01, 2005, 07:46 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

I recall hearing that Joan of Arcadia's ratings are down quite a bit, so they'd be better off copying from DH.